National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center
 Welcome to the U. S Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) Web site. The earth’s climate, including changes in temperature, weather patterns, and precipitation, is expected to have significant effects on our nation’s fish and wildlife resources now and in the future. Relatively little scientific information exists on which to inform adaptation or management of fish and wildlife in the face of climate change. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the science agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is meeting this challenge through the new National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. Climate change crosses jurisdictional boundaries and affects all earth processes. The Center 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 interorganizational efforts from across the country is needed for timely forecasting of responses at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center provides our fish and wildlife partners with access to other USGS Global Change Science capabilities and products.
NCCWSC Updates
NCCWSC Information Update (PDF, 41 KB)
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center 2009 Research Awards
NCCWSC announces the suite of science projects that will be funded under its Fiscal Year 2009 Request for Proposals. Seventeen projects were selected from among the 175 proposals. As part of the NCCWSC’s science portfolio, these multiyear projects will greatly advance our understanding of how climate change may affect our Nation's wildlife, fish, and terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
NCCWSC 2009 RFP Projects (PDF, 28 KB)
NCCWSC 2008 Project Accomplishments
NCCWSC 2008 Project Accomplishments (PDF, 108 KB)
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center Five Year Strategy
NCCWSC 5 Year Strategy (PDF, 2.6mb)
2009 National Workshop Recommendations for the NCCWSC
NCCWSC 2009 National Workshop Summary (PDF, 54kb)
Regional Workshops Provide Partnership Opportunities at the Regional Scale
The USGS is meeting with regional partners and stakeholders in May and June 2009 to assess their needs for forecasting of aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal adaptation and habitat conditions in the face of climate change. Summary results of the regional workshops are providing the collaborative framework for development of the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and the Regional Climate Science Hubs in cooperation with regional conservation partnerships.
NCCWSC Eastern Workshop Summary (PDF, 28 KB)
NCCWSC Western Workshop Summary (PDF, 28 KB)
NCCWSC Central Workshop Summary (PDF, 28 KB)
2008 National Workshop Provides Direction for the Future
The USGS met with partners and stakeholders in December 2008 to assess national needs for forecasting of fish and wildlife adaptation and habitat changes in the face of climate change. Results of this national workshop provided USGS with a collaborative framework for:
- Joint decision making about climate change science priorities for the federal, state, tribal and non-governmental fish and wildlife community
- Downscaling of GCMs for forecasting of ecological and population response at regional levels
- Targeted vulnerability and risk assessments
- Collaborative development and evaluation of adaptive management tools with fish and wildlife managers
NCCWSC Summary Workshop Report (PDF, 709KB)
NCCWSC Plenary PowerPoint Presentations (PDF, 8,002KB)
NCCWSC Breakout Group PowerPoint Presentations (PDF, 382KB)
USGS Newsroom at: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/.
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USGS Climate Change Research for Fish and Wildlife
USGS has initiated research through the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center with funding provided through Congress in support of Energy Bill H. R. 3221 to improve the capacity of fish and wildlife agencies to respond to climate change. The research addresses high priority climate change effects on fish and wildlife identified by Federal and State fish and wildlife management agencies. Following a rigorous scientific review, five highly ranked proposals were selected for funding.
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Climate Change as a Challenge to Bird Conservation in Arid and Semi-arid Regions
Climate change predictions for the arid and semi-arid regions of North America, where wetland and riparian habitats provide migration stopovers for tens of millions of migratory birds, include higher temperatures and less precipitation. Results of this investigation will describe how climate change and related alteration of the distribution and quality of wetland and riparian habitats will influence the survival and breeding success of migratory birds. These results will assist wildlife managers within the Department of the Interior and other resource management agencies to develop adaptive management options for protection of migratory bird species and important habitats. |
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Fate of Endangered Species in San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes with Sea Level Rise
The distribution of tidal salt marshes will be evaluated under current and simulated sea level conditions using quantitative and spatial techniques to identify and rank priority upland areas with strong potential for creation of marshes under future climate change scenarios. Vegetation data will be combined with species distribution information to quantify habitat quality under current and simulated sea level conditions. This study will provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with critical information for habitat management and land acquisition planning, enabling land managers to make informed decisions today about future sea level impacts on the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and California clapper rail. |
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Impact of Stream Temperature and Flow Changes on Endangered Atlantic Salmon
This investigation of baseflow and in stream temperature changes in the northeast and their effects on Atlantic salmon population persistence will assess historical regional trends in baseflows; complete development of an Atlantic salmon population-survival model; calibrate watershed models of coastal Atlantic-salmon basins in the region; derive future flow and stream-temperature scenarios using GCM climate change scenario data; and use watershed model output as input to the salmon-survival model to estimate Atlantic salmon population persistence in the future due to climate change. |
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Potential Influence of Changing Climate on the Persistence of Native Salmonids at Risk
The USGS, US Forest Service, and Trout Unlimited will study how climate change may drive landscape scale changes that affect the freshwater habitats of important native fish species such as trout, char and grayling. Key results will describe the geographic distribution of target species or populations in relationship to current temperature and flow regimes; estimate how flow and temperature regimes are likely to change in response to a warming climate, and forecast which habitats and populations will be most affected. |
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Quantifying the Influence of Climate Change on Rocky Mountain Ungulates
The ecology of hoofed big-game species in the northern Rocky Mountains, known as ungulates, is strongly influenced by climate. This study will examination how climate change induced events such as decreased snow pack, early spring conditions, and increased drought may alter population numbers of species such as elk, moose and pronghorn antelope. Influences on migrations routes, feedground use and associated disease prevalence (e. g. brucellosis) and herbivory impacts on the abundance of vegetation (e. g. aspen) will also be quantified. |
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Join Us
Subscribe to the Bioclimate list serve to receive periodic updates on progress, developments and outreach activities of the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. Contact hardy_pearce@usgs.gov to subscribe.
Contact Us
The USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center:
Senior Science Advisor
Hardy Pearce
hardy_pearce@usgs.gov
Chief Scientist for Biology
Bruce Jones
kbjones@usgs.gov
Priority Climate Change Research Needs
Climate change crosses jurisdictional boundaries and affects all earth processes. Mobilization of existing assessment and monitoring capabilities and efforts from across all agencies and organizations is needed for timely forecasting of responses at appropriate spatial and temporal scales for national, regional and local management for adaptation to climate change. Partner agencies have identified common priority research needs for fish and wildlife management in the face of climate change:
- Assessments of current climate change information and model interpretation for management;
- Collaborative syntheses to separate climate from natural effects;
- Syntheses for forecasting of adaptation to climate change at multiple scales;
- Downscaling of General Circulation Models (GCM) and upscaling of regional and local models to forecast climate change at global, national, regional and local scales;
- Quantification of species and habitat vulnerability on spatial and temporal scales to provide simulations of adaptive management options for fish and wildlife;
- Development of clearinghouse and network capacity for standardized data and synthesis sharing with links to existing infrastructure; and
- Tools that managers can use to manage the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitats at national, regional and local scales.
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey