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Jeff Walk, Sarah Hagen, and Aaron Lange
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last modified
Dec 17, 2015 12:15 PM
Contributors:
Jeff Walk, Sarah Hagen, Aaron Lange
Full report of methods and results of climate change vulnerability assessments of 162 species in greatest conservation need.
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Web Editor
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last modified
Dec 17, 2015 12:12 PM
Contributors:
Christopher Bruno, Phil Hartger, Laura Mendenhall, Emily Myron, James Clark, Rickie White, Teresa Leibfreid
In this study, we evaluate the climate change vulnerability of a subset of key species found in the Cumberland Piedmont Network (CUPN) of the National Park Service (NPS), an ecologically important and diverse region. We developed a list of species of conservation concern (globally and sub-nationally) within each of the fourteen NPS units in the CUPN. Next, we employed NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) in order to determine which of those species may be most vulnerable to climate change, based on each species’ 1) direct exposure to climate change, 2) indirect exposure to climate change, 3) sensitivity, and 4) documented/ modeled response to climate change. CCVI results showed a range of vulnerability scores among taxonomic groups, including high vulnerability for mollusks and low vulnerability for migrant songbirds. Furthermore, we found that species of conservation concern were not necessarily those most vulnerable to climate change.
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Lesley Sneddon
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last modified
Dec 17, 2015 11:55 AM
Contributors:
Hector Galbraith, Lesley Sneddon
This habitat was assessed in both the Cumberland - Southern Appalachian subregion and the Interior Low Plateau subregion. Results are in the first two tabs of the spreadsheet. A description of the habitat, and a list of associated species, is included in the description tab. The remaining tabs describe the individual factors and their definitions. These results are in the review stage. Please send comments to lesley_sneddon@natureserve.org.
This presentation from Lesley Sneddon of NatureServe provides an update to the Steering Committee on this Appalachian LCC funded research project. Research is compiling climate change vulnerability assessments and other relevant information on vulnerable species and habitats, discerning the various methodologies and criteria used in these assessments, and using a team of expert peer reviewers to recommend the most efficient, effective, and appropriate methods for adoption by the Appalachian LCC for conservation and adaptation planning. The recommended method will then be deployed, resulting in vulnerability assessments for a suite of key species/habitats selected in consultation with partners of the Appalachian LCC.
You can also watch this video on our Vimeo Channel.
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Web Editor
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last modified
Dec 01, 2015 02:03 AM
Contributors:
AppLCC
This spreadsheet is a subset of a larger data set that contains a compilation of climate change vulnerability scores for over 700 species in the Appalachian LCC.
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Matthew Schlesinger, Jeffrey Corser, Kelly Perkins, and Erin White
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last modified
Dec 01, 2015 02:03 AM
Contributors:
Matthew D. Schlesinger, Jeffrey D. Corser, Kelly A. Perkins, Erin L. White
This report provides the methods and results of climate change vulnerability assessments of 119 species in New York.
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Elizabeth Byers, Sam Norris
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last modified
Dec 01, 2015 02:03 AM
Contributors:
Byers, Elizabeth, Norris, Sam
Elizabeth Byers and Sam Norris. 2011. Climate change vulnerability assessment of species of concern in West Virginia. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Elkins, WV.
This project assessed and ranked the relative climate change vulnerability of 185 animal and plant species in West Virginia.
This presentation from Professor David Culver of American University provides an update to the Steering Committee on the Appalachian LCC funded research project that is assembling and identifying key location and classification data while developing products that depict and map cave and karst habitats and biological resources across the Appalachian LCC. Developing a consistent classification system and mapping for cave and karst habitats is a foundational need for these highly unique habitats.This project will develop cave and karst data and a georeferenced suite of products that are consistent in methodology to support larger-scale planning efforts, yet usable at scales that will support local resource decision-makers.
You can also watch this video on our Vimeo Channel.
This video presentation from Mark Anderson and Arlene Olivero Sheldon of The Nature Conservancy provides an update to the Steering Committee on this Appalachian LCC funded research project. A Stream Classification System for the Appalachian LCC is developing a hierarchical classification for stream and river systems and a GIS map for aquatic ecosystems. The study will include a report describing the methods used to evaluate and develop the classification system, a literature review of existing stream classifications, and a GIS stream data set.
You can also watch the video on our Vimeo Channel.
