Wildlife and Plants
Wildlife and Plants
Wildlife and plants face many threats from climate change, including increased competition from invasive species, loss of access to freshwater, and shifting air and water temperatures. The CASCs study how fish, wildlife, and plants are responding to climate change and how resource managers can promote species' adaptation and resilience in the face of shifting conditions. Browse our projects.
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Predicting Invasive Vine Spread in the Southeast using Remote Sensing and Species Distribution Models
Project Overview Climate change is expected to worsen the spread of invasive vines in the Southeast, where they disrupt ecosystems and damage human-built systems like agriculture and infrastructure. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will combine species distribution models and remote sensing to improve predictions of vine spread by including often-overlooked biotic...
Reconstructing Vegetation and Climate Histories on Palmyra Atoll to Assist with Climate-Smart Adaptation
Project Overview Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a critical nesting site for seabirds in the central Pacific Ocean, with ecosystems that are regularly impacted by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project aim to understand how past ENSO-driven climate variability and human activities have affected vegetation and...
Rekindling Relations: Integrating Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge for Bio-Cultural Climate Adaptation
Project Overview A collaborative research team including the North Central CASC, University of Oklahoma, and College of the Muscogee Nation will conduct ethnographic interviews in the Mvskoke Language (Opvnvkv) documenting Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge (IK) on several culturally significant species relevant to climate adaptation. The findings will support local management efforts by...
Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate
Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future...
Research to Action for Yukon River Salmon: Adapting to Climatic, Food-Web, and Habitat Changes
Project Overview Salmon populations in the Yukon River Basin have plummeted to historic lows, disrupting fisheries, fueling conflicts, and impacting communities that have relied on salmon for generations. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will combine traditional knowledge, field data, and modeling to identify the key drivers of salmon decline and create tools to guide...
Restoring Hawai‘i’s Wetlands and Investigating Potential Impacts from Climate Change
Project Overview The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Hawai’i provides important wetland habitats for four species of endangered waterbirds. However, due to invasive species and climate change impacts, these habitats are becoming unsuitable for the fledging and longevity of these birds. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will examine the effectiveness of
Support of State Wildlife Action Plan Revisions in the North Central Region
As part of the State Wildlife Grant Fund, states are required to submit State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) every 10 years detailing habitats, species, and conservation plans. However, incorporating climate change in SWAPs isn’t required and capacity to do so is limited at most state agencies, resulting in varied consideration of climate change impacts. In support of the revisions to...
Using Changing Bird Migration Patterns to Connect Indigenous Hawaiian and Alaskan Communities
Project Overview Climate change is altering the timing of natural seasonal events (phenology). This is manifesting in many ways including altering patterns of bird migration between Molokaʻi and southcentral Alaska. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will combine Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and conventional science to track these phenological shifts...
Using Historical Data to Track Long Term Climate Impacted Trends and Resilience in Atoll Landscapes and Biodiversity
Project Overview Atolls in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans are experiencing significant changes to their landscapes and biodiversity due to climate change. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC will use historical data to study a 50+ year window of change in both islet size and the occurrence of lizard species. This work will better inform lizard distribution in light...
Using Plant Functional Traits to Design and Restore Resilient Landscapes in Guam
Project Overview Guam’s forests are vital to the ecosystem and local communities, but they face threats from wildfires, water quality, and invasive species, among others. To restore these ecosystems, researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will research the roles of native plants by identifying their “functional traits,” and using that knowledge to select species for
Soil-climate for Managing Sagebrush Ecosystems
Soil-climate describes the temperature and moisture conditions important for plant growth and function. Soil condition patterns determine which vegetation is most abundant, thus controlling which habitats, invasive species, fuels, and economic activities are present in a region. Here, we use a model to simulate the vertical movement of water in a soil profile to provide insights into landscape...
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Landscape
Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, and University of Arizona are studying the distribution of grassland bird communities across the western Great Plains to anticipate how species distributions may respond to a changing landscape.