USFWS’ Arctic Strategy: Managing Fish and Wildlife Populations in a Changing Landscape
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Transcript of USFWS’ Arctic Strategy: Managing Fish and Wildlife Populations in a Changing Landscape
USFWS’ Arctic Strategy:USFWS’ Arctic Strategy:
Managing Fish and Managing Fish and Wildlife
Populations in a Changing Populations in a Changing LandscapeLandscape
SEARCH Science Steering Committee MeetingSEARCH Science Steering Committee Meeting
October 28-30, 2008October 28-30, 2008
USFWS’ Arctic Strategy:USFWS’ Arctic Strategy:
Managing Fish and Managing Fish and Wildlife
Populations in a Changing Populations in a Changing LandscapeLandscape
SEARCH Science Steering Committee MeetingSEARCH Science Steering Committee Meeting
October 28-30, 2008October 28-30, 2008
U.S. Fish and Wildlife U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceService
FWS and Climate ChangeFWS and Climate Change
• Science Challenge – Translating model projections into predictions of effects on trust resources
• Management Challenge –Managing for change– No longer business (conservation,
protection, enhancement) as usual
Our mission is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their
habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
FWS and Climate ChangeFWS and Climate Change
• Strategic Plan – Responding to Climate Change
– Adaptation, Mitigation and Education
• 5-Year Action Plan – toward implementing the Strategic Plan
• National Fish and Wildlife Adaptation Strategy
• FY09-10 Action Items – building capacity for responding to climate change
– Conservation planning and design, modeling, research and monitoring
Integration with SEARCH Integration with SEARCH
Responding to Change
• Help identify useful predictive information and products:
• Identify physical processes relevant to habitat availability and suitability
• Identify appropriate modeling scales
• Identify key areas of uncertainty
Lacustrine Marsh(Carex)
Moist Sedge-Shrub
Shallow Lake(< 1.5 m)
TemperaturePrecipitation
Coastal Erosion
Storm frequencySea-level rise
Permafrost
Thermokarst
Active layer
Riverine Waters Deep Lake(> 1.5m)
Shallow Lake(< 1.5 m)
Lacustrine Marsh(Arctophila)
Lacustrine Marsh(Carex)
Coastal Barrens –Salt-killed
Coastal Wet Sedge
Coastal Barrens –Tidal/Deltaic
Coastal Water –Lagoon
Tussock Tundra
Wet Sedge
Moist Sedge-Shrub
Low Birch- Willow Shrub
Shrubby Tussock Tundra
Riverine Tall Alder-Willow Shrub
Riverine Sedge,Low/Dwarf Shrub
Riverine Barrens
Clim
ate
Hab
itat
Ava
ilabi
lity/
Sui
tabi
lity
Phy
sica
l P
roce
sses
Freshwater Terrestrial Marine
Solar Radiation
BIRDS -- Summer
HydrologicWater Balance Surface storage
TemperaturePrecipitation
Coastal Erosion
Storm frequencySea-level rise
Permafrost
Thermokarst
Active layer
Riverine Waters Deep Lake(> 1.5m)
Shallow Lake(< 1.5 m)
Lacustrine Marsh(Arctophila)
Lacustrine Marsh(Carex)
Coastal Barrens –Salt-killed
Coastal Wet Sedge
Coastal Barrens –Tidal/Deltaic
Coastal Water –Lagoon
Tussock Tundra
Wet Sedge
Moist Sedge-Shrub
Low Birch- Willow Shrub
Shrubby Tussock Tundra
Riverine Tall Alder-Willow Shrub
Riverine Sedge,Low/Dwarf Shrub
Riverine Barrens
Clim
ate
Hab
itat
Ava
ilabi
lity/
Sui
tabi
lity
Phy
sica
l P
roce
sses
Freshwater Terrestrial Marine
Solar Radiation
BIRDS -- Summer
HydrologicWater Balance Surface storage
Arctic Strategy Goals and ObjectivesArctic Strategy Goals and Objectives
• Focus on Terrestrial Arctic Landscape
• Identify Information Gaps– Collect critical data
• Identify Priority Species• Develop Models
– Impacts to Arctic fish and wildlife– Decision support tools for management
• Collaborate and build partnerships
• Focus on Terrestrial Arctic Landscape
• Identify Information Gaps– Collect critical data
• Identify Priority Species• Develop Models
– Impacts to Arctic fish and wildlife– Decision support tools for management
• Collaborate and build partnerships
Wildlife Response to Environmental Arctic
Change(WildREACH)
Workshop in Fairbanks: 17-18 November 2008
Wildlife Response to Environmental Arctic
Change
Advance development of models that predict changes in habitat
availability and suitability.
Wildlife Response to Environmental Arctic
ChangeIdentify critical research, modeling,
and synthesis activities:
– Species attributes that are expected to be sensitive indicators of predicted habitat change.
– Areas of uncertainty in physical and chemical process models that most impede our ability to predict the response of fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
WildREACH Workshop Structure
Plenary presentations by “Consulting Specialists” in climate, permafrost, hydrology, plant community ecology, and ecological modeling will present summaries of observational and modeling results.
Warmer Shorter season
Changing conditions in winter: Sep - May
Changes in communities; Early plant emergence
Plants
Early denemergence
Juv. mortality
Loss of shelternatal nests/dens
Insulation
Energetic balancepositive negative
Snowdepth, density,
Icing events
Precipitation
Access to food
H1 H2 H3 H4
C1
Fewer mammalsMore mammals
C2 C4 Carnivores
H1 H2 H3 H4
C1 C2 C4
Herbivores
WildREACH Workshop Structure
Working Groups (birds, fish, and mammals) will take part in breakout sessions to identify potential indicator species, develop conceptual models for climate influences on species groups, and identify critical research/modeling data gaps.
WildREACH Workshop Structure
Consulting Specialists will remain present to interact informally with fish and wildlife biologists in breakout sessions.
WildREACH Workshop Product
Peer-reviewed report articulating the most urgent information needs and tasks needed to build capacity to predict climate-related impacts to fish and wildlife populations in the Arctic.
Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources
Habitat Change
Arctic Strategy Partnerships
Arctic Strategy Partnerships
Physical and Chemical Processes
Resource Management Agencies:
BLM, NPS, ADFG, NSB, MMS
Research Community: USGS, NSSI, NSF, NGOs,
UAF, SEARCH
Arctic Strategy Partnerships
Arctic Strategy Partnerships
Department of Interior Initiatives
– WILDCAST (USGS/NPS)
– Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPS)
– North Slope Science Initiative (multi-agency)
Integration with SEARCH Integration with SEARCH
Observing Change
• Agency biological monitoring and inventory programs (e.g., species composition and distribution) can feed data into SEARCH framework.
Integration with SEARCH Integration with SEARCH
Understanding Change
• Contribute to development of model frameworks that link landscape changes to ecosystem attributes (fish and wildlife population, phenology, migration patterns).
Integration with SEARCH Integration with SEARCH
Responding to Change
• Help identify useful predictive information and products:
• Identify physical processes relevant to habitat availability and suitability
• Identify appropriate modeling scales
• Identify key areas of uncertainty