Jeremy Littell is a Research Ecologist with the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center. He conducts research on the role of climate and ecological drought in Alaskan and other forested ecosystems. He also facilitates the use of climate information in planning, adaptation, and vulnerability assessment.
Littell's background is the ecoclimatology of western North America's forests. His doctoral work at the University of Washington focused on ecological and climatic controls on wildfire in the western U.S. and the role of climate in Douglas-fir tree growth across its climatic range. He also worked as a research scientist at the UW Climate Impacts Group, collaborating with resource managers in Federal and state agencies to better understand and use climate information in planning and adaptation. At the Alaska CASC, his current work addresses two main themes:
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Development, coordination, and translation of climate science products for Alaska
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Observing and Understanding the Impacts of climate on Alaskan Forests
He also serves as an author on the Alaska chapter of the National Climate Assessment (NCA).
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of Washington
Science and Products
Future of Fire: Towards a National Synthesis of Wildland Fire Under a Changing Climate
Webinar: Climate Adaptation Planning with Alaska-Based Adaptation Tools
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Alaska Snowpack Response to Climate Change: Statewide Snowfall Equivalent and Snowpack Water Scenarios
Translating Scientific Information for Use by Decision Makers in Alaska
Observing and Understanding the Impacts of Climate on Alaskan Forests
A network of 31 Upper Missouri River Basin naturalized water-year (Oct-Sep) streamflow reconstructions spanning years 800 - 1998 CE
So goes the snow: Alaska snowpack changes and impacts on pacific salmon in a warming climate
A RADical approach to conservation in Alaska: Rapid climate change requires a new perspective
New projections of 21st century climate and hydrology for Alaska and Hawaiʻi
An introduction to current climate projections and their use in climate impacts research
Spreading like wildfire: The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires - A rapid response assessment
Exposure of cultural resources to 21st-century climate change: Towards a risk management plan
Water reliability in the west -- SECURE Water Act Section 9503(C)
Developing a set of indicators to identify, monitor, and track impacts and change in forests of the United States
Snowpack signals in North American tree rings
Unfamiliar territory: Emerging themes for ecological drought research and management
Increased drought severity tracks warming in the United States’ largest river basin
Using information from global climate models to inform policymaking—The role of the U.S. Geological Survey
Science and Products
- Science
Future of Fire: Towards a National Synthesis of Wildland Fire Under a Changing Climate
Abundant scientific research has characterized the relationships between climate and fire in ecosystems of the United States, and there is substantial evidence that the role of fire in ecosystems is likely to change with a changing climate. Changing fire patterns pose numerous natural resource management challenges and decision makers in natural-resource management increasingly require informationWebinar: Climate Adaptation Planning with Alaska-Based Adaptation Tools
View this webinar to learn how the Alaska CASC and partners are developing climate adaptation tools for Alaskan communities implementing climate adaptation strategies.Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Climate change represents one of the foremost drivers of ecological change, yet its documented impacts on biodiversity remain uncertain and complex. Although there have been many published studies on species shifting their geographic ranges in response to climate change, it is still challenging to identify the specific mechanisms and conditions that facilitate range shifts in some species and notAlaska Snowpack Response to Climate Change: Statewide Snowfall Equivalent and Snowpack Water Scenarios
Understanding how snow will change over the coming century is vital in understanding environmental changes across Alaska. Changes in snow are also economically important to many sectors, from recreation to commercial fishing. An earlier set of rain-snow partitioning and snowfall equivalent projections based on downscaled CMIP3 temperature and precipitation projections have been used extensively. ITranslating Scientific Information for Use by Decision Makers in Alaska
