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TNC’s Knowledge Base for Climate Change Adaptation

DOI U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

The vision of the USGS is providing world leadership in the natural sciences through scientific excellence and responsiveness to society's needs. It is the federal source for science about the earth, its natural resources, natural hazards, and the environment and is the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency. USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.  The diversity of scientific expertise enables the Agency to carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary investigations and provide impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers.

Changes to the natural world combined with growing human population and demands threaten our health and safety, our national security, our economy, and our quality of life. Today's complex, interrelated natural resource issues- such as climate change, energy conservation and development, and water quality and availability- demand that policy makers and managers start with timely, reliable and unbiased science. Science is a cornerstone for sound decision making. Responding to national priorities and global trends requires a science strategy that not only builds on existing USGS strengths and partnerships but also demands the innovation made possible by integrating the full breadth and depth of USGS capabilities.   

USGS is focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, including climate and land use change, in which natural science can make a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. The earth's climate, including changes in temperature, weather patterns, and precipitation, is expected to have significant effects on our nation's water, fish and wildlife resources now and in the future. Additional scientific information is needed on which to inform adaptation or management of fish and wildlife in the face of climate change, and USGS is meeting this challenge through the new National Climate Change and WildlifeScience Center. USGS also is engaged in water conservation and sustainability efforts with other agencies through the DOI WaterSMART program. Purpose of the program is identifying strategies to secure water supplies for existing and future generations and adaptive measures to address climate change and future demands.                                                          

  • http://www.usgs.gov/, for USGS homepage; go to ‘About USGS' on top menu bar, and to ‘Climate and Land Use Change' and ‘Climate Change' (Science Topics) on left and right page sidebars, and other

 

> Strategic Plans

o USGS Science Strategy Report

In order for USGS to respond to evolving national and global priorities, it must periodically reflect on, and optimize, its strategic directions. The report, "Facing Tomorrow's Challenges- U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017", is the first comprehensive science strategy since the early 1990s to examine critically major USGS science goals and priorities. Six science directions are proposed in the report, including an ecosystems strategy (understanding and predicting change) and climate variability/change strategy, including assessing consequences. USGS chooses to go forward in the science directions proposed in the report because the societal issues addressed by these science directions represent major challenges for the Nation's future and for the stewards of federal lands, both onshore and offshore.

o USGS Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan

The acquisition, management, communication, and long-term stewardship of natural science data, information, and knowledge are fundamental mission responsibilities of USGS. Information is the primary currency of USGS, and it flows to scientists, managers, partners, and a wide base of customers, including local, State, and Federal agencies, private sector organizations, and individual citizens. Supporting these information flows is an infrastructure of computer systems, telecommunications equipment, software applications, digital and nondigital data stores and archives, technical expertise, and information policies and procedures. The challenge to the Bureau is to wisely and effectively use its information resources to create a more Integrated Information Environment that can reduce costs, enhance the discovery and delivery of scientific products, and improve support for science. This FY2007-2011 IT Strategic Plan for USGS outlines key information technology strategic goals and objectives that will support the Bureau's science mission, while also aligning with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) IT Strategic Plan and the DOI Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Strategic Plan.

 

> USGS Programs, Resources, Products

USGS has restructured its programs to better reflect new priorities identified in its strategic plan. The restructuring has created create five overarching scientific focal areas including global climate change and land use change, ecosystems, energy and minerals, natural hazards, and water resources. Science from all of these program areas will provide scientific information relevant to natural resources adaptation, but clearly the focal point is the global change activity area.

> Climate and Land Use Change Programs

Within the global climate change and land use change activity area are the following sub-activities or programs: Carbon Sequestration, Climate Effects Network/Science Applications, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, Geographic Analysis and Monitoring, Land Remote Sensing, National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, Research and Development, and Science Applications and Decision Support (providing climate change science support for DOI land management bureaus). Selected sub-activity descriptions and direct links are provided below.

Carbon Sequestration

USGS scientists are working to assess both the potential capacities and potential limitations of the various forms of carbon sequestration or removal from the atmosphere or emission sources and to evaluate their geologic, hydrologic, and ecological consequences. In accordance with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the USGS has developed scientifically based methods for assessment of biologic and geologic carbon sequestration.                                                                

Climate Effects Network (CEN)

CEN is a consortium of observation and research programs that collect, share, and use data, models, and related information to assess climate impacts on ecosystems, resources, and society. CEN provides network coordination, data management, enhanced funding for existing monitoring programs, and new data collection to create a national scientific capacity that is "greater than the sum of the parts."                                             

  • http://gcp.usgs.gov/cen/, for CEN page; with links to pages for NOAA Climate Program Office and USFS Inventory and Analysis Program and NCCWSC

Research and Development (R&D)

USGS Global Change R&D Program supports fundamental scientific research to: 1) understand processes controlling Earth system responses to global change over broad temporal and spatial scales; and 2) understand and model impacts of climate and land-cover change on ecosystems and other natural resources.

