December 2022 Newsletter
December 2022 Newsletter
Welcome to the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center’s December 2022 Newsletter.
For news and upcoming events related to the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, subscribe to our monthly newsletter
SE CASC News | Resources | Publications | Tribal News | Partner News | Webinars | Events | Opportunities
Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center News
We at the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center extend warm wishes for a safe, joyful holiday season and healthy, prosperous New Year!
TODAY in our Fall/Winter Seminar Series, a presentation on the Southeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network, by Brett Scheffers (University of Florida), Deah Lieurance (University of Florida), and Wesley Daniel (USGS). Dec. 13, 10AM ET. Learn more and register for the event.
Next in our Fall/Winter Seminar Series is Facilitating Accurate and Effective Application of Coastal Marsh Models, presented by Renee Collini (PLACE:SLR), Trevor Meckley (NCCOS), and Christine Buckel (NCCOS), on Jan. 12, 11AM ET. Learn more and register for the event. Visit the series page.
If you missed presentations in the Fall Global Change Seminar Series, you can view the recordings on our YouTube Channel:
– NOAA’s New Agenda for a Climate Ready Nation, featuring Ko Barrett.
– Indigenous Leadership in Conservation from Yellowstone to Yukon, featuring Adam Linnard, Elliot Fox, and Latasha Calf Robe.
The 2022 Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Symposium Summary is complete. Read it here.
Researcher Spotlight: Learn more about Global Change Fellow Erin Eichenberger
SE CASC is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to develop climate-impacts information for subsets of plant species from the forthcoming Southeastern Plants Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN), which will be the nation’s first regional SGCN for plants. Learn more and apply by Dec. 30.
SE CASC staff, current and former Global Change Fellows, and Faculty Affiliates are presenting at this year’s American Geophysical Union Fall meeting. Learn more.
SE CASC project, Clarifying Science Needs for Determining the Impact of Climate Change on Harmful Algal Blooms in the Southeastern United States, co-led by Tom Byl (USGS), and Champagne Cunningham (USGS) updates existing knowledge on HABs and climate change. They also inspire students to pursue environmental science careers. Read the two-part story: Part I & Part II.
SE CASC staff and researchers recently participated in the 2022 National Adaptation Forum. Learn more about their presentations here.
SE CASC Assistant Tribal Climate Science Liaison Steph Courtney, is lead author to Development of a survey instrument to assess individual and organizational use of climate adaptation science. Read a summary of the article.
SE CASC PI John Kupfer (Univ. of South Carolina) is lead author to, Prescribed fire in longleaf pine ecosystems: fire managers’ perspectives on priorities, constraints, and future prospects, part of SE CASC project, Understanding Prescribed Fire Management in the Context of Climate Change and Landscape Transformation. Learn more.
Gustavo Bisbal (USGS – NCASC) and Mitchell Eaton (USGS – SE CASC), co-authored a new article, Considering science needs to deliver actionable science. Read a summary.
NCSU PI Steve Frank and 2015-2016 Global Change Fellow Kristi Backe published Effects of Urban Heat Islands on Temperate Forest Trees and Arthropods, a product of SE CASC project, Consequences of Urbanization and Climate Change on Human and Ecosystem Health.
SE CASC researcher and 2015-16 Global Change Fellow Georgina Sanchez was featured in an article highlighting findings from the SE CASC project, Improving Scenarios of Future Patterns of Urbanization, Climate Adaptation, and Landscape Change in the Southeast. Learn more.
The Florida Water & Climate Alliance hosted a webinar with the UF Water Institute on Oct. 27 on the Impacts of Extreme Weather and Climate Events on Florida’s Water Agencies. View the summary and recording.
2015-2016 Global Change Fellow Georgina Sanchez is lead author to Integrating principles and tools of decision science into value-driven watershed planning for compensatory mitigation. Learn more.
Conservation Corridor: Which conservation strategies lead to the highest connectivity?
Project Spotlight
Development of an Early Warning System to Identify Changing Prescribed Burn Opportunities Across Southeast US Fire-Adapted Habitats
Frequent, low-intensity wildfires were once widespread across the Southeast US, which led to a reduction in unchecked vegetation growth that provided fuel for high-intensity fires. Both intentional and unintentional fire suppression and land-use changes have reduced many of these wildfires and the fire-adapted habitats in the region over time. This has led habitats and native species to become dependent on prescribed burns for their survival. Climate change, however, poses a challenge to prescribed burning and could lead to a delay in prescribed fire plans or managers being forced to reconsider their evaluation of risks and tradeoffs of prescribed burning. To aid decision-makers in meeting their objectives of fire-risk reduction and habitat improvement, this project proposes the development of a prototype model. This model will characterize short-term and long-term risks induced by climate change for Prescribed Fire Managers in the Southeast US. When combined with updated model projections of extreme wildfires, this research will provide the most comprehensive assessment of climate-related fire risk for the region. Learn more about this SE CASC project.
Resources
Guide to Collaborative Science. Developed by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative, the guide provides accessible examples, tips, and tools to develop collaborative science projects that address natural resource management challenges. Learn more.
Gulf Coast Monitoring & Assessment Portal. The RESTORE Council Monitoring and Assessment Program compiled this inventory of Gulf Coast habitat monitoring, mapping, and water quality programs and assessments. It can be searched by program or assessment type including by jurisdiction and habitat type. Learn more.
Climate Change 2021: Summary for All. The IPCC released this plain-language summary of the August 2021 IPCC Working Group I climate change report. Learn more.
Implementing the Steps to Resilience: A Practitioner’s Guide. NOAA and its partners developed this handbook for national climate resilience designed to help climate adaptation practitioners work with local governments and community organizations to incorporate climate risk and equity into their long-term decision making. Learn more.
Relocation and Other Climate Adaptations on Florida’s Gulf Coast: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine summarized the proceedings of a workshop designed to elevate the voices of communities and individuals contemplating or resisting relocation, or facing barriers to relocation, as well as individuals who have resettled. Learn more.
In the Media
3 tribes dealing with the toll of climate change get $75 million to relocate | NPR
Beyond Catastrophe – A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View | NY Times Magazine
A Caribbean coral catastrophe | AXIOS
Florida conservation effort helps restore oysters and their ecosystem | CBS News
White House releases environmental justice screening tool | E&E News
Notable Publications
Environmental justice implications of nature-based solutions in urban areas: A systematic review of approaches, indicators, and outcomes.
This study demonstrates how environmental justice (EJ) is conceptualized and analyzed in urban nature based solutions (NbS) research through a comprehensive literature review. 152 articles were selected which (1) empirically examined EJ outcomes in urban areas and (2) were related to at least one urban NbS type. Articles also had to empirically address principles from the conceptual framework utilized by the authors. These principles include recognitional, procedural, and distributional interpretations of justice. Results show that methods used to assess the EJ and NbS relationship often left out the experiences, local knowledge, and narratives of important stakeholders. This research shows the importance of indicator diversity in assessing the results of NbS on EJ and how better results are achieved when communities are included and the values of stakeholders are considered. Researchers ultimately summarized EJ themes that could help implement and assess urban NbS, aiming to create a more equitable environment for all urban communities. Link to article.
Restoring a keystone tree species for the future: American chestnut assisted migration plantings in an adaptive silviculture experiment.
Identifying potential forest adaptation management strategies has become increasingly important as tree migration rates fail to track the pace of climate change. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for American Chestnut (AC) introductions, with parent seed sources from wild collections, through assisted migration trials in a northern hardwood forest outside of the species historic range limits. AC restoration and migration potential was assessed against the biophysical controls exerted on seedlings and in comparison to seedlings planted from eight other tree species. Results show that seedling success is controlled by understory vegetation competition and cumulative winter injury as a result of being planted outside of its parental range. The authors found that the four-year response of AC seedlings performed better than other species classified as assisted range and/or assisted population expansion. This study ultimately demonstrates the potential for the restoration and adaptation of culturally and ecologically important keystone species in the face of climate change. Link to article.
Hydrologic Restoration Decreases Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shrub Bog Peatlands in Southeastern US.
Peatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle, storing 20-25% of soil carbon. These ecosystems once covered over 1.5 million hectares across the southeastern coastal plain but have decreased in number since the mid-twentieth century due to conversion of land for agriculture. The authors specifically examined changes in soil fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide from the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (PLNWR) before and after restoration to see if it would result in decreased greenhouse gas emissions. They sampled four plots within the Clayton Blocks Pocosin restoration Project within PLNWR. They measured water table level, soil temperature, and greenhouse gas fluxes using a static chamber method and a before-and-after, control-impact (BACI) experimental design. Overall, the authors found that restoration of pocosin peatlands through water control structures was successful and increased water levels by 65%. They also found a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in manipulated sites and an increase in methane and nitrous oxide fluxes that were not statistically significant. Ultimately the authors concluded that peatland restoration is a successful tool to decrease carbon dioxide emissions in peatlands throughout the southeast. Link to article.
Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
There is a growing body of research on climate change and Indigenous communities but a major gap exists for tribes living in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the U.S. To address this need, the author focuses on the southeastern U.S. from the perspective of ecological and cultural resources of significance to the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina. Climate change has the potential to disturb culturally, historically, and economically important places to the Lumbee tribe, which has deep connections to streams and wetlands connected to the Lumbee River. The Lumbee tribe is particularly vulnerable because it does not have full federal recognition as a Native American tribe by the United States Government and so does not have the federal statutory protections and federal resources to assist in climate adaptation. Using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and a Multivariate Adaptive Statistical Analog downscaling method the author concludes that climate change will impact the Lumbee River by increasing air temperatures and potentially altering the temporal variability of precipitation. Further impacting wetland and aquatic ecosystems that are culturally and economically important to the Lumbee people. Link to article.
Climate Smart Forestry in the Southern United States.
Within academic and management fields, climate smart forestry (CSF) has lacked a clear definition, especially in regard to CSF practices in the U.S. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of CSF using the southern loblolly pine plantation system as a case study. There are three main goals to CSF, (1) reduce and remove GHG emissions, (2) enhance forest resilience through adaptation, (3) ensure sustainable production and income. To address these objectives in the SE, the authors focus on aboveground stand production, forest products, and data collection using traditional silvicultural practices. The authors ultimately argue that in order to increase CSF-centered management there needs to be an increased understanding of ecosystem service tradeoffs from carbon storage prioritization, increased focus on ecosystem services in general, increased substitution in forest products for carbon-intensive products, and increased data collection capabilities for CSF. Link to article.
Tribal News
Visit USET Climate Change Headlines for updates on information regarding climate science events, funding opportunities, best practices, and highlights from across the USET region.
2023 Coastal GeoTools Conference, Feb. 6-9 in Charleston, SC, will include a focus on tribal and Indigenous communities with a pre-conference training, a keynote plenary, and several sessions and tool demonstrations. These sessions will explore tribal needs, the use of geospatial technology to address coastal issues, and engagement strategies for working with tribal communities. Travel funding is available upon request. Learn more.
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering two Summer Internship Programs for Native American college students – The Air Quality Internship (SSI) Program and the Water and Land Summer Internship Program. The purpose of the program is for students to gain hands-on skills and experience with tribal organizations and state and federal agencies. Learn more and apply by Feb. 1.
NSF CoPe Rising Voices Changing Coasts Summer Internship Program at Haskell Indian Nations University is accepting applications. The 8-week paid internship is designed to introduce Indigenous/Native participants to climate research centering Indigenous knowledge of place, as well as Indigenous methods and methodologies. For a fillable PDF application, or questions, contact Paulette Blanchard, PhD at p.l.blanchard@outlook.com. Learn more and apply by Feb. 24.
Udall Foundation is accepting applications for the Native American Congressional Internship. The internship provides American Indian and Alaska Native students with the opportunity to gain practical experience with the federal legislative process. Learn more and apply by Jan. 31.
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Navajo Technical University, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, and the NW, SW, and SC CASCs are accepting applications for the 2023 Tribal Climate Camp. The Camp will support teams of Tribal leaders, climate change coordinators, planners, and program managers to build skills, gather information, and develop Tribal plans and policies needed to address climate change impacts. Learn more and apply by Jan. 12.
Haskell Foundation seeks a half-time Administrative Associate for the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts Hub. The associate will provide administrative support for actions and tasks, online meetings, event coordination, travel arrangements, and communications logistics, among other responsibilities. Learn more and apply by Jan. 6.