As temperature and precipitation patterns change in Alaska, the need for scientific information to inform decision making related to the management of our natural resources becomes ever more important. However, the research being conducted to understand potential future impacts of climate change in Alaska frequently results in output and products that, in their raw forms, are not easily used by stObserving and Understanding the Impacts of Climate on Alaskan Forests
Changing climate conditions (e.g. changes to air temperature, surface temperature, snowpack duration, and soil temperature) are affecting where trees are able to successfully grow and are bringing changes to the structure of forests throughout many parts of Alaska. In order to understand and project future vegetation changes, scientists use computer models to establish the relationships between cl - Data
A network of 31 Upper Missouri River Basin naturalized water-year (Oct-Sep) streamflow reconstructions spanning years 800 - 1998 CE
Paleohydrologic records provide a valuable perspective on the variability of streamflow and hydroclimate that is critical for water resource planning and placing present day and future conditions into a long-term context. Until now, key insights gained from streamflow reconstructions in the other river basins across the Western U.S. been lacking in the Upper Missouri River Basin due to a lack of e - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 43
So goes the snow: Alaska snowpack changes and impacts on pacific salmon in a warming climate
In Alaska’s watersheds, climate change is altering the nature and role of the snowpack, defined as snow accumulation that melts in spring. Generally, the amount of precipitation that falls as snow and the length of the snow-cover season both decrease as temperatures exceed 0°C (32°F) more frequently. The impacts of climate change on snowpack vary among watersheds. In southern, coastal parts of AlaAuthorsJeremy S. Littell, Joel H. Reynolds, Krista K. Bartz, Stephanie A. McAfee, Gregory D. HaywardA RADical approach to conservation in Alaska: Rapid climate change requires a new perspective
In Alaska, conservation areas are managed to promote the persistence of wild species, habitats, cultural resources, visitor experiences, and ecosystem services. Many conservation areas are managed by federal or state agencies, and have specific boundaries, missions, and legislative mandates. Many are also the domains of Indigenous and local people who derive livelihoods and cultural identity fromAuthorsJeremy S. Littell, Gregor W. Schuurman, Joel H. Reynolds, John M. Morton, Nicole SchmittNew projections of 21st century climate and hydrology for Alaska and Hawaiʻi
In the United States, high-resolution, century-long, hydroclimate projection datasets have been developed for water resources planning, focusing on the contiguous United States (CONUS) domain. However, there are few statewide hydroclimate projection datasets available for Alaska and Hawaiʻi. The limited information on hydroclimatic change motivates developing hydrologic scenarios from 1950 to 2099AuthorsNaoki Mizukami, Andrew J. Newman, Jeremy S. Littell, Thomas W. Giambelluca, Andrew W. Wood, Ethan D. Gutmann, Joseph J. Hamman, Diana R. Gergel, Bart Nijssen, Martyn . Clark, Jeffrey R. ArnoldAn introduction to current climate projections and their use in climate impacts research
Using climate projections to evaluate future climate impacts and their associated risks requires a background knowledge of the nature of climate change, use of climate models to develop future projections, and knowledge of how to address climate scenario uncertainty. This chapter provides an overview of climate and climate change, some of the foundational climate science that underlies current cliAuthorsJeremy S. LittellSpreading like wildfire: The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires - A rapid response assessment
Free-burning landscape fire is an important natural phenomenon critical to the healthy functioning of many ecosystems. It is an important land management tool, culturally, economically, and ecologically. Therefore, not all vegetation fires are unwanted. This Rapid Response Assessment (RRA) focuses on the apparent increase in the occurrence, extent, duration, and consequences of wildfires – unusualAuthorsAlexandra Popescu, Allison Paulson, Amy C. Christianson, Andrew S. Sullivan, A. Tulloch, Bibiana Bilbao, Camilla Mathison, Catherine Robinson, David Ganz, David Nangoma, David Saah, Dolors Armenteras, Don A. Driscoll, Don L. Hankins, Douglas I. Kelley, E. R. (Lisa) Langer, Elaine Baker, Fabienne Reisen, François-Nicholas Robinne, Gamma Galudra, Glynis Humphrey, Hugh Safford, Ian G. Baird, Imma Oliveras, Jeremy S. Littell, Johan Kieft, J. Chew, Kirsten Maclean, Lea Wittenberg, Liana O. Anderson, Lindsey Gillson, Matt Plucinski, Max A. Moritz, Megan Brown, Miguel Castillo Soto, M. Flannigan, Oliver Costello, Patricia S. Silva, Paulo Fernandes, Peter Moore, Randi Jandt, Raphaele Blanchi, Renata Libonati, Sally Archibald, Sarah Dunlop, Sarah McCaffrey, Susan Page, Tania Marisol Gonzalez Delgado, Tiina Kurvits, Tol Sokchea, Val CharltonExposure of cultural resources to 21st-century climate change: Towards a risk management plan