  • http://gcp.usgs.gov/rd/, for R&D page; with link to Office of Global Change (USGS Global Change Science) and U.S. Climate Change Science Program, now called the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

Science Applications and Decision Support (SADs)

SADs provides information about the effects of climate and land use change on natural resources and provides decision support and related assistance to managers. The goal is to develop a true collaboration where managers and researchers work together to provide extension services that result in more effective management decisions, focusing on questions surrounding climate issues that are most relevant to a multitude of natural resource specialists. SADs helps explore associated uncertainties and foster an adaptive management approach when considering multiple climate scales and processes.

 

 

National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC or the Center)

NCCWSC, located at USGS headquarters, responds to the research and management needs of partners and provides science and technical support regarding the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and ecological process. The Center is designed to increase understanding of the impacts and to help address critical management questions to ameliorate those impacts.

  • http://nccwsc.usgs.gov/, for NCCWSC page; with links to DOI Climate Change page, Office of Global Change (USGS Global Change Science), Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, and other

NCCWSC was established by Congress in 2008 and was conceived as a network comprising a central office linked to some number of regional Climate Science Centers (CSCs) or Hubs. From the outset, USGS understood the need for the Center to have national coverage, and input from stakeholders has helped define how this should be accomplished. Five CSCs were officially established in 2010 in the Alaska, Northwest, Southwest, North Central and Southeast regions. Three other CSCs are planned for 2011 in the Northeast, South Central and Pacific Island regions, but that will completely depend on additional appropriations. To date USGS, specifically the Center, has taken the lead on establishing CSCs and providing initial staffing.  Ultimately, funds and staff from multiple DOI bureaus will be pooled to support these centers and ensure collaborative sharing of research results and data.  Together, regional CSCs and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) will assess the impacts of climate change that typically extend beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries and identify strategies to ensure that resources across landscapes are resilient.

In December 2009 the Ecological Society of America (ESA) released "Final Report on Outreach and Recommendations" for NCCWSC. Major recommendations of the report state that NCCWSC should (1) focus on linking physical climate models with ecological and biological responses, (2) add value and complement, rather than duplicate, the efforts of other agencies and organizations, (3) be a true partnership based upon collaborations at national and regional scales, and (4) tap into existing partnerships. The report also describes the background and structure of NCCWSC and preferred relationship between NCCWSC, CSCs and collectives of natural resource partners or stakeholders.

Climate change crosses jurisdictional boundaries and affects all earth processes. NCCWSC is therefore being designed with input from Federal, State, and Tribal science and management agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and others having an interest in conserving America's fish and wildlife resources. Mobilization of existing assessment and monitoring capabilities, and coordination of interagency and inter-organizational efforts from across the country is needed for timely forecasting of responses at multiple spatial and temporal scales. NCCWSC provides our fish and wildlife partners with access to other USGS Global Change Science capabilities and products.

 

> Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs)    

LCCs are applied, self-directed conservation partnerships among DOI agencies, notably USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS), other federal agencies, states, tribes, non-governmental organizations, universities and others to address the challenges of climate change and other stressors across broad areas in an integrated fashion. LCCs link science and management and are fundamental units of planning and science capacity in carrying out the functional elements of FWS strategic habitat conservation (SHC). They provide scientific and technical support for on-the-ground strategic, landscape-scale conservation in an adaptive management framework that emphasizes science-based biological planning, conservation design, research, inventory and monitoring. The products that LCCs develop help to inform and improve conservation delivery efforts on the ground.

Guided by DOI's newly created Energy and Climate Change Council (formerly Climate Change Response Council), LCCs will provide new science capacity for FWS and partners and will complement USGS CSCs from a FWS mission and partner-based perspective. Regional CSCs and a LCC network were established by DOI Secretary Ken Salazar via Secretarial Order 3289 to develop strategies for managing climate change and other impacts on natural resources. Efforts will focus on impacts that typically extend beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries, such as the effects of climate change on wildlife migration patterns, wildfire risk, drought, or invasive species. FWS is a primary lead on LCCs and has invested the most resources into establishing and staffing them. DOI has established 21 (22?) LCCs encompassing all 50 States and U.S. Pacific Islands.

