Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.
Over the past several years, many regions have experienced extreme droughts, fueled by prolonged periods of reduced precipitation and exceptionally warm temperatures. As temperatures warm, the frequency, severity, extent, and duration of droughts are expected to increase across North America, affecting both humans and natural ecosystems. To better manage and improve the resilience of our Nation’s communities and ecosystems in the face of drought, an ecohydrological research and monitoring network that advances the understanding of drought effects and climatic resilience in headwater streams is needed. Cold water basins that support salmonid populations were prioritized based upon their perceived vulnerability to changing climate, economic and conservation value, and their requirements for headwater habitats to complete their life cycles.
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.
Over the past several years, many regions have experienced extreme droughts, fueled by prolonged periods of reduced precipitation and exceptionally warm temperatures. As temperatures warm, the frequency, severity, extent, and duration of droughts are expected to increase across North America, affecting both humans and natural ecosystems. To better manage and improve the resilience of our Nation’s communities and ecosystems in the face of drought, an ecohydrological research and monitoring network that advances the understanding of drought effects and climatic resilience in headwater streams is needed. Cold water basins that support salmonid populations were prioritized based upon their perceived vulnerability to changing climate, economic and conservation value, and their requirements for headwater habitats to complete their life cycles.