Anthropogenic climate change during the 21st century presents a significant challenge to the protection of cultural resources (CRs) on federal lands that encompass ∼ 28% of the U.S. In particular, CRs on this land base may be adversely affected by a wide range of climate-change hazards, including damage by sea-level rise, enhanced deterioration by increasing temperature and precipitation, and destAuthorsJorie Clark, Jeremy S. Littell, Jay R. Alder, Nathan TeatsWater reliability in the west -- SECURE Water Act Section 9503(C)
No abstract available.AuthorsMarketa McGuire, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Justin Martin, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Jeremy S. LittellDeveloping a set of indicators to identify, monitor, and track impacts and change in forests of the United States
United States forestland is an important ecosystem type, land cover, land use, and economic resource that is facing several drivers of change including climatic. Because of its significance, forestland was identified through the National Climate Assessment (NCA) as a key sector and system of concern to be included in a system of climate indicators as part of a sustained assessment effort. Here, weAuthorsSarah M. Anderson, Linda S. Heath, Marla R. Emery, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Jeremy S. Littell, Alan Lucier, Jeffrey G. Masek, David L. Peterson, Richard Pouyat, Kevin M. Potter, Guy Robertson, Jinelle SperrySnowpack signals in North American tree rings
Climate change has contributed to recent declines in mountain snowpack and earlier runoff, which in turn has intensified hydrological droughts in western North America. Climate model projections suggest that continued and severe snowpack reductions are expected over the 21st century, with profound consequences for ecosystems and human welfare. Yet the current understanding of trends and variabilitAuthorsBethany L. Coulthard, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Gregory T. Pederson, Edward R Cook, Jeremy S. Littell, Dan J. SmithUnfamiliar territory: Emerging themes for ecological drought research and management
Novel forms of drought are emerging globally, due to climate change, shifting teleconnection patterns, expanding human water use, and a history of human influence on the environment that increases the probability of transformational ecological impacts. These costly ecological impacts cascade to human communities, and understanding this changing drought landscape is one of today’s grand challenges.AuthorsShelley D. Crausbay, Julio L. Betancourt, John B. Bradford, Jennifer M. Cartwright, William C. Dennison, Jason B. Dunham, Carolyn Armstrong Enquist, Abby G. Frazier, Kimberly R. Hall, Jeremy S. Littell, Charlie H. Luce, Richard Palmer, Aaron R. Ramirez, Imtiaz Rangwala, Laura Thompson, Brianne M. Walsh, Shawn CarterIncreased drought severity tracks warming in the United States’ largest river basin
Across the Upper Missouri River Basin, the recent drought of 2000 to 2010, known as the “turn-of-the-century drought,” was likely more severe than any in the instrumental record including the Dust Bowl drought. However, until now, adequate proxy records needed to better understand this event with regard to long-term variability have been lacking. Here we examine 1,200 y of streamflow from a networAuthorsJustin Martin, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Edward R. Cook, Gregory J. McCabe, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Erika K. Wise, Patrick Erger, Larry S. Dolan, Marketa McGuire, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Katherine J. Chase, Jeremy S. Littell, Stephen Gray, Scott St. George, Jonathan M. Friedman, David J. Sauchyn, Jeannine-Marie St. Jacques, John C. KingUsing information from global climate models to inform policymaking—The role of the U.S. Geological Survey
This report provides an overview of model-based climate science in a risk management context. In addition, it summarizes how the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will continue to follow best scientific practices and when and how the results of this research will be delivered to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and other stakeholders to inform policymaking. Climate change is a risk managementAuthorsAdam Terando, David Reidmiller, Steven W. Hostetler, Jeremy S. Littell, T. Douglas Beard, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Jayne Belnap, Geoffrey S. Plumlee - News