Projects by Region
Projects by Region
Each region of the country contains its own unique ecosystems, communities, and cultural values. Regional CASCs work with partners to develop products that address specific climate adaptation needs of wildlife, ecosystems, and people in the states within their footprints. Browse our projects by region below or use our Project Explorer database to explore our science.
Filter Total Items: 1003
Enhancing a Spatial Planning Tool to Inform Management of Reservoir Fisheries, Stream Flows, and Societal Water Needs in the Red River
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of water resources requires careful stewardship of water for societal uses (i.e. municipal, agricultural, and industrial sectors) and also for the many other benefits that aquatic ecosystems provide to humans. In particular, reservoir fisheries and river ecosystems provide a range of economic, cultural, and recreational benefits. Maximizing the...
Enhancing Climate Adaptation for Native Communities in Western Alaska: Linking Pollinator Diversity and Abundance to Berry Production in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Berry-producing plants, a key resource in Alaska Native communities, provide primary subsistence and have been integral to maintaining cultural cohesion, sense of place, and physical ties to the surrounding landscape. Despite the importance of berry-producing plants, relatively little is known about their vulnerability to changes in climate and environmental conditions. The dynamics of...
Enhancing Indigenous Research and Data Governance in Southwest Climate Adaptation Initiatives
Indigenous knowledge systems, such as traditional ecological knowledge, contain climate observations and adaptation strategies reaching back millennia. These include methods for caring for our natural resources, such as through drought resilient agriculture, soil, and water management practices. Despite a growing global recognition among researchers and resource managers of the value of...
Enhancing Water Temperature Monitoring Efforts across Alaska through Collaborative Leveraging of a Statewide Database
Water temperatures affect the distribution, growth potential, and productivity of stream fishes that are targeted in subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries across Alaska, making stream and lake temperature data critical for managing freshwater resources. Evaluating the variation in temperatures across Alaska will improve understanding of impacts of both climate change and...
Evaluating How Snow Avalanches Impact Mountain Goat Populations in Southeast Alaska
Snow avalanches alter mountain environments and have both beneficial and harmful effects on wildlife. Avalanches can benefit wildlife by creating open areas for grazing but can also be deadly when animals are buried in avalanche debris. Avalanches pose high risks to mountain goats because they inhabit rugged and steep terrain, but the actual impacts of avalanches on mountain goats remain...
Evaluation of Network Tools to Advance Climate Adaptation in the Southwest
The complex challenge of adapting to climate changerequires collaborative solutions that can be enhanced by connecting individuals to each other and to essential information. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of online decision information tools designed to aid adaptation, that are supported by the development of a network of practice. Networks can aid adaptation by improving...
Examining Diverse Management Objectives and Broadening Stakeholder Engagement for Climate Adaptation Planning of Historic Structures within the National Park System
This project seeks to enhance the stewardship of historic buildings vulnerable to climate change impacts. As sea level rise and storm-related flooding and erosion threaten our nation’s cultural heritage, there is a critical need to ensure that climate change adaptation decisions, including what cultural resources will be “let go”, are transparent and informed by the opinion of people...
Exploring How Stakeholders Use, Understand, and Feel about Climate Science Products
Future climate conditions may dramatically impact many of the natural resources, cultural resources, and ecosystem services on which society depends. To ensure the long-term sustainability of these resources, decision-makers across many domains (e.g. federal, state, NGO, Tribal) commonly consider climate forecasts in their strategic planning efforts. In the South Central United States...
Filling the Knowledge Gaps: Extreme Weather Driven Changes in Streamflow Patterns and their Impacts on Fish in Hawaiian Streams
Freshwater is a critical driver for island ecosystems and essential part of the water cycle in tropical islands, which is threaten by climate change. Changes in streamflow patterns may impact streams, estuarine, and coastal habitats. In Hawai‘i, these habitats support five native stream fish species. To examine how changes in streamflow have impacted habitat quality for these native...
From Refugia to Resilience: Wildfires, Changing Climate, and Landscape Transformation in the Southwestern U.S.
In ecosystems of the southwestern US intensifying wildfires and climatic shifts are causing widespread tree mortality and slowed recovery after fires. Ecological refugia are areas that retain intact biological features or ecological processes after disturbance. These refugia are essential for the survival of a wide array of species and communities and aid in ecosystem recovery by...
From Water to Wildlife: Linking Water Timing and Availability to Meadows and Wildlife in a Changing Climate
Mountain meadows in the western United States provide key habitats for many plant and wildlife species, many of which rely exclusively on these areas. Mountain meadows are also treasured by the public and provide beautiful areas to view wildflowers and wildlife on public lands such as national parks. However, mountain ecosystems are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate...
Future Aquatic Invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How Climate Change, Human Vectors, and Natural History Could Bring Southern and Western Species North
There are significant investments by states and resource agencies in the northeast U.S. for invasive aquatic species monitoring and management. These investments in jurisdictional waters help maintain their use for drinking, industry, and recreation. It is essential to understand the risks from invasive species, because once established, species can be costly to society and difficult or...