Global climate change has rippling effects on our environment, impacting where plants, animals, and humans can live. The USGS studies how climate change affects natural places and provides solutions to help protect fish, wildlife, and habitats.
How does climate change affect plants and animals?
Everything in the natural world is connected. Animals eat plants, insects pollinate flowers, microbes break down dead things. Living things are also connected to the “non-living” parts of their environments – they use rocks for shelter, they depend on rain to bloom, they hibernate when it gets cold. Together, these living and non-living components make up an ecosystem.
Climate helps shape ecosystems. Things like average temperatures, humidity, and rainfall determine where plants and animals live. If a region’s climate changes, the ecosystems change as well.
Climate change has diverse impacts on plants, animals, and ecosystems. Explore some of these impacts below.
USGS Helps Preserve Ecosystems

Scientists at the USGS study how climate change affects the Nation’s wildlife, fish, plants, and ecosystems. We also help resource managers develop and implement strategies to allow plants and animals to survive and thrive in new conditions. We generate our science side-by-side with partners to ensure results and tools are directly applicable to on-the-ground conservation, restoration, and management decisions. USGS climate science is used to protect natural areas across the country, from local-scale conservation decisions to national park climate scenario planning.
USGS science particularly focuses on helping resource managers, conservation agencies, and Indigenous peoples implement climate adaptation practices that intentionally help preserve species and landscapes under new climate conditions. For example, this could involve building sea walls to keep out rising sea levels, or planting drought-tolerant grasses in dry areas. Adapted landscapes may not look exactly the way they used to, but ideally the modifications allow them to continue to support the natural and human communities that rely on them. USGS scientists also use monitoring, field work, and modeling to understand how species naturally adapt to climate change, called adaptive capacity.
USGS science helps to:
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Understand climate change effects on fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems
-
Model species range shifts under potential future conditions
-
Identify species particularly vulnerable to climate change
-
Identify areas relatively buffered from climate change (“climate refugia”) that may help vulnerable species survive
-
Develop climate adaptation strategies and inform implementation for species and ecosystems
-
Support DOI partners in incorporating climate information into conservation and management decisions, such as Species Status Assessments (SSAs) or State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs)
-
Understand climate-induced shifts in phenology and identify potential management solutions
-
Protect ecosystem services important to communities
-
Measure species’ natural abilities to adapt to climate change (adaptive capacity)
-
Support climate adaptation efforts of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples
The USGS has hundreds of publications on climate change effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems. Explore some of our favorites below!
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic
Evaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios
A climate-mediated shift in the estuarine habitat mosaic limits prey availability and reduces nursery quality for juvenile salmon
Potential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida
Conservation under uncertainty: Innovations in participatory climate change scenario planning from U.S. national parks
Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands
Perils of life on the edge: Climatic threats to global diversity patterns of wetland macroinvertebrates
The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae): Sentinels of climate change impacts on mountain stream biodiversity
Long-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave
Explore some of the many USGS science projects on climate change effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems.
Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework
Climate-Informed State Wildlife Action Plans
CASC Fish Research
Understanding long-term drivers of vegetation change and stability in the Southern Rocky Mountains with paleoecological data and ecological models
Impacts of coastal and watershed changes on upper estuaries: causes and implications of wetland ecosystem transitions along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
The Impact of Future Climate Variability on Shorebirds and Their Wetland Habitats in the South Central U.S.
Drivers and Impacts of North Pacific Climate Variability
Wetlands in the Quaternary
Sea Level Rise and Climate: Impacts on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Restoration
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Evaluating Future Effects of Climate and Land Use on Fisheries Production in Inland Lakes
Developing an Agroforestry Dashboard for the Marshall Islands
Check out some of our favorite tools and visually stunning interactive narratives.
Arctic Rivers Project: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and western science to strengthen collective understanding of the changing Arctic
The Arctic Rivers Project will weave together Indigenous knowledges, monitoring, and the modeling of climate, rivers (flows, temperature, ice), and fish to improve understanding of how Arctic rivers, ice transportation corridors, fish, and communities might be impacted by and adapt to climate change.
Ecological Drought Across the Country
Learn about how the Climate Adaptation Science Centers have been exploring the topic of ecological drought across the country.
Exploring the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli)
An interactive geonarrative exploring the Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database.
Meet some of the programs conducting research on climate change impacts on plants, animals, and ecosystems and connect with them on social media.
