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