Assessment of Data Integration Capacity in the North Central Region

The North Central Climate Science Center (NC CSC) involved federal, state, tribal, and university partners to implement a pilot study aimed at developing data and information exchange protocols and identifying analytical needs across a broad network of partners. The study was organized around a set of management questions identified by the NC CSC’s partners. Issues related to species, landscapes, and ecosystem connections were used to orient the study across various scales of decision-making.

 

As part of the study, researchers prototyped the use of climate projections in ecosystem, habitat, and wildlife impact models, to inform resource management and planning decisions. Capabilities and constraints associated with information exchange and analysis between federal and non-federal partners were then assessed.

 

This study resulted in the development of an innovative platform geared towards user-friendly information exchange and analysis, providing new views of data critical to supporting researchers and decision-makers in analyzing climate-associated risk events and mitigating their effects.