Climate Research and Development Program
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
United States
National Climate Adaptation Science Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
MS 516
Reston, VA 20192
United States
Cooperative Research Units Program
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Reston, VA 20192
United States
- Overview
How does climate change affect plants and animals?
Everything in the natural world is connected. Animals eat plants, insects pollinate flowers, microbes break down dead things. Living things are also connected to the “non-living” parts of their environments – they use rocks for shelter, they depend on rain to bloom, they hibernate when it gets cold. Together, these living and non-living components make up an ecosystem.
Climate helps shape ecosystems. Things like average temperatures, humidity, and rainfall determine where plants and animals live. If a region’s climate changes, the ecosystems change as well.
Climate change has diverse impacts on plants, animals, and ecosystems. Explore some of these impacts below.
USGS Helps Preserve Ecosystems
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.USGS scientists, like Research Ecologist Toni Lyn Morelli, study many different aspects of climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems. Scientists at the USGS study how climate change affects the Nation’s wildlife, fish, plants, and ecosystems. We also help resource managers develop and implement strategies to allow plants and animals to survive and thrive in new conditions. We generate our science side-by-side with partners to ensure results and tools are directly applicable to on-the-ground conservation, restoration, and management decisions. USGS climate science is used to protect natural areas across the country, from local-scale conservation decisions to national park climate scenario planning.
USGS science particularly focuses on helping resource managers, conservation agencies, and Indigenous peoples implement climate adaptation practices that intentionally help preserve species and landscapes under new climate conditions. For example, this could involve building sea walls to keep out rising sea levels, or planting drought-tolerant grasses in dry areas. Adapted landscapes may not look exactly the way they used to, but ideally the modifications allow them to continue to support the natural and human communities that rely on them. USGS scientists also use monitoring, field work, and modeling to understand how species naturally adapt to climate change, called adaptive capacity.
USGS science helps to:
-
Understand climate change effects on fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems
-
Model species range shifts under potential future conditions
-
Identify species particularly vulnerable to climate change
-
Identify areas relatively buffered from climate change (“climate refugia”) that may help vulnerable species survive
-
Develop climate adaptation strategies and inform implementation for species and ecosystems
-
Support DOI partners in incorporating climate information into conservation and management decisions, such as Species Status Assessments (SSAs) or State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs)
-
Understand climate-induced shifts in phenology and identify potential management solutions
-
Protect ecosystem services important to communities
-
Measure species’ natural abilities to adapt to climate change (adaptive capacity)
-
Support climate adaptation efforts of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples
-
- Publications
The USGS has hundreds of publications on climate change effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems. Explore some of our favorites below!
Filter Total Items: 16Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic
Climate change has the potential to impact headwater streams in the Arctic by thawing permafrost and subsequently altering hydrologic regimes and vegetation distribution, physiognomy and productivity. Permafrost thaw and increased subsurface flow have been inferred from the chemistry of large rivers, but there is limited empirical evidence of the impacts to headwater streams. Here we demonstrate hAuthorsJoshua C. Koch, Ylva Sjöberg, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Michael P. Carey, Pamela Sullivan, A. TerskaiaEvaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios
Marine protected area (MPA) designs, including large-scale MPAs (LSMPAs; >150,000 km2), mobile MPAs (fluid spatiotemporal boundaries), and MPA networks, may offer different benefits to species and could enhance protection by encompassing spatiotemporal scales of animal movement. We sought to understand how well LSMPAs could benefit nine highly-mobile marine species in the tropics now and into theAuthorsMorgan Elizabeth Gilmour, Josh Adams, Barbara A. Block, Jennifer E. Caselle, A. M. Friedlander, Edward T. Game, E. L. Hazen, Nick D. Holmes, Kevin D. Lafferty, S. M. Maxwell, Douglas J. McCauley, E. M. Oleson, Kenneth H. Pollock, S. A. Shaffer, N. H. Wolff, Alex WegmannA climate-mediated shift in the estuarine habitat mosaic limits prey availability and reduces nursery quality for juvenile salmon
The estuarine habitat mosaic supports the reproduction, growth, and survival of resident and migratory fish species by providing a diverse portfolio of unique habitats with varying physical and biological features. Global climate change is expected to result in increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and changes in riverine hydrology, which will have profound effects on the extent and compositAuthorsMelanie J. Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher S. Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan E. W. De La CruzPotential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida
The snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), an endangered, wetland-dependent raptor, is highly sensitive to changes in hydrology. Climate-driven changes in water level will likely affect snail kite populations—altering reproductive success and survival rates. Identifying the mechanisms mediating the direct and indirect effects of climate on snail kite populations and the range of future climaAuthorsMarta P. Lyons, Olivia E. LeDee, Ryan BoylesConservation under uncertainty: Innovations in participatory climate change scenario planning from U.S. national parks
The impacts of climate change (CC) on natural and cultural resources are far-reaching and complex. A major challenge facing resource managers is not knowing the exact timing and nature of those impacts. To confront this problem, scientists, adaptation specialists, and resource managers have begun to use scenario planning (SP). This structured process identifies a small set of scenarios—descriptionAuthorsBrian W. Miller, Gregor W. Schuurman, Amy Symstad, Amber C Runyon, Brecken C. RobbClimate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands
Climate change presents new and ongoing challenges to natural resource management. To confront these challenges effectively, managers need to develop proactive adaptation strategies to prepare for and deal with the effects of climate change. We engaged managers and biologists from several midwestern U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field stations to understand recent and future climate change effectAuthorsJohn T. Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. EashPerils of life on the edge: Climatic threats to global diversity patterns of wetland macroinvertebrates
Climate change is rapidly driving global biodiversity declines. How wetland macroinvertebrate assemblages are responding is unclear, a concern given their vital function in these ecosystems. Using a data set from 769 minimally impacted depressional wetlands across the globe (467 temporary and 302 permanent), we evaluated how temperature and precipitation (average, range, variability) affects the rAuthorsLuis B. Epele, Marta G. Grech, Emilio A. Williams-Subiza, Cristina Stenert, Kyle I. McLean, Hamish S. Greig, Leonardo Maltchik, Mateus M. Pires, Matthew S. Bird, Aurelie Boissezon, Dani Boix, Eliane Demierre, Patricia E. García, Stephanie Gascón, Michael Jeffries, Jamie M. Kneitel, Olga Loskutov, Luz M. Manzo, Gabriela Mataloni, Musa C. Mlambo, Beat Oertli, Jordi Sala, Erica E. Scheibler, Haitao Wu, Scott A Wissinger, Darold P. BatzerThe impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Depressional wetlands are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, so understanding how wetland inundation dynamics respond to changes in climate is essential for describing potential effects on wildlife breeding habitat. Millions of depressional basins make up the largest wetland complex in North America known as the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). The wetland ecosystems thaAuthorsOwen P. McKennaStoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae): Sentinels of climate change impacts on mountain stream biodiversity
Rapid recession of glaciers and snowfields is threatening the habitats of cold-water biodiversity worldwide. In many ice-sourced headwaters of western North America, stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) are a prominent member of the invertebrate community. With a broad distribution in mountain streams and close ties to declining glacier cover, Lednia has emerged as a sentinel ofAuthorsMatthew D. Green, Lusha M. Tronstad, J. Joseph Giersch, Alisha A. Shah, Candace E. Fallon, Emilie Blevins, Taylor Kai, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Debra S. Finn, Scott HotalingLong-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment
In the Arctic, warming air and ocean temperatures have resulted in substantial changes to sea ice, which is primary habitat for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Reductions in extent, duration, and thickness have altered sea ice dynamics, which influences the ability of polar bears to reliably access marine mammal prey. Because nutritional condition is closely linked to population vital rates, a progAuthorsTodd C. Atwood, Karyn D. Rode, David C. Douglas, Kristin S. Simac, Anthony Pagano, Jeffrey F. BromaghinResponse of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Changes in summer temperatures in Arctic Alaska have led to longer and warmer growing seasons over the last three decades. Corresponding with these changes in climate, the abundance and distributions of geese have increased and expanded over the same period. We used an experimental approach to assess the response of goose forage plants to simulated environmental change. We subjected Carex subspathAuthorsPaul L. Flint, Brandt W. MeixellReduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave
The Gulf of Alaska forage fish community includes a few key species that differ markedly in their timing of spawning, somatic growth and lipid storage, and in their migration behavior. This diversity in life history strategies facilitates resilience in marine food webs because it buffers predators against the naturally high variance in abundance of pelagic forage fish populations by decreasing theAuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Scott Hatch, Rob Suryan, Sonia Batten, Mary Anne Bishop, Rob Campbell, Heather Coletti, Dan Cushing, Kristen Gorman, Stormy Haught, Russell Hopcroft, Kathy Kuletz, Caitlin Elizabeth Marsteller, Caitlin McKinstry, David McGowan, John Moran, R. Scott Pegau, Anne Schaefer, Sarah K. Schoen, Jan Straley, Vanessa R. von Biela - Science
Explore some of the many USGS science projects on climate change effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems.
Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework
The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework is a decision-making tool that helps resource managers make informed strategies for responding to ecological changes resulting from climate change.Climate-Informed State Wildlife Action Plans
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) serve as blueprints to conservation, helping states conserve wildlife before they become too rare or costly to restore. One of the required elements of a SWAP is to describe the threats facing species and habitats. Many states have identified climate variability and change as having the potential to influence species and habitats now and into the future.CASC Fish Research
The CASC Fish Research Program is a dynamic group of federal researchers and early-career scientists working together to explore the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable use.Understanding long-term drivers of vegetation change and stability in the Southern Rocky Mountains with paleoecological data and ecological models
Drought and fire are powerful disturbance agents that can trigger rapid and lasting changes in the forests of western North America. Over the last decade, increases in fire size and severity coincided with warming, drought, and earlier snowmelt, factors that projected climatic changes are likely to exacerbate. However, recent observations are brief relative to the lifespans of trees and include...Impacts of coastal and watershed changes on upper estuaries: causes and implications of wetland ecosystem transitions along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are coastal transition zones where freshwater rivers meet tidal seawater. As sea levels rise, tidal forces move saltier water farther upstream, extending into freshwater wetland areas. Human changes to the surrounding landscape may amplify the effects of this tidal extension, impacting the resiliency and function of the upper estuarine wetlands. One visible...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 migraDrivers and Impacts of North Pacific Climate Variability
Climate model forecasts indicate an increase in extreme hydrologic events, including floods and droughts, for California and the western U.S. in the future. To better understand what the consequences of this future change in climate may be, USGS scientists are studying the frequency, magnitude, and impacts of past hydroclimate variability and extremes in the region. This project produces well...Wetlands in the Quaternary
Wetlands accumulate organic-rich sediment or peat stratigraphically, making them great archives of past environmental change. Wetlands also act as hydrologic buffers on the landscape and are important to global biogeochemical cycling. This project uses wetland archives from a range of environments to better understand how vegetation, hydrology, and hydroclimate has changed on decadal to multi...Sea Level Rise and Climate: Impacts on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Restoration
The Greater Everglades Ecosystem covers much of south Florida, and the highest areas are only a few meters above sea level. Predictions of sea level rise and changes in storm intensity for the 21st century are particularly concerning to the urban population of Miami and the east coast, but also represent a challenge to Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park resource managers. The...The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular past-time in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high-quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler-survey data to inform state- and waterbody-level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveyEvaluating Future Effects of Climate and Land Use on Fisheries Production in Inland Lakes
Inland fisheries are critical for global food security and human well-being. However, fish production may be threatened by changes in climate and land use. Understanding this threat is crucial to effectively manage inland fisheries in the future. To address this need, this project will identify which types of lakes across the globe are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate and land use changesDeveloping an Agroforestry Dashboard for the Marshall Islands
Agriculture and agroforestry (tree cultivation) are important activities for the Marshall Islands and other small islands to ensure food security and human health. The Marshallese have a long tradition of interplanting food-producing trees such as coconuts, breadfruit, and pandanus with bananas and root and vegetable crops. Locally grown food crops support community self-sufficiency, promote good - Data and More
Check out some of our favorite tools and visually stunning interactive narratives.
Arctic Rivers Project: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and western science to strengthen collective understanding of the changing Arctic
The Arctic Rivers Project will weave together Indigenous knowledges, monitoring, and the modeling of climate, rivers (flows, temperature, ice), and fish to improve understanding of how Arctic rivers, ice transportation corridors, fish, and communities might be impacted by and adapt to climate change.
Ecological Drought Across the Country
Learn about how the Climate Adaptation Science Centers have been exploring the topic of ecological drought across the country.
Exploring the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli)
An interactive geonarrative exploring the Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database.
- Multimedia
- News
Filter Total Items: 16
- Connect
Meet some of the programs conducting research on climate change impacts on plants, animals, and ecosystems and connect with them on social media.
Climate Research and Development Program
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
United StatesNational Climate Adaptation Science Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
MS 516
Reston, VA 20192
United StatesEmailCooperative Research Units Program
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Reston, VA 20192
United States