• Ecosystems Resources

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Assessments and Tools

This tab presents federal, state, and local climate science, tools, and assessments examining the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems.  

Resources are automatically presented by rating, but can also be sorted by date and title. Apply additional filters to narrow the list by resource type, impact, region, state, or jurisdictional focus.

 

 

297 results are shown below.

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Resource

Charlotte Harbor Regional Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

December 28, 2009

This vulnerability assessment was developed by the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. The report identifies the most significant vulnerabilities facing the Charlotte Harbor region related to drought, flood, hurricane severity, land area, habitats, biological cycles, and uncertainty in environmental models.

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Southeast Florida's Resilient Water Resources - Adaptation to Sea Level Rise and Other Impacts of Climate Change

November 15, 2009

This report examines how, and to what extent, sea-level rise and other climate change impacts are likely to influence Southeast Florida’s water supply, wastewater reuse alternatives, and ground and surface waters.   Engineering options and management strategies for enhancing the resilience of the region’s water systems are described in five areas: 1) conservation, 2) protection of existing sources, 3) development of alternative water sources, 4) reclamation and reuse of treated wastewater, and 5) storm water management.

Authors or Affiliated Users: Barry N. Heimlich, Frederick Bloetscher, Daniel E. Meeroff, James Murley

Resource Category: Planning

 

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Adapting to Climate Change in Ontario

November 2009

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts for the Province of Ontario, Canada, and proposes potential strategies to address these impacts.

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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State and Local Governments Plan for Development of Most Land Vulnerable to Rising Sea Level along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

October 27, 2009

Based on the analysis of planning data and current policies of 131 state and local land use plans from Massachusetts to Florida, the study identifies those coastal areas likely to be affected by rising water levels and classifies them based on the extent of development already in place and the potential for future development. The report explains that the existing extensive development on the Atlantic coast creates the need for coastal protective structures, which could negatively impact wetlands.

Authors or Affiliated Users: J.G. Titus, D.E. Hudgens, D.L. Trescott, M. Craghan, W.H. Nuckols, C.H. Hershner, J.M. Kassakian, C.J. Linn, P.G. Merritt, T.M. McCue, J.F. O'Connell, J. Tanski, J. Wang

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Climate Change and The Economy: Expected Impacts and Their Implications

October 27, 2009

A series of climate change impact studies was undertaken by researchers at universities around the U.S. to evaluate economic costs related to particular climate-sensitive resources. This publication assembles six of these studies, with a focus on water resources in New Mexico; forests in Tennessee, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming; infrastructure in Alaska; and coastlines in Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Impacts of Climate Change on Forests of the Northern Rocky Mountains

September 29, 2009

The forests of the northern Rocky Mountains are projected to have severe impacts from climate change. These impacts are summarized in this report in an accessible format intended for distribution to the general public. The study was conducted by the College of Forest Resources at the University of Montana and funded by a grant from the National Commission on Energy Policy, a project of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Authors or Affiliated Users: Steven W. Running, Celine Boisvenue, Ryan Anderson, Tom Power

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Niches, models, and climate change: Assessing the assumptions and uncertainties

August 28, 2009

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this paper provides a brief perspective on “ecological niches” - describing how niche thinking and modeling have been used to project changes in the distributions of species, and assessing several related assumptions and uncertainties. These areas are illustrated using examples from research on California birds. The paper concludes with an assessment the usefulness of niche-based models for projecting climate-change impacts on biodiversity and the resulting implications for conservation and management.

Authors or Affiliated Users: John A. Wiens, Diana Stralberg, Dennis Jongsomjit, Christine A. Howell, Mark A. Snyder

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Assessing the Costs of Adaptation to Climate Change: A Review of the UNFCCC and other Recent Estimates

August 2009

This report reviews the costs of adapting to climate change in a range of sectors. It aims to demonstrate the uncertainties of current cost estimates for climate change adaptation. The review examines these costs at the sector level, including several sectors which had previously not been fully considered in cost estimates - and advocates for further refinement of these estimates.

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Using the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index: A Nevada Case Study

August 2009

The State of Nevada is amending its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to incorporate the potential effects of climate change in more detail. The Nevada Department of Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Nevada Natural Heritage Program (a NatureServe network member program), Lahontan Audubon Society, and Great Basin Bird Observatory have formed a partnership to complete the amendment. Nevada's SWAP was approved in 2006, and although it identified climate change as a stressor to key habitats and species of conservation concern in a few specific areas, it did not address the degree of vulnerability each species may face due to a warming climate.

Authors or Affiliated Users: Bruce E. Young, Elizabeth Byers, Kelly Gravuer, Kimberly R. Hall, Geoffrey A. Hammerson, Alan Redder, Kristin Szabo, Jennifer E. Newmark

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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Pennsylvania Climate Impact Assessment - 2009

June 29, 2009

This report presents an assessment of projected climate change impacts for Pennsylvania - sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and prepared by the Environment and Natural Resources Institute at Pennsylvania State University.

Authors or Affiliated Users: James Shortle, David Abler, Seth Blumsack, Robert Crane, Zachary Kaufman, Marc McDill, Raymond Najjar, Richard Ready, Thorsten Wagener, Denice Wardrop

Resource Category: Assessments

 

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