 

> Science Programs, Research, Products, Education

Climate Change and Other Topics

Selected Climate Change Topics:

USGS Office of Global Change

USGS National Wildlife Health Center

Status and Trends of USGS Biological Resources Program

USGS Fort Collins Science Center

Additional USGS Open-File Reports, Journal Articles

  • http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1146/, for 2010 report, "Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of the Northern Gulf of Mexico to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Change"; combines the coastal system's susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions
  • http://wwwpaztcn.wr.usgs.gov/julio_pdf/Swetnam_ea.pdf, for 1999 report, "Applied Historical Ecology: Using the Past to Manage for the Future"; illustrates values and limitations of applied historical ecology (historical trends and variability) in setting management goals for ecosystems

USGS Educational Resources, Fact Sheets and General Information Publications

  • http://education.usgs.gov/, for USGS and Science Education page; type ‘climate change' or topic of choice in ‘Search FS' window

USGS Training, Workshops

  • http://www.usgs.gov/, for USGS homepage; type ‘climate change adaptation training or workshops' in ‘Search USGS' window for links to workshop summaries, outlines

 

> Other Programs, Products, Tools

U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

USGCRP is a Congressionally-authorized consortium of 13 federal agencies responsible for various aspects of global change research, including coordinating climate change research activities of the agencies. It has produced important products related to climate adaptation for wildlife and ecosystems and maintains a comprehensive website with a variety of climate change science resources and publications. Research aims to provide science-based applications and tools for sustainable natural resource management.

 

DOI WaterSMART Program

Water shortage and water-use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the United States, even in normal water years. In February 2010, DOI Secretary Ken Salazar issued Secretarial Order 3297 launching the WaterSMART Program, which stands for "Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow". The purpose of the program is identifying strategies to "secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations to benefit people, the economy, and the environment, and identify adaptive measures needed to address climate change and future demands." The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and USGS are the lead agencies for the WaterSMART Program.

DOI will maximize the effectiveness of the water sustainability efforts and programs of DOI agencies, including USBR Title XVI Basin Study Program, WaterSMART Grants, and USGS WaterSMART National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program (proposed for FY 2011), by coordinating among them and with ongoing water conservation and sustainability programs of other federal and state agencies.

WaterSMART will coordinate with DOI's Task Force on Energy and Climate Change and the ECC (formerly Climate Change Response) Council, working with DOI's regional CSCs and LCCs to obtain the best available science and ensure sustainable water strategies in the field offices of bureaus and agencies. The program will make recommendations for enhancements to information collection, analysis and delivery where needed. Each DOI bureau and office will exercise its discretion within the scope of its mission to carry out the purpose of this Order to sustain and manage water resources.

 

Federal Climate Change and Water Working Group (CCAWWG)

USGS and five other federal agencies have formed CCAWWG*, a federal research and development group. The primary purpose of CCAWWG is to ensure efficient collaborations and sharing of information across federal agencies toward understanding and addressing climate change and water resources impacts in the United States. The goal is an interagency, coordinated research and development plan that is steered by user needs, incorporates expert review, delivers research and development products to users, and assimilates user feedback to steer the next research steps. Reclamation (USBR) also has empanelled the Climate Technical Work Group to provide information on climate science and future climate conditions and their potential impact on the Colorado River.

*Originally, CCAWWG had a western United States focus, stood for Climate Change and Western Water Group, and consisted of three Federal entities: USGS, USBR, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Since 2009, CCAWWG interests have broadened to a national view with membership now including U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 

Technical Report, Water Resources Management

USGS, USBR, NOAA and USACE collaborated to produce Climate Change and Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective (February 2009). This study shows that climate change could affect all sectors of water resources management and presents the best available science to help water managers prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change on the nation's water resources. It explores strategies to improve water management by suggesting processes to improve tracking, anticipation, and response to climate change effects; it assesses approaches to climate variability and change in water resources management, on which future agency policies, methods, and processes will be based.

 

Climate Change Projects in the Southwestern U.S.

USFWS Southwest Region has been working with USGS and agencies and interest groups to translate available and emerging science into concrete actions that reduce the impacts of a changing climate on the broadly diverse ecosystems in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

 

U.S. Fire Learning Network (USFLN)

The USFLN is a joint effort of The Nature Conservancy, the  U. S. Forest Service and several DOI agencies with a goal of accelerating the implementation of ecologically appropriate and culturally acceptable fuels reduction and fire regime restoration in high-priority habitats and landscapes. It fosters innovation and transfers knowledge acquired from numerous multi-agency, community-based projects to other landscape projects, scientists and decision makers.

