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December 2018 Newsletter

December 2018 Newsletter


 Welcome to the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center’s December 2018 Newsletter.

In this newsletter you will find:

SE CASC News
Resources
Notable Publications
Tribal News
Regional Partner News
Webinars
Upcoming Events
Opportunities


For news and upcoming events related to the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center,  subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

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Photo Credits: Alan Cressler, USGS

Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center News


We’re pleased to announce several newly initiated Southeast CASC science projects:

Synthesizing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife Health and Identifying Adaptation Strategies, the goal of which is to review and synthesize existing information on the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife health across North America. Researchers will develop a searchable database to identify gaps in knowledge and unique areas of concern. This project is jointly funded by all the regional CASCs and the National CASC.

Developing Future Habitat Condition Scenarios for Wildlife in the Imperiled Pine Rockland Ecosystem of South Florida, which will identify potential future changes in habitat that could result from different management actions and environmental conditions and the potential impacts of these habitat condition changes on the rim rock crowned snake and key ringneck snake, species that are being considered for federal listing, and for which very little is known about their ecology and demography.

Communicating Future Sea-Level Rise Scenarios for Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge and National Park Lands, in which investigators will provide coastal planners and resource managers in the region with customized information that can be used to concisely communicate local sea-level rise scenarios and identify potential impacts to the missions of management agencies.

Assessment of Water Availability and Streamflow Characteristics in the Southeastern U.S. for Current and Future Climatic and Landscape Conditions, will use a modeling approach that groups gaged and ungaged watersheds to estimate water availability for all watersheds, allowing resource managers to better assess water use and adaptation strategies for future climate and land cover changes.

Tribal Climate Liaison Casey Thornbrugh gave a presentation to and participated in a panel discussion for US FWS NE and SE regional employees, on the topics of Tribal history and engagement and ongoing Tribal climate adaptation activities.

Researchers, staff, and Global Change Fellows of the Southeast CASC presented at the 2018 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting. Learn more about the presentations.

New SE CASC web post: Southeast CASC Scientists Improving Use of Climate Science in Species Status Assessments

New SE CASC publications:

Michaela Foster (2014-15 Global Change Fellow),  Nils Peterson (NC State Investigator and SE CASC researcher), Frederick Cubbage (SE CASC researcher), and Gerard McMahon (USGS Senior Scientist) published an article in Forest Policy and Economics, Evaluating Natural Resource Planning for Longleaf Pine Ecosystems in the Southeast United States. They evaluated use of best practices in 35 management plans for longleaf pine ecosystems, assessing five components: problem and objective statement, fact base, actions and implementation, integration with other plans, and stakeholder participation.

The relative influence of storm and landscape characteristics on shallow groundwater responses in forested headwater catchments by Nitin Singh (2014-15 Global Change Fellow), Ryan Emanuel (NC State Investigator), Fabian Nippgen, Brian McGlynn, and Chelcy Miniat. Their research assessed the relationship between spatial characteristics of land, precipitation, and groundwater level that impacts ecology in addition to runoff generation processes and ultimately shape the hydrologic connectivity between streams and hillslopes.

Ryan Emanuel (NC State Investigator) authored an article in Environmental History, Water in the Lumbee World: A River and Its People in a Time of Change, which describes some of the landscapes and communities connected to the Lumbee people and complex historical and future environmental challenges.

Paul Armsworth (Consortium PI at Univ. of Tennessee) co-authored a paper in Conservation Biology, A landscape of conservation philanthropy for U.S. land trusts. In a case study that explores philanthropic giving to The Nature Conservancy, the research team identified communities across the US that are primed to provide increased support for conservation.

Latest from Conservation Corridor: Connectivity is key to overcoming the triple challenge of the Anthropocene.

