The Impact of Future Climate Variability on Shorebirds and Their Wetland Habitats in the South Central U.S.

Healthy wetlands provide buffers against drought, flooding, pollution, and other threats to humans and nature. Climate change imperils wetland health, including impacting the connections among wetlands that facilitate movements and prevent extinctions of wetland-dependent wildlife. One wildlife group of considerable conservation concern and vulnerability to climate induced wetland changes is migratory shorebirds (a diverse group that includes sandpipers and plovers). Many shorebirds undertake long-distance migrations and have experienced sharp population declines, partly from loss of migratory stopover sites. During stopovers, shorebirds are thought to need a regional network of wetlands, with connections among local wetlands and large-scale connections among wetland clusters. Wetland and wildlife managers and policymakers are in need of scientific data and information on climate change impacts to wetlands and wetland-dependent wildlife to help them prevent or mitigate future consequences of climate change.



The project team will address this science need in the South Central U.S. by projecting climate change effects on future wetland availability, including connections for multiple migratory shorebirds.  Additionally, the team will address how climate-related alterations in wetlands will influence habitat connections for migratory shorebirds and other wildlife.



This work will support the research team in determining: (a) how regional variation in particular climate factors (e.g., precipitation) will affect wetland extent and connectedness and (b) where and when shorebirds and other wildlife will most likely be impeded by gaps in wetland connections. Results will inform conservation actions, such as water level management and targeting of regions for land acquisition or conservation easements (e.g., Wetland Reserve Easements Program). In the face of ongoing and future climate changes, this study will provide predictive tools that help managers and policymakers identify critical wetlands and regions contributing most to connectivity for shorebirds and other wildlife.