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Web Editor
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last modified
Nov 19, 2015 09:16 PM
Contributors:
AppLCC
Spreadsheet Subset One
This video presentation from Paul Leonard of the Appalachian LCC and Clemson University walks through the development of a regional conservation plan for the Cooperative using an interactive and iterative spatial prioritization framework. Using available data and modeling approaches, researchers from Clemson University developed a suite of conservation planning models that include site selection, ecological threat assessments, and broad ranging habitat and ecological connectivity analyses. The research team worked closely with steering committee-organized technical teams from each major region in our LCC to help guide the iterative feedback loops which informed the conservation design. The research team is now working on the second phase of this conservation planning and design modeling that will integrate aquatic and cultural resource components into the design work.
You can also watch the video on our Vimeo Channel.
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Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Research Team
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last modified
Aug 31, 2015 12:22 PM
Contributors:
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Research Team
How should the Appalachian LCC acquire information about the vulnerability of Appalachian species and habitats to climate change to share with its partners? This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of a seven-member Expert Panel that sought to answer this question identified as a major research priority. The Panel addressed three aspects of the question: the selection of species and habitats to assess, approaches to vulnerability assessment, and the availability of downscaled climate data.
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Riparian Restoration Research Team
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last modified
Aug 31, 2015 12:20 PM
Contributors:
Riparian Restoration Research Team
Canopy Cover by State.
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The Nature Conservancy
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last modified
Aug 31, 2015 12:12 PM
Contributors:
The Nature Conservancy
Identifying aquatic ecosystems requires a classification of stream and lake features into recognizable entities or categories. Although a number of nationally recognized terrestrial community classifications exist, the most accepted being the National Vegetation Classification System (Grossman et al. 1998), currently there is no national or international standard for classifying aquatic communities or ecosystems. Despite the lack of a national aquatic community classification, aquatic ecosystem classifications and frameworks have been developed at a variety of spatial scales. Their goal is often to reflect the distribution of aqutic biological communities. These assemblages recur across the landscape under similar habitat conditions and ecological processes (Higgins et al. 2005). The methods used to develop aquatic ecosystem classifications vary widely, as do the biotic and abiotic variables considered in the classifications. The classifications generally fall into two broad categories: 1) taxonomic or bio-ecosystem classifications and 2) environmental or geo-physical ecosystem classifications (Rowe and Barnes 1994); however some classifications combine aspects of both.
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Web Editor
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last modified
Jun 04, 2015 04:00 PM
Stream flows are essential for maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems and for supporting human water supply needs. Integrated modeling approaches assessing the impact of changes in climate, land use, and water withdrawals on stream flows and the subsequent impact of changes in flow regime on aquatic biota at multiple spatial scales are necessary to insure an adequate supply of water for humans and healthy river ecosystems. The combined application of simple, large scale models with more complex, high resolution models has the potential to provide for more robust climate change impact studies, which focus on maintaining a better balance between the availability of water to support aquatic assemblages while conserving water for long-term human needs than using either approach in isolation.
Hydrological modeling for flow-ecology science in the Southeastern United States -
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Web Editor
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last modified
Jun 04, 2015 03:58 PM
Traditional urban growth models are very localized and data-intensive and lack the capability to be applied across large regions, in response to these limitations the North Carolina Cooperative Research Unit began using the USGS SLEUTH urban growth model to develop urbanization scenarios as part of the Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP). Extensive modifications of the model framework and calibration were undertaken that resulted in the ability to rapidly develop urbanization scenarios for very large regions, such as the Appalachian and Gulf Coastal Plain Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). This new modeling effort allows LCC’s to address fundamental questions that affect conservation planning over decadal time scales.
Developing long-term urbanization scenarios for the Appalachian and Gulf Coastal Plain and Ozarks LCCs as part of the Southeast Regional Assessment Project -
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Web Editor
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last modified
Jun 04, 2015 03:56 PM
Climate change is already affecting biodiversity, changing the dates when birds arrive to breed and when flowers bloom in spring, and shifting the ranges of species as they move to cooler places. One problem for wildlife as their ranges shift is that their path is often impeded – their habitats have become fragmented by agriculture and urbanization, presenting barriers to their migration. Because of this, the most common recommended strategy to protect wildlife as climate changes is to connect their habitats, providing them safe passage. There are great challenges to implementing this strategy in the southeastern U.S., however, because most intervening lands between habitat patches are held in private ownership. We will combine data on key wildlife species and their habitats throughout the southeastern U.S. with new computer modeling technologies that allow us to identify key connections that will be robust to regional and global changes in climate and land use.
Connectivity for Climate Change in the Southeastern United States -
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