Landscape Partnership Resources Library
Aquatic
2013 SN Portfolio: Mission is to maintain native habitats and endemic aquatic species in their current locations or support these as they migrate with land use and climate changes in the future.
Clark, J.S. et al. Climate change vulnerability of forest biodiversity: climate and competition tracking of demographic rates
Author's Abstract Forest responses to climate change will depend on demographic impacts in the context of competition. Current models used to predict species responses, termed climate envelope models (CEMs), are controversial, because (i) calibration and prediction are based on correlations in space (CIS) between species abundance and climate, rather than responses to climate change over time (COT), and (ii) they omit competition. To determine the relative importance of COT, CIS, and competition for light, we applied a longitudinal analysis of 27 000 individual trees over 6–18 years subjected to experimental and natural variation in risk factors. Sensitivities and climate and resource tracking identify which species are vulnerable to these risk factors and in what ways. Results show that responses to COT differ from those predicted based on CIS. The most important impact is the effect of spring temperature on fecundity, rather than any input variable on growth or survival. Of secondary importance is growing season moisture. Species in the genera Pinus, Ulmus, Magnolia, and Fagus are particularly vulnerable to climate variation. However, the effect of competition on growth and mortality risk exceeds the effects of climate variation in space or time for most species. Because sensitivities to COT and competition are larger than CIS, current models miss the most important effects. By directly comparing sensitivity to climate in time and space, together with competition, the approach identifies which species are sensitive to climate change and why, including the heretofore overlooked impact on fecundity.
Do geographic distribution, niche property and life form explain plants' vulnerability to global change?
Author's abstract: We modelled the future distribution in 2050 of 975 endemic plant species in southern Africa distributed among seven life forms, including new methodological insights improving the accuracy and ecological realism of predictions of global changes studies by: (i) using only endemic species as a way to capture the full realized niche of species, (ii) considering the direct impact of human pressure on landscape and biodiversity jointly with climate, and (iii) taking species' migration into account. Our analysis shows important promises for predicting the impacts of climate change in conjunction with land transformation. We have shown that the endemic flora of Southern Africa on average decreases with 41% in species richness among habitats and with 39% on species distribution range for the most optimistic scenario. We also compared the patterns of species' sensitivity with global change across life forms, using ecological and geographic characteristics of species. We demonstrate here that species and life form vulnerability to global changes can be partly explained according to species' (i) geographical distribution along climatic and biogeographic gradients, like climate anomalies, (ii) niche breadth or (iii) proximity to barrier preventing migration. Our results confirm that the sensitivity of a given species to global environmental changes depends upon its geographical distribution and ecological proprieties, and makes it possible to estimate a priori its potential sensitivity to these changes.
NWF: How Restoring Longleaf Pine Can Help Prepare the SE for Global Warming
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests are one of America’s natural treasures, yet past exploitation has left them hanging by a thread, now covering just 3 percent of their pre-settlement range. Because other pine species in the Southeast may be more susceptible to global warming, longleaf pine forests have an opportunity to reclaim some of their former glory. Indeed, re-establishing longleaf pine ecosystems will benefit all Americans by improving climate resilience, economic opportunity, and ecosystem vitality. This report provides a summary of recent literature on how global warming will affect forests in the Southeastern United States and how longleaf pine is expected to be resilient to many of these changes. It makes a strong case for why longleaf pine ecosystem restoration should be the centerpiece of forest-based climate adaptation and carbon sequestration efforts in the region, as well as efforts to improve the economic opportunities of traditionally underserved landowners.
National Climate Assessement: Northeast
(Draft for public review) National Climate Assessment. Chapter 16. Northeast
IPCC: Technical Report - Climate Change and Biodiversity
Technical Report of the IPCC. 2002
National Climate Assesment: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services
(Draft - review copy for public comment). Chapter 8.
Iowa: Climate Change Impacts - 2010
Report to the Governor and General Assembly
FL: Addressing the Challenge of Climate Change in the Greater Everglades Landscape
“Addressing the Challenge of Climate Change in the Greater Everglades Landscape” is a research initiative funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and carried out by a group of researchers at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study investigates possible trajectories of future transformation in the Greater Everglades Landscape relative to four main drivers: climate change, shifts in planning approaches and regulations, population change, and variations in financial resources. Through a systematic exploration at the landscape-scale, this research identifies some of the major challenges to future conservation efforts and illustrates a planning method which can generate conservation strategies resilient to a variety of climatic and socioeconomic conditions.
USFS-NRS: The Impacts of Climate Change on Forests of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada
Changing Climate, Changing Forests: The Impacts of Climate Change on Forests of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. By Lindsey Rustad, John Campbell, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Thomas Huntington, Kathy Fallon Lambert, Jacqueline Mohan, and Nicholas Rodenhouse
USGS: Effects of Climate Change and Land Use on Water Resources in the Upper Colorado River Basin
(see Section on: Science in Support of Management Decisions). Fact sheet presents models, projected flow, paleo-climate record, system changes, Land-Use Management and Effects on Water Supply, Fish Futures and Changing Riparian Habitat.
DU: Confronting the Challenges of Climate Change for Waterfowl and Wetlands
Browne, Dawn M. and Dale D. Humburg. 2010. Confronting the Challenges of Climate Change for Waterfowl and Wetlands. Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Memphis, TN.
Site Assessment Tool
The Site Assessment Tool (.xls, 499KB) enables WSHRN sites to systematically review their state of conservation, the threats they are facing, the responses needed and the effectiveness of site management. The results of the assessments will lead to priority setting and strategic actions for WHSRN to respond effectively to the main needs and issues of the network, with the ultimate goal of conserving healthy shorebird populations. (print of web page)
Coastal: Vunerability Assessment - Shorebird Habitat
Instructions Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Shorebird Habitat. Coastal Version. 7/03/2010 Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By Dorie Stolley
Manomet: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Shorebird
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Shorebird Habitat (CCVASH) is an innovative, Excel-based assessment and decision-making tool that was developed during 2009/2010 by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences's Shorebird Recovery Project [4] in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS [5]) Northeast Region’s Division of Refuges. This partnership, funded in large part by the generosity of individual Manomet donors concerned about climate change impacts on shorebirds, enabled Refuge Biologist Dorie Stolley to develop and pilot the tool during a one-year assignment to Manomet.
Global Climate Change Impacts in the US
Report. GCRP
National Climate Assessment 2012
Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services
It's Getting Hot Out There: Top 10 Places to Save for Endangered Species in a Warming World
ESC Top 10. Endangered Species Coalition
Illinois: (Chicago)
Climate change and regional biodiversity: A Preliminary Assessment and Recommendations for Chicago Wilderness Member Organizations
Illinois: (Chicago) Climate Action Plan
Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature
