## Breadcrumb

-  Science 
-  Science Explorer 
-  Climate 

# Impacts on Ecosystems

## Climate Science Spotlight

### From mass bleaching event threatening coral reefs in the Caribbean to the severe heatwaves in the North Pacific, climate-induced changes threaten the viability and health of our natural resources and the communities they support. 

USGS science is essential for resource managers and policymakers to understand the implications of climate and ecosystem change and make well-informed, science-backed decisions. Working with natural and cultural resource managers, USGS scientists provide tools to help fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and communities anticipate, plan, and adapt to the impacts of climate and environmental change.

                  -              Overview           

# Quickly Jump to how USGS is delivering climate science:

coastal wetlands

#### coastal wetlands

soil impacts

#### soil impacts

ecosystem transformation

#### ecosystem transformation

wildlife and marine heatwaves

#### wildlife and marine heatwaves

arctic ecosystems

#### arctic ecosystems

adaptation

#### adaptation

Delivering Climate Science

# Sea Level Rise and Mangrove Ecosystems in the Greater Everglades

View Media Details

USGS **science on mangrove forests** supports management decisions on mangrove restoration, helping preserve the benefits mangrove forest

provide to people and wildlife. Mangroves serve as nesting sites for birds, act as critical habitat for endangered and threatened species and provide sheltered nursery areas for commercially valuable fish and shellfish. The also store carbon, help reduce erosion and protect coastal communities, providing a critical buffer against storm surges and rising seas.

Much of the mangrove forests that once bordered Florida’s coasts and estuaries have been lost to development and sea-level rise. **According to USGS scientists**, current rates of sea-level rise combined with increasing climate variability could accelerate the loss of mangrove-lined coastlines.

In response, USGS scientists are working on long-term soil elevation change data collected in mangrove forests within Everglades National Park. The objective of this research is to improve the understanding of the responses of mangrove ecosystems in the Greater Everglades to climate change.

Learn More

Delivering Climate Science

# The Soil-Climate Connection in Sagebrush Ecosystems

The USGS is a leader in **sagebrush ecosystem research**. Our scientists are working across the American West to help managers balance multiple land uses (agricultural, forestry, and access to mineral resources) with conservation needs of the sagebrush ecosystem that supports over 350 species. These semi-arid ecosystems are also facing climate-driven pressures, where water limitations are increasing and episodic droughts make management challenging.

View Media Details

In sagebrush country, soils are critical ecosystems that have a very strong linkage to climate. **Soil-climate** describes the temperature and moisture conditions important for plant growth and function. It affects vegetation patterns, recovery and restoration potential, fuel conditions affecting risk of fire, risk of exotic species invasion, carbon storage, health and diversity of animals and microbes, and primary production of vegetation.Our scientists are using soil-climate estimates of future climate scenarios to glean how future conditions may differ from historic conditions.  This will help land managers assess how changes in soil-climate will affect future vegetation patterns, such as growth and recovery rates, restoration potential, risk of exotic plant invasion and fire, and drought. 

Learn More

Delivering Climate Science

# The Resist-Accept-Direct Framework

As the climate changes, many ecosystems will no longer look the way they did in the past – fire-plagued forests may turn into grasslands, while dry sagebrush steppes may give way to deserts. In some cases, changing habitats will create **changes in what species are found where**. As this occurs, management practices that seek to maintain the historical “status quo” will become increasingly ineffective.

View Media Details

The USGS developed the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework to offer resource managers a broader suite of tools to approach changing systems. Under this framework, managers can compare options that **resist**change (keeping “the status quo”) to those that **accept**change (allowing new conditions to become the new normal) or **direct**change (using interventions to create more desirable conditions).

The RAD Framework has been implemented in decision making across the United States. For example, USGS researchers worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and regional partners to develop a **RAD-inspired tool** to aid walleye stocking decisions in Wisconsin lakes. In the same region, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission are using RAD to frame fisheries management decisions within Tribal lands.

Learn More

Delivering Climate Science

# USGS Science Uncovers the Cause of Massive Seabird Die-Off

In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the **North Pacific Marine Heatwave**. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period. This marine heatwave caused north Pacific Ocean temperatures to increase far above normal from 2013-2016, making it the longest marine heatwave on record for the region. From Southern California to Alaska an estimated one million common murres died during the event.

                                                          - Download Video

View Media Details

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves. USGS scientists will continue to study the impacts of severe heatwaves and the role of ocean warming on marine ecosystems of the North Pacific. 

