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The Impact of Climate Change on Culturally Significant Wetland Plants and Their Habitat in the Meduxnekeag River Watershed in Maine
The Impact of Climate Change on Culturally Significant Wetland Plants and Their Habitat in the Meduxnekeag River Watershed in Maine
Climate change is impacting soil and vegetation management practices, ecosystem function, human health, cultural resiliency, and economic well-being. CASC-funded projects inform vegetation and ecosystem restoration and shifting land management practices to help conserve important native plant species. Explore our science with plants below.
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USGS Sagebrush Science: Supporting Public Safety and Economic Decision Making Across the West
The sagebrush biome is one of the largest ecosystems in North America. Encompassing nearly one-third of the continental U.S., it provides critical resources for millions of Americans and a home for hundreds of plants and animal species in the West. Natural resource management in sagebrush ecosystems can be complex, and science can support management decisions by providing knowledge and tools to...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire Science
Assessing Genomic Diversity and Clonality in Tape Seagrass in Guam and Surrounding Pacific Islands to Inform Climate Resilient Restoration
Project Overview Seagrass meadows support island communities by sustaining fisheries and protecting shorelines. However, some species, such as tape grass, may lack the genetic variation needed to survive and adapt to warmer, saltier ocean waters. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will sequence the tape grass genome and assess genetic variation across Micronesia...
Future of Species Range Shifts: Do warm-adapted plants provide better benefits to pollinators under climate change?
Pollinators are essential for biodiversity and agricultural production, which underlies the sense of urgency to protect declining populations and support their range shifts under climate change. A large proportion of pollinator conservation efforts are based on planting ‘pollinator friendly’ flowering plants. However, these efforts have largely overlooked climate-smart initiatives that...
Future of Species Range Shifts: Species range shifts, protected areas, and climate connectivity
A key assumption behind many predictions of ecosystem response to climate change is that plant species will track their suitable climates through space and time. However, climate connectivity – the ability of a landscape to facilitate or impede climate-induced movement – will strongly influence how plants are able to move through the landscape. Forward-looking, climate change-informed...
Future of Species Range Shifts: Integrating adaptation and migration potential into forecasts of geographic range shifts with climate change
Climate change is projected to redraw the boundaries between grassland and forest ecosystems in the Midwest. However, Midwestern landscapes are among the most fragmented in the nation, and this fragmentation could impede natural range change in some species. Current models of range shifts often focus exclusively on climate variables, neglecting how land use patterns could modulate...
From Water to Life: Impact of Climate Warming on Potential Wetland and First Foods Habitat in Traditional Use Areas of The Klamath Tribes
Project Overview First foods are integral components of the culture, spirituality, medicine, well-being, and health of the Klamath people. Throughout the Klamath Basin, climate change has substantially impacted the seasonality, abundance, and quality of first foods and other culturally important resources. These impacts compound with long-term challenges to food security and food...
Spurring Innovation in Adaptation to Altered Fire Regimes in the Sonoran Desert
Project Overview The biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert has been impacted by more frequent and more intense wildfires, as many of the plant species are unable to withstand nor regenerate after a severe fire. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will aid managers by addressing knowledge gaps in ecological restoration, as well as the challenges that come with restoration in...
Assessment of Habitat Restoration and Adaptation Successes and Opportunities in the Mississippi River’s National Park Post-Emerald Ash Borer Infestation
Project Overview Minnesota’s forests are being impacted by the effects of numerous climate related disturbances, such as invasive species, increased temperatures and flooding, and severe weather. While managers are working to ensure the longevity of these forests, they are facing a lack of information on how forests are responding to these effects and which strategies prove most...
Spread of invasive vegetation under climate change in the national parks of the Klamath Region
Project Overview: The Klamath Region of Oregon and California is a global hotspot of biodiversity, but invasive species, climate change, and severe fires threaten native biodiversity, even within national parks. Scientists supported by this Southwest CASC project will create early-warning maps of where invasive plants are most likely to spread, helping national park managers target their
The Combined Impacts of Climate Change and Intensive Agriculture on Wild Rice, a Culturally Critical Resource and Relative for Indigenous Communities
Project Overview Wild Rice is an important piece of Indigenous culture for tribal communities in the Upper Midwest. However, given the high vulnerability of this aquatic plant to climate change, tribal communities have seen a significant decline of Wild Rice in the past century. Despite the expansion of monitoring and restoration efforts, intensified agriculture has also contributed to...
A New Tool for Monitoring Vegetation Water Use and Efficiency to Support Sustainable Agroecosystem Management
Oklahoma and Texas are facing significant future water shortages that threaten farming and ranching communities. Though conservation-based management practices are being implemented across the states, there are inadequate tools for monitoring vegetation water use efficiency in real time. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will develop a web-based tool using high...
Adding Fuel to the Fire: Determining Vegetation-Specific Drought Timescales That Enhance Fuel Flammability and Fire Potential
Project Overview Increasing severe drought events occurring across the Colorado Plateau can harm vegetation and create drier and more flammable fuel for wildfire. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will analyze drought indices and satellite data to show how quickly after drought begins that different types of vegetation across the region show signs of health declines...