All of us at the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center wish you a peaceful holiday season and prosperous new year


Resources


FEATURED RESOURCE

The Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II – Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation
NCA4 is a federally mandated scientific assessment that evaluates current and projected climate related effects. This report is extensive and provides an in depth analysis of numerous climate change impacts on a regional and national scale. Overall, this report makes clear that climate change ramifications have already begun to impair our natural systems and encourages global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, it is important that the public remain well-informed of these climate change related consequences, as well as adaptation and mitigation options to reduce further destruction. Access the full report. Also available are the Report in Brief and Summary Findings.


The first volume of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, entitled “Climate Science Special Report,” was released in November of 2017. This 15-chapter report presents an assessment and analysis of the science behind climate change and its physical impacts. The purpose of this assessment was to provide a foundation to assess climate-related risks and inform decision-making efforts. View the full report or an executive summary.

Frequently Asked Questions from the NCA4 are available. The questions presented are updated from the Third National Climate Assessment, along with new questions that correspond with emerging scientific analysis. Read more.

Cuarta Evaluación Nacional del Clima. The Report in Brief of the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II is also available in Spanish. This translation enables Spanish-speaking audiences to be properly informed of current and projected climate impacts, risks, and adaptation strategies. University Assistant Director Aranzazu Lascurain was part of the team of Spanish translation editors. Read here.

Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2). A collaborative effort by North American nations to assess and provide the second update of carbon cycle science across the continent. SE CASC Research Ecologist Adam Terando contributed as review editor to the report. Read more.

Five Myths about Climate Change. Katharine Hayhoe, professor of atmospheric science and director of the Texas Tech Climate Science Center, was published in the Washington Post following the release of the NCA4. She explains the five myths that she hears most frequently regarding climate change science. Read the article.

Aranzazu Lascurain, SE CSAC assistant director, explains some impacts to consider for the North Carolina region following the release of the NCA4. Read the interview here.

SE CASC has identified several chapters in NCA4 that we think are particularly relevant to our partners in the Southeast.
Ch. 3: Water
Ch. 5: Land Use and Land-Use Change
Ch. 7: Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, and Biodiversity
Ch. 8: Coastal Effects
Ch. 9: Oceans and Marine Resources
Ch. 11: Built Environment, Urban Systems, and Cities
Ch. 15: Tribes and Indigenous Peoples
Ch. 19: Southeast
Ch. 20: U.S. Caribbean
Ch. 28: Reducing Risks Through Adaptation Actions
This newsletter provides descriptions and access to reports and materials with contextual information and summaries of NCA4. We will be launching a newsletter series devoted to information contained in the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The report is extensive and comprehensive by nature which is why we feel it necessary to dedicate additional resources to evaluating, understanding, and explaining the findings. If you are not interested in receiving this NCA4 related newsletter, opt out here.

In the Media

Climate Change Already Reshaping U.S., Says National Climate Assessment. Scientific American

For the Gullah Geechee, sea-level rise is already a fact of life. Yale Climate Connections

Here’s how climate change will impact your part of the country. CNN

How Climate Change Scientists Are Learning To Get Their Message Across. Forbes

Since 2000, the National Climate Assessment has Grown Significantly More Certain – and Much More Grim. Pacific Standard

Stanford study shows regions increasingly suffer hot, dry conditions at the same time. Stanford University

The Arctic Ocean has lost 95 percent of its oldest ice — a startling sign of what’s to come. Washington Post

USGCRP is posting a Twitter series highlighting summary findings from NCA4. USGCRP

Wildfires Will Only Get Worse in the Southeast Because of Climate Change, Report Says. Chattanooga Times Free Press



Notable Publications


A global assessment of Indigenous community engagement in climate research. Authors conducted a review of the structure and process of engagement of Indigenous communities in climate change research, developing an analytical framework for examining community engagement in research practice that included a scale of levels of community participation and a set of indicators for responsible research practice with Indigenous communities. They found that 87% of climate studies utilize a model in which researchers use Indigenous knowledge with minimal active participation or decision making of the community who holds the knowledge. The paper concludes with a series of guiding questions and methods to support responsible research practice with Indigenous and local communities. Link to article.