Learn More

Delivering Climate Science

# Climate Impacts Alaskan Ecosystems and Native Cultures 

View Media Details

The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. The changing climate is altering Arctic ecosystems - from the inlands to the coasts - and disproportionately **affecting Indigenous communities**. Increased temperatures are impacting snowmelt and river flow patterns, and in turn, affecting aquatic ecosystems that communities depend upon. In addition, Alaska’s north coast is experiencing erosion at a rate of retreat on average about **1.4 meters per year**. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.

Along a stretch of the Beaufort Sea, USGS scientists discovered a change in erosion rates is likely the result of several changing Arctic conditions, including declining sea-ice extent, increasing summertime sea-surface temperature, rising sea level, and possible increases in storm intensity and corresponding wave action.  During the same study, they verified the disappearance of cultural and historical sites, including Esook, a one hundred-year-old trading post now underwater on the Beaufort Sea floor, and Kolovik (Qalluvik), an abandoned Iñupiaq village site that may soon be lost. 

Learn More

Delivering Climate Science

# Building Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands 

The USGS fosters relationships between scientists, communities, resource managers, and conservation practitioners to help nature and people adapt to climate change.

                                                          - Download Video

View Media Details

Pacific Islanders have long understood that conservation cannot start on the beach. Inland human land use practices and environmental change can have profound impacts that radiate into and across ocean waters. The USGS supports the “Ridge to Reef” management paradigm, helping communities promote sustainable practices from the tops of volcanoes down to the sea floor. USGS research in**land-to-sea systems across the Pacific** helps build community and ecosystem resilience to climate change, for example by examining how Ridge to Reef management impacts **food security in Palau.**

This research combines Western science with the wisdom and experience of Indigenous peoples in the region, allowing everyone to work together to develop climate solutions.

Learn More

Climate Science Capabilities

# USGS Delivering Climate Science

To policymakers, resource managers, and the public to help guide better decisions for building sustainable resource stewardship across America’s public lands and beyond.

Explore Climate Science

Reducing Risk from Extreme Events with fire icon and hurricane satellite image in background

Impacts on Ecosystems with fish icon and landscape in background

Coal burning stacks with CO2 icon with cloud and "Carbon Emissions and Sequestration"

Water Availability with water droplet icon and image of drought (cracked ground) in the background

Energy and Minerals for the Future with mineral commodity icons with wind turbine field during sunset

Remote Sensing with satellite icon with Landsat image in background

Powerhouse of Paleo with globe icon and glacier image in background

stakeholders gathered with hand-shaking icon with "Climate Science in Action"

                  - Overview  Quickly Jump to how USGS is delivering climate science:coastal wetlandscoastal wetlandssoil impactssoil impactsecosystem transformationecosystem transformationwildlife and marine heatwaveswildlife and marine heatwavesarctic ecosystemsarctic ecosystemsadaptationadaptationDelivering Climate ScienceSea Level Rise and Mangrove Ecosystems in the Greater Everglades        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsMangroves absorb and store CO2, provide habitats for animals and fish, and their vast root systems prevent erosion and shield coasts from strong winds and waves.Created by ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow, Ben Slyngstad.
USGS **science on mangrove forests** supports management decisions on mangrove restoration, helping preserve the benefits mangrove forest

provide to people and wildlife. Mangroves serve as nesting sites for birds, act as critical habitat for endangered and threatened species and provide sheltered nursery areas for commercially valuable fish and shellfish. The also store carbon, help reduce erosion and protect coastal communities, providing a critical buffer against storm surges and rising seas.

Much of the mangrove forests that once bordered Florida’s coasts and estuaries have been lost to development and sea-level rise. **According to USGS scientists**, current rates of sea-level rise combined with increasing climate variability could accelerate the loss of mangrove-lined coastlines.

