Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in Southwest Washington PDF Download

Author: Jessica L. Hudec
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climate change mitigation
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Author: Jessica E. Halofsky
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"A science-management adaptation partnership was developed among the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mount Hood National Forest, and Willamette National Forest, and other organizations (hereafter referred to as CMWAP) to identify climate change issues relevant for resource management in central Oregon and southern Washington). This partnership assessed the vulnerability of natural resources to climate change and developed adaptation options that minimize negative impacts of climate change and facilitate transition of ecosystems and organizations to a warmer climate. The vulnerability assessment focused on water resources and infrastructure, fisheries, vegetation, wildlife, recreation, and ecosystem services. The vulnerability assessment shows that the effects of climate change on hydrology in the CMWAP assessment area will be significant, primarily because decreased snowpack and earlier snowmelt will shift the timing and magnitude of streamflow; peak flows will be higher, and summer low flows will be lower. Projected changes in climate and hydrology will affect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, especially as frequency of extreme climate events (drought, low snowpack) and ecological disturbances (flooding, wildfire) increase. Distribution and abundance of coldwater fish species are expected to decrease in response to higher water temperature, although effects will vary as a function of local habitat and competition with nonnative fish. Higher air temperature, through its influence on soil moisture, is expected to cause gradual changes in the distribution and abundance of plant species, with drought-tolerant species becoming more dominant. Increased frequency and extent of wildfire (and in some cases insects) will facilitate vegetation change, in some cases leading to altered structure and function of ecosystems, although the frequency and extent of disturbances are uncertain. Vegetation change will alter wildlife habitat, with both positive and negative effects depending on animal species and ecosystem. Animal species with a narrow range of preferred habitats (e.g., riparian systems, old forest) will be the most vulnerable to more disturbance and large-scale shifts in flora. The effects of climate change on recreation activities are difficult to project, although higher temperatures are expected to create more opportunities for warm-weather activities (e.g., hiking, camping, water-based recreation) and fewer opportunities for snow-based activities (e.g., skiing, snowmobiling). Recreationists modify their activities according to current conditions, but recreation management by federal agencies has generally not been so flexible. Of the ecosystem services considered in the assessment, (1) timber supply and carbon sequestration may be affected by lower productivity and higher frequency and extent of disturbances, (2) native pollinators may be affected by altered vegetation distribution and phenological mismatches between insects and plants, and (3) decreased salmon populations will reduce the availability of an important first food for tribes in the assessment area. CMWAP resource managers developed adaptation options in response to the vulnerabilities of each resource, including high-level strategies and on-the-ground tactics. Many adaptation options are intended to increase the resilience of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, or to reduce the effects of existing stressors (e.g., removal of nonnative species). In aquatic systems, a dominant theme is to restore the structure and function of streams to retain cold water for fish and other aquatic organisms. In forest systems, dominant themes of adaptation are to decrease stand density and increase structural and genetic diversity to confer resilience to drought. Many adaptation options can accomplish multiple outcomes; for example, restoring the hydrologic function of streams and wetlands will benefit coldwater fish species and riparian wildlife species as well as reduce impacts on infrastructure. Many existing management practices are already "climate smart" or require minor adjustment to make them so. Long-term monitoring is needed to detect climate change effects on natural resources and evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation options."

Author: Crystal Lynn Raymond
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781457859007
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 291

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Book Description
The North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) is a science-management partnership consisting of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat. Forests and Pacific NW Research Station; North Cascades National Park Complex; Mt. Rainier Nat. Park; and U. of Washington Climate Impacts Group. These organizations worked to identify climate change issues relevant to resource management in the North Cascades and to find solutions that will facilitate the transition of the diverse ecosystems of this region into a warmer climate. In the Pacific NW, the warming trend is expected to continue and will have far-reaching effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Hydrologic systems will be especially vulnerable as North Cascades watersheds become increasingly rain dominated. Coping with and adapting to the effects of an altered climate will become increasingly difficult, although adaptation strategies and tactics are available to ease the transition to a warmer climate as it affects roads and infrastructure, fisheries, vegetation and wildlife. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Author: Jessica E. Halofsky
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Blue Mountains (Or. and Wash.)
Languages : en
Pages : 331

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Book Description

Author: Jessica Halofsky
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319569287
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
This book is the result of a team of approximately 100 scientists and resource managers who worked together for two years to understand the effects of climatic variability and change on water resources, fisheries, forest vegetation, non-forest vegetation, wildlife, recreation, cultural resources and ecosystem services. Adaptation options, both strategic and tactical, were developed for each resource area. This information is now being applied in the northern rocky Mountains to ensure long-term sustainability in resource conditions. The volume chapters provide a technical assessment of the effects of climatic variability and change on natural and cultural resources, based on best available science, including new analyses obtained through modeling and synthesis of existing data. Each chapter also contains a summary of adaptation strategies (general) and tactics (on-the-ground actions) that have been developed by science-management teams.

Author: U.s. Department of Agriculture
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781974398799
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
The North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) is a science-management partnership consisting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Pacific Northwest Research Station; North Cascades National Park Complex; Mount Rainier National Park; and University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. These organizations worked with numerous stakeholders over 2 years to identify climate change issues relevant to resource management in the North Cascades and to find solutions that will facilitate the transition of the diverse ecosystems of this region into a warmer climate. The NCAP provided education, conducted a climate change vulnerability assessment, and developed adaptation options for federal agencies that manage 2.4 million hectares in north-central Washington. In the Pacific Northwest, the current warming trend is expected to continue, with average warming of 2.1 C by the 2040s and 3.8 C by the 2080s; precipitation may vary slightly, but the magnitude and direction are uncertain. This warming will have far-reaching effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Hydrologic systems will be especially vulnerable as North Cascades watersheds become increasingly rain dominated, rather than snow dominated, resulting in more autumn/winter flooding, higher peak flows, and lower summer flows. This will greatly affect the extensive road network in the North Cascades (longer than 16 000 km), making it difficult to maintain access for recreational users and resource managers. It will also greatly reduce suitable fish habitat, especially as stream temperatures increase above critical thresholds. In forest ecosystems, higher temperatures will increase stress and lower the growth and productivity of lower elevation tree species on both the western and eastern sides of the Cascade crest, although growth of highelevation tree species is expected to increase. Distribution and abundance of plant species may change over the long term, and increased disturbance (wildfire, insects, and invasive species) will cause rapid changes in ecosystem structure and function across broad landscapes, especially on the east side. This in turn will alter habitat for a wide range of animal species by potentially reducing connectivity and latesuccessional forest structure. Coping with and adapting to the effects of an altered climate will become increasingly difficult after the mid-21st century, although adaptation strategies and tactics are available to ease the transition to a warmer climate. For roads and infrastructure, tactics for increasing resistance and resilience to higher peak flows include installing hardened stream crossings, stabilizing streambanks, designing culverts for projected peak flows, and upgrading bridges and increasing their height. For fisheries, tactics for increasing resilience of salmon to altered hydrology and higher stream temperature include restoring stream and floodplain complexity, reducing road density near streams, increasing forest cover to retain snow and decrease snow melt, and identifying and protecting cold-water refugia. For vegetation, tactics for increasing resilience to higher temperature and increased disturbance include accelerating development of late-successional forest conditions by reducing density and diversifying forest structure, managing for future range of variability in structure and species, including invasive species prevention strategies in all projects, and monitoring changes in tree distribution and establishment at tree line. For wildlife, tactics for increasing resilience to altered habitat include increasing diversity of age classes and restoring a patch mosaic, increasing fuel reduction treatments in dry forests, using conservation easements to maintain habitat connectivity, and removing exotic fish species to protect amphibian populations.

Author: Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (U.S.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climate change mitigation
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Author: Jessica E. Halofsky
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climate change mitigation
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Abstract: The Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) identified climate change issues relevant to resource management on Federal lands in Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, eastern California, and western Wyoming, and developed solutions intended to minimize negative effects of climate change and facilitate transition of diverse ecosystems to a warmer climate. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service scientists, Federal resource managers, and stakeholders collaborated over a 2-year period to conduct a state-of-science climate change vulnerability assessment and develop adaptation options for Federal lands. The vulnerability assessment emphasized key resource areas-- water, fisheries, vegetation and disturbance, wildlife, recreation, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services--regarded as the most important for ecosystems and human communities.

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309471699
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
Climate change poses many challenges that affect society and the natural world. With these challenges, however, come opportunities to respond. By taking steps to adapt to and mitigate climate change, the risks to society and the impacts of continued climate change can be lessened. The National Climate Assessment, coordinated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, is a mandated report intended to inform response decisions. Required to be developed every four years, these reports provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date evaluation of climate change impacts available for the United States, making them a unique and important climate change document. The draft Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) report reviewed here addresses a wide range of topics of high importance to the United States and society more broadly, extending from human health and community well-being, to the built environment, to businesses and economies, to ecosystems and natural resources. This report evaluates the draft NCA4 to determine if it meets the requirements of the federal mandate, whether it provides accurate information grounded in the scientific literature, and whether it effectively communicates climate science, impacts, and responses for general audiences including the public, decision makers, and other stakeholders.