Estimating Recent Local Impacts of Sea-Level Rise on Current Real-Estate Losses: A Housing Market Case Study in Miami-Dade, Florida. This study measured the loss of real-estate value when future sea level rise projections are considered by modeling the potential impact on property values with projections and tidal forces.  Populations located in coastal regions are impacted significantly by sea level rise which results in flooding, especially in conjunction with low-elevation spots, affecting some of the most populated communities as well as pricey real estate. With consensus that rising sea levels will result in an increase in flooding in coastal regions, the authors observed property transactions that took place between 2005 and 2016 in Miami-Dade County. Results of their analysis found that when considering an average of 2,633 square feet of living area that coastal properties are at risk to lose on average $1,276.09 in value every year dating back to 2005 and that the relationship between tidal flood risk and time is both statistically significant and negative. Link to article.

Natural climate solutions for the United States. The Paris Climate Agreement set a baseline of a 2 degree celsius reduction in global atmospheric temperature, authors explore the potential of Natural Climate Solutions (“NCS”) in achieving conservation, restoration, and management as a strategy to work towards this goal. Their work looks at 21 potential solutions to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and gases, including reforestation, wetland restoration, and fire management. Link to article.

River-discharge effects on United States Atlantic and Gulf coast sea-level changes. Authors used observations and previous methodology to study the relationship between river discharge and coastal sea level along the Gulf of Maine, Mid-Atlantic Bight, South Atlantic Bight, and Gulf of Mexico. Analyzing relative sea level and river discharge data from 1910 and 2017, they determine that between 6-15 percent of annual sea-level variance may be caused from river discharge and that correlations between the two variables are roughly consistent with expectations from theories for alongshore transport downstream of coastal river plumes. They suggest that their findings should also be applicable to other global coastal locations and highlight the need for assessing river discharge in remote sensing and climate modeling. Link to article.

Topography and soils-based mapping reveals fine-scale compositional shifts over two centuries within a central Appalachian landscape. Journal Abstract. When public lands were surveyed in the U.S., “witness trees” were often recorded to facilitate the relocation of property boundaries, and these records provide a snapshot of forest conditions prior to Euro-American settlement and land clearing. This study utilizes witness trees and present-day plot data to explore long-term vegetation changes at a regional scale. Landscape classes for a 5000 km2 study area in Appalachian Ohio were defined by slope, aspect, topographic position, soil pH, and available water capacity. Specifically, regionally documented changes in land use, drought, N deposition, and fire at the time of the original surveys lead to altered competitive relationships. Link to article.

Urbanization exacerbated the rainfall and flooding caused by hurricane Harvey in Houston. Journal Abstract. Category 4 landfalling hurricane Harvey poured more than a metre of rainfall across the heavily populated Houston area, leading to unprecedented flooding and damage. Although studies have focused on the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to this extreme rainfall event, limited attention has been paid to the potential effects of urbanization on the hydrometeorology associated with hurricane Harvey. Overall, we find that the probability of such extreme flood events across the studied basins increased on average by about 21 times in the period 25–30 August 2017 because of urbanization. Link to article.


Tribal News 


A Tribal Climate Adaptation Guidebook has just been released by the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI)-Oregon State University.  This guidebook provides steps and recommendations for Tribal Nations for climate adaptation planning and can be found on the OCCRI website.

Seeking Justice in an Energy Sacrifice Zone is an ethnography of the lived experience of rapid environmental change in coastal Louisiana. Writing from a political ecology perspective, the book explores the effects of changes to localized climate and ecology on the Isle de Jean Charles, Grand Caillou/Dulac, and Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribes. Focusing in particular on wide-ranging displacement effects, the book argues that changes to climate and ecology should not be viewed in isolation as only physical processes but as part of wider socio-political and historical contexts. Order the book here. Use code “HUM20” for 20% off of your purchase.

Recent publication by Dominique David-Chavez “A global assessment of Indigenous community engagement in climate research” describes a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis into how environmental studies engage Indigenous communities. Link to article.


Regional Partner News


South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative: What is the status of the LCCs?