In response, USGS scientists are working on long-term soil elevation change data collected in mangrove forests within Everglades National Park. The objective of this research is to improve the understanding of the responses of mangrove ecosystems in the Greater Everglades to climate change.
Learn MoreDelivering Climate ScienceThe Soil-Climate Connection in Sagebrush Ecosystems
The USGS is a leader in **sagebrush ecosystem research**. Our scientists are working across the American West to help managers balance multiple land uses (agricultural, forestry, and access to mineral resources) with conservation needs of the sagebrush ecosystem that supports over 350 species. These semi-arid ecosystems are also facing climate-driven pressures, where water limitations are increasing and episodic droughts make management challenging.
        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsSagebrush in central Idaho.
In sagebrush country, soils are critical ecosystems that have a very strong linkage to climate. **Soil-climate** describes the temperature and moisture conditions important for plant growth and function. It affects vegetation patterns, recovery and restoration potential, fuel conditions affecting risk of fire, risk of exotic species invasion, carbon storage, health and diversity of animals and microbes, and primary production of vegetation.Our scientists are using soil-climate estimates of future climate scenarios to glean how future conditions may differ from historic conditions.  This will help land managers assess how changes in soil-climate will affect future vegetation patterns, such as growth and recovery rates, restoration potential, risk of exotic plant invasion and fire, and drought. 
Learn MoreDelivering Climate ScienceThe Resist-Accept-Direct Framework
As the climate changes, many ecosystems will no longer look the way they did in the past – fire-plagued forests may turn into grasslands, while dry sagebrush steppes may give way to deserts. In some cases, changing habitats will create **changes in what species are found where**. As this occurs, management practices that seek to maintain the historical “status quo” will become increasingly ineffective.
        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsPiñon pines near Los Alamos, NM, are typically evergreen but have since turned brown and eventually lost their needles. 
The USGS developed the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework to offer resource managers a broader suite of tools to approach changing systems. Under this framework, managers can compare options that **resist**change (keeping “the status quo”) to those that **accept**change (allowing new conditions to become the new normal) or **direct**change (using interventions to create more desirable conditions).

The RAD Framework has been implemented in decision making across the United States. For example, USGS researchers worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and regional partners to develop a **RAD-inspired tool** to aid walleye stocking decisions in Wisconsin lakes. In the same region, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission are using RAD to frame fisheries management decisions within Tribal lands.
Learn MoreDelivering Climate ScienceUSGS Science Uncovers the Cause of Massive Seabird Die-Off
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the **North Pacific Marine Heatwave**. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period. This marine heatwave caused north Pacific Ocean temperatures to increase far above normal from 2013-2016, making it the longest marine heatwave on record for the region. From Southern California to Alaska an estimated one million common murres died during the event.
- Download Video
Video Transcript        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves. USGS scientists will continue to study the impacts of severe heatwaves and the role of ocean warming on marine ecosystems of the North Pacific. 
Learn MoreDelivering Climate ScienceClimate Impacts Alaskan Ecosystems and Native Cultures         Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsCoastal villages throughout the Arctic region, such as Wainwright shown here, face significant erosion threats.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. The changing climate is altering Arctic ecosystems - from the inlands to the coasts - and disproportionately **affecting Indigenous communities**. Increased temperatures are impacting snowmelt and river flow patterns, and in turn, affecting aquatic ecosystems that communities depend upon. In addition, Alaska’s north coast is experiencing erosion at a rate of retreat on average about **1.4 meters per year**. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.

Along a stretch of the Beaufort Sea, USGS scientists discovered a change in erosion rates is likely the result of several changing Arctic conditions, including declining sea-ice extent, increasing summertime sea-surface temperature, rising sea level, and possible increases in storm intensity and corresponding wave action.  During the same study, they verified the disappearance of cultural and historical sites, including Esook, a one hundred-year-old trading post now underwater on the Beaufort Sea floor, and Kolovik (Qalluvik), an abandoned Iñupiaq village site that may soon be lost. 
Learn MoreDelivering Climate ScienceBuilding Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands 
The USGS fosters relationships between scientists, communities, resource managers, and conservation practitioners to help nature and people adapt to climate change.
- Download Video
Video Transcript        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Pacific Islanders have long understood that conservation cannot start on the beach. Inland human land use practices and environmental change can have profound impacts that radiate into and across ocean waters. The USGS supports the “Ridge to Reef” management paradigm, helping communities promote sustainable practices from the tops of volcanoes down to the sea floor. USGS research in**land-to-sea systems across the Pacific** helps build community and ecosystem resilience to climate change, for example by examining how Ridge to Reef management impacts **food security in Palau.**

This research combines Western science with the wisdom and experience of Indigenous peoples in the region, allowing everyone to work together to develop climate solutions.
Learn MoreClimate Science CapabilitiesUSGS Delivering Climate Science
To policymakers, resource managers, and the public to help guide better decisions for building sustainable resource stewardship across America’s public lands and beyond.
Explore Climate ScienceReducing Risk from Extreme Events with fire icon and hurricane satellite image in backgroundImpacts on Ecosystems with fish icon and landscape in backgroundCoal burning stacks with CO2 icon with cloud and "Carbon Emissions and Sequestration"Water Availability with water droplet icon and image of drought (cracked ground) in the backgroundEnergy and Minerals for the Future with mineral commodity icons with wind turbine field during sunsetRemote Sensing with satellite icon with Landsat image in backgroundPowerhouse of Paleo with globe icon and glacier image in backgroundstakeholders gathered with hand-shaking icon with "Climate Science in Action"