Managing habitats for biological resources is a monumental task that is further challenged by recently observed and projected future global change. In order for resource managers to prioritize actions and develop adaptation strategies, it is critical that they have easily accessible information on the potential range of impacts and highlight those that are most likely to influence the resources they manage. In particular, managers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Midwest Region have identified the need for an interactive tool that allows them to spatially visualize areas with a high potential for experiencing climate change impacts.
In this project, researchers will develop an interactive, map-based habitat vulnerability assessment tool for the USFWS Midwest Region, to help managers identify appropriate regional and site-level adaptation strategies. The tool will incorporate future projections of 15 variables, including changes in climate, land use patterns, and water quality and quantity. Scientists and managers will then work together to test and apply the tool in an adaptation planning process for several National Wildlife Refuges and Wetland Management Districts in the region.
Through this work, researchers will help guide USFWS resource managers in the consideration of potential adaptation strategies suitable for their management sites, while collectively identifying a range of strategies to consider under a broader range of climatic change. Resulting products will synthesize habitat-specific adaptation strategies to support the larger conservation community in translating vulnerabilities into adaptation strategies, support site-specific adaptation planning, and assess the utility of vulnerability assessments in broad-scale decision-making.
This project builds on previous Northeast CASC-funded research to develop a vulnerability assessment of watersheds and protected areas in the Upper Mississippi Watershed.