Southeast Regional Climate Center: November 2018 Southeast Region Monthly Climate Report.

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies: Adaptation in Action Issue #2

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Network: Updated Resource, Informing Plans for Managing Resources of Cape Lookout National Seashore under Projected Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Associated Impacts: Cultural Resource Management and Historic Preservation Experts Survey Results


Webinars


Find more webinar information in our calendar.

DEC 18 | 10:00AM – 11:00AM | Resilience Dialogues: Connecting communities with experts via online dialogues to lay the groundwork for long-term climate resilience

DEC 19 | 3:00PM – 4:00PM | New technology support for remote sensing of lake water quality using automated field radiometers

JAN 10 | 2:30PM – 4:00PM | Fourth National Climate Assessment – Tribes and Indigenous Peoples


Upcoming Events


Find more upcoming events in our calendar.

January 2019 | Climate Academy | Webinar Series
Natural resource and conservation professionals are tasked with understanding climate change impacts and using this knowledge in making decisions. This 8 week online course is designed to cover the fundamentals of climate science, provide an overview of tools and resources for climate adaptation, and increase climate literacy and communication skills. The course is designed to encourage networking among conservation professionals engaged in the management of fish, wildlife, habitat and cultural resources and provides participants an opportunity to interact with experts as they address case studies across multiple habitat types. Beginning in January 2019, a webinar session with leading experts in these topics, will be held every week for 8 weeks, for a total of 8 sessions. Tuition fee for this course is $200.00.

April 23-25 | Sea Level Hotspots from Florida to Maine – Drivers, Impacts, and Adaptation | Norfolk, Virginia
This workshop is focused on the drivers, impacts and adaptation strategies of sea level rise along the eastern coast of the United States. Discussions will focus on current sea-level change monitoring efforts and resilience strategies, providing a collaborative space for the science community to engage with local coastal resilience managers and experts. Participation is limited to 80 attendees who will be selected through an application process. Applications are due on January 7th.

At NC State
January 17 | The State in Nature: The Political Economy of Public Lands | D.H. Hill Fishbowl Forum

Other Upcoming Events may be highlighted in previous Newsletters. See our Newsletter Archive.


Opportunities


Student Announcements
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has opened a call for applications for a PhD position on the impacts of climate change on winter biodiversity. The selected student will be integrating bird and mammal observations with satellite snow cover and thermal data to develop species distribution models that will determine the effectiveness of current winter biodiversity conservation efforts. A working knowledge of population modeling, GIS, and statistics is required. Application deadline is December 23, 2018. More information.

The Ecological Society for America is now accepting applications for the Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award. Current graduate students interested in science and policy have the opportunity to meet with congressional policymakers, attend trainings, and hear from current leaders in this sector. All travel, lodging and meals are funded through the award. The event will be held on March 25-27, 2019. Applications due January 13, 2019. Apply here.

The North Carolina Sea Grant has opened the application period for the 2019 Coastal Management Fellows. This fellowship provides education and research experience for postgraduate students interested in the field of coastal resource management and policy. The selected student will be working on a state proposed project that will be selected by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. Applications are due January 18th, 2019. Apply here.

Hiring Announcements 
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is looking to fill two tenure-track Assistant Professor positions at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS). Selected candidates will be working in the field of interdisciplinary marine conservation ecology with a specific focus on fishery systems and communities. Applications are due on January 16, 2019. More information.
Research Grants
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium | Gulf of Mexico Climate and Resilience Community of Practice Request for Letter of Intent: Climate Adaptation Projects
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is seeking coastal communities to participate in climate adaptation projects to serve as local examples for other gulf communities. Applicants should submit a Letter of Intent explaining their community’s need to integrate climate adaptation into local planning efforts. Letters are due on January 15, 2019.
NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program
This solicitation is to improve adaptation and planning in response to regional and local effects of sea level rise and coastal inundation through targeted research on key technologies, natural and nature-based infrastructure, physical and biological processes, and model evaluation. Applications close Jan. 16, 2019.