Vulnerability Assessments

Read the abstract and get the link to an article published in Environmental Research Letters that connects vegetation shift to warming Arctic and Boreal soils under vegetation. Kropp, H., M. M. Loranty, S. M. Natali, A. L. Kholodov, A. V. Rocha, … J. A. O’Donnell … et al. 2020. Shallow soils are warmer under trees and tall shrubs across Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters.

Limantour Beach is wide. Bookended by ocean on one side and grassy dunes on the other, its sandy expanse provides a habitat for many organisms that rely on the rich ecosystem between land and sea. The western snowy plover, a small brown and white shorebird, is one species that finds refuge in the sand. Over time, human activity and development have degraded many beaches like Limantour, and biologists have seen those impacts through the eyes of the snowy plovers.

Read a summary and get the link to this article that looks at the use of old carbon in Arctic fish food webs and potential impacts of climate change: Stanek, A.E., Carey, M.P., O'Donnell, J.A., Laske, S.M., Xu, X., Dunton, K.H., von Biela, V.R. 2024. Arctic fishes reveal a gradient in radiocarbon content and use. Limnology and Oceanography Letters.

At Grand Canyon National Park, scientists and resource managers closely monitor observed and projected impacts from climate change that could have significant effects on the park’s vegetation, wildlife, and water supply. One of the ways that the park monitors these impacts is through a phenology observational study for the plant life at the Grand Canyon. Intermountain Park Science, 2024

In July 2024, fire ecologists re-visited a study area an in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve that burned twice in rapid series. The 2009 Chakina Fire burned ~ 56,000 acres in the Chitina River Valley. A mere seven years later, a third of the Chakina fire area reburned in the 2016 Steamboat Fire.

Read a summary and get a link to a published paper on how caribou and wolves respond to severe winter storms and how diverse landscape features provided some protection: Prugh, L. R., J. D. Lundquist, B. K. Sullender, C. X. Cunningham, J. Dechow, B. L. Borg, P. J. Sousanes, S. Stehn, and M. T. Furand. 2024. Landscape heterogeneity buffers the impact of an extreme weather event on wildlife. Communications Biology 7(1515).

Have you wondered what will happen to vegetation in arid climates if they become more arid in the future? Northern Colorado Plateau Network scientists explored the relationships between climate and vegetation at Bryce Canyon National Park. Results include discovery of changes that have already occurred and identification of vegetation types that are most sensitive to continued climate change, providing managers with insights into future scenarios that can aid decision making.

Climate change has the potential to profoundly alter national parks, affecting plants, animals, and cultural resources. During this time of unusually rapid change, proactive management—planning ahead—has a better chance of success than reacting to crises after they arise. This article compares historical climate patterns at Rocky Mountain National Park with future projected conditions to help park managers proactively plan for climate change.

As you spend your days exploring Maui, you are likely to experience a couple notable distractions from the island’s native sights and sounds: buzzing and biting from mosquitoes. On Maui these insects are more than just an average outdoor nuisance—they are causing irreversible damage to the island’s ecology.

The Midwest United States, with its windy, rolling plains, doesn't often come to mind when we think about the effects of climate change on our world - but it should.