 

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network

The CESU national network has been established with an overarching goal of improving the scientific base for managing federal lands by providing high-quality scientific research, technical assistance, and education to resource and environmental managers. It is a nationwide consortium of federal agencies, universities, conservation organizations, and other partners working together to support agency missions and informed public trust resource stewardship. One objective is to build capacity and enhance coordination of climate change management and adaptation efforts among management agencies.

CESUs are based at host universities and focused on biogeographic regions of the country. To date the nation had been divided into 17 biogeographic regions, each served by a distinct CESU that is structured as a working collaboration among partners. Each regional unit operates independently and in association with one national network and is directed by specific mission, vision, goals and objectives and a strategic plan.

 

"Adapting to Climate Change: A Short Course for Land Managers"

This interactive, self-paced course presents current scientific knowledge on adapting to climate variability in wildland management. It is intended to help land managers plan for future climate-driven uncertainties and is organized around three central themes: climate variability and projections, ecological responses to climate variability, and management responses to climate variability. It is available as a DVD or online at the CCRC.

To order DVD, include this reference, PNW-GTR-789, and send an email to: mailto:mpnwpubs@fs.fed.us

Course produced by USFS, USGS, University of Washington and Oregon State University.

 

Technical Report, "The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change"

The U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) has released a systematic analysis (3/2010) of the effects of climate change on bird populations of the United States. FWS was the lead agency in creating the report through a partnership with other organizations and government agencies, including The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service and USGS.

This 2010 report is the nation's first comprehensive assessment of the vulnerability of nearly 800 bird species to climate change. The report shows that climate change will have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in all habitats and outlines conservation actions that will be important as biological planning and design of large-scale conservation efforts are advanced. The Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, Land Conservation Cooperatives, and public/private partnerships for the conservation of birds, and the actions outlined in every state's State Wildlife Action Plan will be important tools as additional threats climate change will place on the birds of the nation are addressed.

 

Guidance Document, "Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment"

This 2011 document is a product of an expert workgroup on climate change vulnerability assessment convened by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in collaboration with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The workgroup draws from state and federal agencies, including USGS, non-governmental conservation organizations, and universities. Financial support for the publication was provided by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, DoD Legacy Resource Management Program, and several other organizations and agencies, including USGS.

Vulnerability to climate change, as the term is used in the guide, has three principle components: sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity. The document focuses on providing practical guidance to practitioners for assessing climate change vulnerability of species, habitats and ecosystems in the U.S. It includes 1) an overview and basics of climate change vulnerability assessment; 2) methods and tools available for combining climate change exposure and species/system sensitivity in developing an assessment of climate change vulnerability (incl. types of data and models that can be used for vulnerability assessments); 3) measures to deal with uncertainty in these assessments; 4) specific case studies of vulnerability assessments; and 5) a reference section on climate change vulnerability assessment resources (publications, web-base tools).

Currently sufficient guidance is available on the likely physical change that will occur due to climate change and on developing climate change adaptation strategies and actions. However, little guidance is available on assessing the vulnerability and sensitivity of biological systems to the physical changes. This document fills a gap in available guidance, will be useful to TNC and its partners, and will nicely complement the TNC "Climate Change Project-Level Guidance" document.

 

Guidance Document, Climate Change Wildlife Action Plan

This 2009 document, "Voluntary Guidance for States to Incorporate Climate Change into State Wildlife Action Plans and Other Management Plans", was produced by the Climate Change Wildlife Action Plan Work Group which was created as a joint work group by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Climate Change and Teaming with Wildlife Committees in September 2008. The workgroup draws from state and federal agencies, including USGS, and non-governmental conservation organizations. Financial contributors include the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

The guidance document provides voluntary guidance for state fish and wildlife agencies wanting to better incorporate the impacts of climate change on wildlife and their habitats into Wildlife Action Plans. The approaches and techniques described in this document also will be useful in modifying other wildlife plans (e.g. big game/upland game/migratory bird plans, joint venture implementation plans, national fish habitat action plan, etc.) to address climate change. The document provides an overview of the information currently available on climate change, tools that can be used to plan for and implement climate change adaptation, voluntary guidance and case studies.

The document consists of the three major chapters that provide information and resources that could be used to update Wildlife Action Plans to incorporate climate change impacts. Chapter 1 provides guidance on how to develop climate change adaptation strategies for fish and wildlife management. Chapter 2 describes tools that may be useful in developing, implementing and monitoring for these plans. Chapter 3 provides more detail on the process of updating Wildlife Action Plans, summarizes existing guidance and discusses how addressing climate change might affect the plan revision process. The references section and appendices to the document are a source of additional information on climate change.

 

 
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