Linking Research and Stakeholder Engagement for Effective Wetland Conservation in a Changing Climate
Functioning wetlands buffer against threats like drought, flooding, and pollution. However, climate change is degrading these wetland functions, including wildlife movement corridors that connect wetlands and sustain biodiversity habitat. In the Southern Great Plains, this is highly concerning for migratory shorebirds because they depend on connected wetlands throughout their life cycle. Managers and policymakers need clear information about how climate change will affect wetlands and wildlife to enact climate adaptation measures that sustain wetland benefits to ecosystems and society.
In an initial study, this project team predicted that climate change will reduce wetland area and connectivity in the Southern Great Plains. They also surveyed managers from state and federal agencies about climate impacts on wetlands, their current climate mitigation practices, and their high-priority information needs. Building on this work, researchers will : (1) survey a broader range of stakeholders, including Tribal nations, NGOs, and private landowners, to better understand current adaptation practices and information needs; (2) project the impacts of climate change on wetland-dependent waterbirds (ducks, geese, and cranes) in the region; and (3) create tools for informed conservation planning decisions by ranking wetlands’ importance for waterbirds under future climate scenarios and by sharing adaptation strategies identified in the survey.
As climate change brings increasing temperatures, precipitation variability, and water scarcity, this project will engage directly with stakeholders across the Great Plains region to offer predictive tools that help managers and policymakers identify critical wetlands for wildlife habitat connectivity. By sharing results among stakeholders and the scientific community, this research team will increase capacity of wetland management organizations to implement effective wetland conservation strategies, improve wetland resilience to climate change, and sustain the ecosystem services wetlands provide.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ef55d34e7eb9eb7d6e35)
Functioning wetlands buffer against threats like drought, flooding, and pollution. However, climate change is degrading these wetland functions, including wildlife movement corridors that connect wetlands and sustain biodiversity habitat. In the Southern Great Plains, this is highly concerning for migratory shorebirds because they depend on connected wetlands throughout their life cycle. Managers and policymakers need clear information about how climate change will affect wetlands and wildlife to enact climate adaptation measures that sustain wetland benefits to ecosystems and society.
In an initial study, this project team predicted that climate change will reduce wetland area and connectivity in the Southern Great Plains. They also surveyed managers from state and federal agencies about climate impacts on wetlands, their current climate mitigation practices, and their high-priority information needs. Building on this work, researchers will : (1) survey a broader range of stakeholders, including Tribal nations, NGOs, and private landowners, to better understand current adaptation practices and information needs; (2) project the impacts of climate change on wetland-dependent waterbirds (ducks, geese, and cranes) in the region; and (3) create tools for informed conservation planning decisions by ranking wetlands’ importance for waterbirds under future climate scenarios and by sharing adaptation strategies identified in the survey.
As climate change brings increasing temperatures, precipitation variability, and water scarcity, this project will engage directly with stakeholders across the Great Plains region to offer predictive tools that help managers and policymakers identify critical wetlands for wildlife habitat connectivity. By sharing results among stakeholders and the scientific community, this research team will increase capacity of wetland management organizations to implement effective wetland conservation strategies, improve wetland resilience to climate change, and sustain the ecosystem services wetlands provide.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ef55d34e7eb9eb7d6e35)