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Climate Change Refugia Special Issue: Buying Time for Biodiversity to Adapt in a Changing World
Human-caused climate change will rapidly alter ecosystems in the Northwest and around the world, putting species that inhabit them under severe stress. These sweeping ecological changes will leave little time for species and ecosystems to adapt to new conditions, resulting in extinctions and large-scale ecosystem transformations.
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New NW CASC Synthesis Explores the Effects of Climate Change on Invasive Species in the Northwest
There is growing concern that changing climate conditions will amplify the negative impacts of non-native invasive species and facilitate their expansion. Despite the potential ecological and economic impacts of invasive species expansions in the Northwest, there has been no comprehensive synthesis on climate change effects on invasive species – until now.
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New NW CASC-funded Synthesis Explores the Effects of Changing Climate Conditions on Wildfires and Forests of the Northwest
Forests are an iconic feature of Northwest landscapes. From dense forests of towering conifers in the west to ponderosa pine forests in the east, these ecosystems provide water, wildlife habitat, timber, recreation and other benefits.
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NW CASC Research Provides New Synthesis on Ecological Drought in the Northwest
As the climate changes in the Northwest, increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are expected to significantly alter our annual snowpack, stream flows and water availability. Along with these changes comes an increased risk of ecological drought, or periods of water stress that significantly impact species, habitats, ecosystems and the services they provide.
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NW CASC Partnering on Project Examining Relationship Between Fish & Wildlife Health, Disease and Climate Change Across North America
The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is part of a one-year project led by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in partnership with the USGS Climate Adaptation Science Center Network, to understand and prepare for emerging challenges related to fish and wildlife health, disease, and climate change across North America.
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NW CASC Research Provides New Datasets on Streamflow Permanence in Northwest
What does increasing drought mean for the Northwest streams that provide critical habitat for our region’s fish and wildlife? As the climate changes, which streams will continue to flow year-round and which will dry up?
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New Report on Makah Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Resource Assessment
Current Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) Fellow Laura Nelson is an author on a new report about “Makah Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Resource Assessment: A preliminary framework to utilize traditional knowledge into climate change planning.” Many Indigenous communities are planning for the protection of their natural resources and cultures in the face of climate change.
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NW CASC-Funded Research Explores Remote Sensing of Nitrogen in Dryland Ecosystems
Former Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) Fellow Hamid Dashti is the lead author of a new paper that evaluates methods for measuring nitrogen in dryland ecosystems. As the climate warms, dryland ecosystems in the western United States are already experiencing change and becoming more susceptible to fire-prone, invasive species such as cheatgrass.
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NW CASC-funded Research Describes the Importance of Fire Refugia in a Changing Climate
As our climate changes, increasing wildfire activity continues to impact our forested ecosystems and the species that inhabit them. A new paper on NW CASC-funded research examines fire refugia in the context of global change.
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NW CASC-Funded Research Explores Streamflow Permanence in Northwest Rivers and Streams
As the climate changes, resource managers are increasingly challenged by limited knowledge of where and when streams and rivers will maintain streamflow. A new paper on NW CASC-funded research details the USGS PRObability of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER) model, a regional model that provides information about where streams supported year round flow on a year-to-year basis for 2004-2016.
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