Regional Partner News
Bureau of Land Management Releases Policy to Support Habitat Connectivity on Public Lands
Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy: The plan for the 2023 Southeast Conservation Blueprint
Network for Landscape Conservation: Insights from the building of the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape Partnership
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Completes $356 Million in Funding Obligations to Alabama
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy & White House Council on Environmental Quality Releases First-of-a-Kind Indigenous Knowledge Guidance for Federal Agencies
U.S Department of the Interior: Advisory Council for Climate Adaptation Science Establishment; Request for Nominations
Webinars
Dec. 13 | 10am-11am | SE CASC Science Seminar: Southeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network
Dec. 13 | 10am-11am | Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
Dec. 13 | 11am-2:30pm | Managed Retreat in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region: Perspectives and Approaches to Property Acquisitions: Challenges and Lessons Learned
Dec. 14 | 2pm-3pm | UF/IFAS Optimizing approaches to seagrass scar restoration and prevention
Dec. 14 | 4pm-5pm | Understanding Brook Trout Persistence in Warming Streams
Dec. 14 | 4pm-5pm | Advancing Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience
Dec. 15 | 10am-11am | South Atlantic Third Thursday Web Forum
Jan. 5 | 9am-10am | Climate and Conservation Coffee
Jan. 12 | 11am-12pm | SE CASC Science Seminar: Facilitating Accurate and Effective Application of Coastal Marsh Models
Upcoming Events
Feb. 2-3 | The Stewardship Network Conference | Virtual
Feb. 14-15 | RISCC Management Networks Symposium | Virtual
Mar. 20-24 | 88th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference | St. Louis, MO
May 1-3 | Spatial-Stream-Network (SSN) Models Training Workshop | Boise, ID
May 9-11 | Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop (CPASW) | Asheville, NC
May 14-19 | Species on the Move | Bonita Springs, FL
Opportunities
Student Announcements
National CASC 2023 Diverse Knowledge Systems for Climate Adaptation Fellowship is accepting applications. The fellowship supports graduate students as they use their diverse experiences, viewpoints, value systems, and cultural knowledge to strengthen their climate adaptation efforts. Learn more and apply by Jan 19.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting applications for a graduate student internship on Rivercane/Swamp Cane, “Integrating Rivercane ITEK in the SE Conservation Blueprint.” This project works with tribes and indigenous communities to better understand how SECAS can support the restoration and conservation of rivercane. Learn more and apply by Jan. 13.
National CASC 2023 Science to Action Fellowship supports graduate students from CASC consortium institutions in developing a product that puts science into action, directly applying scientific research related to climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, or ecosystems to decision making about natural resources. Statements of interest are due Jan. 19. Learn more.
PLACE:SLR is looking for a Climate Resilience Intern to join the team for a 6-month period. The position will support extension, outreach, and applied research activities related to the transition and translation of sea-level rise information for coastal decision-making. Learn more and apply by Jan. 1.
American Institute of Biological Sciences is calling for applications for the 2023 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award. The award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who have demonstrated interest in working at the intersection of science and policy. Learn more and apply by Jan. 18.
Yale School of the Environment is seeking applications for its Environmental Fellows Program, a 12-week summer fellowship opportunity that seeks to connect students from historically underrepresented groups to work opportunities in environmental nonprofits, grant makers, and government sectors. Learn more and apply by Jan 10.
NOAA Bill Lapenta Internship Program is accepting applications for a 10-week long opportunity for sophomore, junior, or graduate students. Students are matched with mentors and study a breadth of work from modeling, to new data analysis techniques, and science communication. Learn more and apply by Jan. 5.
Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship application period for 2024 is now open. The fellowship provides unique educational and professional experiences for graduate students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Learn more and apply by Feb. 16.
NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship is accepting applications. The program provides on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students. Learn more and apply by Jan. 27.
Hiring Announcements
Mississippi State University is accepting applications for a Senior Extension Associate to lead PLACE:SLR. The associate will expand a research-based, extension program related to climate science and risk communication. Learn more and apply by Dec. 20.
NOAA Office of Coastal Management is hiring a Great Lakes Regional Lead. The individual will build relationships with Great Lake partners and organizations to deliver on coastal and ocean challenges. Learn more and apply no later than Dec 14.
U.S. Department of the Interior is hiring a full-time Climate Change Stakeholder Engagement Fellow to work with the NC and NW CASCs. The Fellow will develop a plan for and conduct stakeholder engagement in support of USGS projects examining the eco-hydrologic impacts of climate change. Learn more and apply by Jan 2.
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is hiring a Bird Conservation Program Manager. Application deadline is Jan. 5. Learn more.
Funding Opportunities
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced a request for proposals for the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund. The fund expands, enhances and accelerates longleaf pine ecosystem restoration across its historical range throughout the southeastern United States. Learn more and apply by Feb. 2.
NOAA Climate Program Office Adaptation Sciences Program is accepting proposals for research projects beginning in Fiscal Year 2023 for interdisciplinary and participatory research activities that address island-identified resilience needs in the Caribbean and Pacific. Learn more and apply by Jan. 31.
Florida Trustee Implementation Group is accepting project ideas for Florida’s Third Gulf Spill Restoration Plan. Projects should focus on improving water quality and approaches to enhance ecosystem services and recreational use along the Florida Gulf coast. Learn more and submit proposals by Dec. 22.
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