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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS’ Arctic Strategy: Managing Fish and Wildlife Populations in a Changing Landscape SEARCH Science Steering Committee Meeting October 28-30, 2008 FWS and Climate Change 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. • 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 FWS 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 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 Shallow Lake (< 1.5 m) Lacustrine Marsh (Carex) Moist SedgeShrub Solar Radiation Physical Processes Climate BIRDS -- Summer Precipitation Hydrologic Permafrost Water Balance Surface storage Thermokarst Active layer Habitat Availability/ Suitability Freshwater Riverine Waters Deep Lake (> 1.5m) Shallow Lake (< 1.5 m) Erosion Storm frequency Sea-level rise Marine Riverine Tall Alder-Willow Shrub Moist SedgeShrub Coastal Barrens – Tidal/Deltaic Riverine Sedge, Low/Dwarf Shrub Wet Sedge Coastal Barrens – Salt-killed Riverine Barrens Shrubby Tussock Tundra Lacustrine Marsh (Carex) Coastal Terrestrial Tussock Tundra Lacustrine Marsh (Arctophila) Temperature Low BirchWillow Shrub Coastal Wet Sedge Coastal Water – Lagoon Solar Radiation Physical Processes Climate BIRDS -- Summer Precipitation Hydrologic Permafrost Water Balance Surface storage Thermokarst Active layer Habitat Availability/ Suitability Freshwater Riverine Waters Deep Lake (> 1.5m) Shallow Lake (< 1.5 m) Erosion Storm frequency Sea-level rise Marine Riverine Tall Alder-Willow Shrub Moist SedgeShrub Coastal Barrens – Tidal/Deltaic Riverine Sedge, Low/Dwarf Shrub Wet Sedge Coastal Barrens – Salt-killed Riverine Barrens Shrubby Tussock Tundra Lacustrine Marsh (Carex) Coastal Terrestrial Tussock Tundra Lacustrine Marsh (Arctophila) Temperature Low BirchWillow Shrub Coastal Wet Sedge Coastal Water – Lagoon Arctic 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 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 Change Identify 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. Changing conditions in winter: Sep - May Precipitation Warmer Shorter season Snow Plants depth, density, Icing events Changes in communities; Early plant emergence Access to food Insulation positive H1 C1 H2 H3 Energetic balance H4 C2 More mammals C4 Loss of shelter natal nests/dens negative Early den emergence Juv. mortality Herbivores H1 Carnivores C1 H2 H3 C2 H4 C4 Fewer mammals 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. Arctic Strategy Partnerships Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources Habitat Change Physical and Chemical Processes Resource Management Agencies: BLM, NPS, ADFG, NSB, MMS Research Community: USGS, NSSI, NSF, NGOs, UAF, SEARCH 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 Observing Change • Agency biological monitoring and inventory programs (e.g., species composition and distribution) can feed data into SEARCH framework. 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 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