317,781 research outputs found
Quantitative estimates of fish abundance from boat electrofishing
No full textMultiple removals by boat electro-fishing were used to estimate fish populations in non-wadeable habitats in New Zealand lakes and rivers. Mean capture probability was 0.47±h0.10 (± 95% CI) from 35 population estimates made with 2-7 successive removals. The relationship between the population estimate from the Zippin method (Y)and the number of fish caught in the first removal (X) was significant (adjusted r2=0.84, P<0.001; Figure 2). The least-squares regression was Y = 1.55X 1.23. Mean density ± 95% confidence interval for 13 fishing occasions was 30±27 fish 100 m-
2. Mean biomass of fish for sites was 78±39 g m-2 (range 29 to 245 g m-2). Koi carp comprised the largest proportion of the fish biomass wherever they were present. The high biomasses of koi carp estimated in these results (mean 56±33 g m-2) suggest that they can reach problematic abundances in New Zealand. Bioniass of spawning koi carp can exceed 400 g m-2
fish and fishery products microbiology bacteria causing fish spoilage
No full textThis material describe bacteria which causing spoilage in fish and seafood products
National fish, wildlife and plants climate adaptation strategy
No full textThe purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire
and enable natural resource administrators,
elected officials, and other decision makers
to take action to adapt to a changing climate.
Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the
nation’s ecosystems and natural resources—
as well as the human uses and values that
the natural world provides.http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/NFWPCAS-Final.pdfNational Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy
Recommended citationNational Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Partnership.
2012.
National Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy.Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,
Council on Environmental Quality, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Washington, DC.
Cover credits: Children in woods, Steve
Hillebrand. Horse-eye jacks, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Painted Hills,
Jane Pellicciotto. Pelican, George Andrejko/
Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Design and layout: Jane Pellicciotto/
Allegro DesignThis publication is printed on FSC-certified
paper in the United States.
ISBN: 978-1-938956-00-3
DOI : 10.3996/082012-FWSReport-1
wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov
about this report
This report was produced by an inter-
governmental working group of federal, state,
and tribal agency representatives at the
request of the U.S. Government. Therefore,
the report is in the public domain. Some
materials used in the report are copyrighted
and permission was granted to the U.S.
Government for their publication in this
report. For subsequent uses that include
such copyrighted materials, permission
for reproduction must be sought from the
copyright holder. In all cases, credit must be
given for copyrighted materials.
For more information, contact:Mark Shaff er
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[email protected]
703-358-2603
Roger Griff is
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[email protected]
301-427-8134
ARPITA ITA CHOUDHURY
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
[email protected]
202-624-5853
DI SCLAIME R
This Strategy is not a final agency action
subject to judicial review, nor is it considered a
rule. Nothing in this report is meant to affect
the substantive or legal rights of third parties
or bind government agencies.
Photo cr editscover: Children in woods , Steve Hill ebr and.
Horse-eye jac ks, National Oc eanic and Atmosph eric
Administration. Painted Hills, Jane Pell icc iotto.
Pelican , Georg e Andrejko/Ar izona Game and
Fish Department
acknowl edgement
This Strategy was produced by an
intergovernmental working group of federal,
state and tribal agency professionals whose
expertise, knowledge and dedication brought
the report to completion (see Appendix E). The
Strategy would not have been possible without
the research, monitoring and assessment
activities of the nation’s scientific community
on natural resource conservation in a changing
climate. The Strategy also benefited greatly
from input from a variety of non-governmental
organizations and the public.National Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy
authors
National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate
Adaptation Partnershipii | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Inside
Preface 1
Executive Summary 2
CH.1 About the 7
Strategy
1.1 A Broad National Effort 7
1.2 Origins and Development 8
1.3 The Case for Action 9
1.3.1 The Climate is Changing 9
1.3.2 Impacts to Fish, Wildlife, 11
and Plants
1.3.3 Ecosystem Services 12
1.3.4 Adaptation to Climate Change 14
1.4 Purpose, Vision, and 17
Guiding Principles
1.5 Risk and Uncertainty 18
CH.2 Impacts of 19
Climate Change &
Ocean Acidification
2.1 GHG-induced Changes 19
to the Climate and Ocean
2.2 Existing Stressors on Fish, 21
Wildlife, and Plants
2.3 Climate Change Impacts 25
on Fish, Wildlife, and Plants
2.3.1 Forest Ecosystems 31
2.3.2 Shrubland Ecosystems 33
2.3.3 Grassland Ecosystems 33
2.3.4 Desert Ecosystems 34
2.3.5 Arctic Tundra Ecosystems 36
2.3.6 Inland Water Ecosystems 39
2.3.7 Coastal Ecosystems 42
2.3.8 Marine Ecosystems 47
2.4 Impacts on Ecosystem 51
ServicesThe purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire
and enable natural resource administrators, elected officials, and other decision makers
to take action to adapt to a changing climate.
Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the nation’s ecosystems and natural resources —
as well as the human uses and values that
the natural world provides.g
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Resources 93
Literature Cited 93
Appendix A: 103
Supporting MaterialsEcosystem-Specific Background Papers 103
Related Resources, Reports, and 103
Materials
Appendix B: Glossary 105
Appendix C: Acronyms 108
Appendix D: Scientific Names 109
Appendix E: Team Members 110
CH.3 Climate 53
Adaptation Goals,
Strategies & Actions
GOAL 1: Conserve habitat to support 55
healthy fish, wildlife, and plant
populations and ecosystem functions
in a changing climate.
GOAL 2: Manage species and habitats 60
to protect ecosystem functions and
provide sustainable cultural, subsistence,
recreational, and commercial use in
a changing climate.
GOAL 3: Enhance capacity for effective 63
management in a changing climate.
GOAL 4: Support adaptive 67
management in a changing climate
through integrated observation and
monitoring and use of decision
support tools.
GOAL 5: Increase knowledge and 71
information on impacts and responses
of fish, wildlife, and plants to a changing
climate.
GOAL 6: Increase awareness and 74
motivate action to safeguard fish,
wildlife, and plants in a changing climate.
GOAL 7: Reduce non-climate stressors 76
to help fish, wildlife, plants, and
ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.
CH.4 Opportunities 79
for Multiple Sectors
4.1 Agriculture 81
4.2 Energy 83
4.3 Housing and Urbanization 84
4.4 Transportation and 86
Infrastructure
4.5 Water Resources 86
CH.5 Integration & 88
Implementation
5.1 Strategy Integration 88
5.2 Strategy Implementation 90
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vation6 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Our climate is changing, and these changes
are already impacting the nation’svaluable
natural resources and the people, communities,
and economies that depend on them.
PrefacePreface | 1
that can be taken, or at least initiated,
over the next !ve to ten years in the
context of the changes to our climate that
are already occurring, and those that are
projected by the end of the century. It is
designed to be a key part of the nation’s
larger response to a changing climate,
and to guide responsible actions by
natural resource managers, conservation
partners, and other decision makers at
all levels. "e Strategy was produced by
federal, state, and tribal representatives
and has been coordinated with a variety
of other climate change adaptation e#orts
at national, state, and tribal levels.
The overarching goal of the
Strategy is a simple one:
to inspire, enable, and increase
meaningful action that helps
safeguard the nation’s natural
resources in a changing climate.
"e overarching goal of the Strategy
is a simple one: to inspire, enable, and
increase meaningful action that helps
safeguard the nation’s natural resources
in a changing climate. Admittedly, the
task ahead is a daunting one, especially if
the world fails to make serious e#orts to
reduce emissions of GHGs. But we can
make a di#erence. To do that, we must
begin now to prepare for a future unlike
the recent past.
The observed changes in climate have
been attributed to the increasing
levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmo-sphere, which have set in motion a series
of changes in the planet’s climate system.
Far greater changes are inevitable not
only because emissions will continue, but
also because CO2 stays in the atmosphere
for a long time. Even if further GHG
emissions were halted today, alterations
already underway in the Earth’s climate
will last for hundreds or thousands of
years. If GHG emissions continue, as is
currently more likely, the planet’s average
temperature is projected to rise by 2.0
to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of
the century, with accompanying major
changes in extreme weather events,
variable and/or inconsistent weather
patterns, sea level rise, and changing
ocean conditions including increased
acidi!cation.
Safeguarding our valuable living
resources in a changing climate for
current and future generations is a
serious and urgent problem. Addressing
the problem requires action now to
understand current impacts, assess future
risks, and prepare for and adapt to a
changing climate. "is National Fish,
Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation
Strategy (herea$er Strategy) is a call to
action–a framework for e#ective steps
These impacts are expected to increase with continued changes in the
planet’s climate system, putting many of the nation’s valuable natural resources
at risk. Action is needed now to reduce these impacts (including reducing the
drivers of climate change) and help sustain the natural resources and services
the nation depends on.
Because the development of this adapta-tion
Strategy will only be worthwhile if it
leads to meaningful action, it is directly
aimed at several key groups: natural
resource management agency leaders and
sta# (federal, state, and tribal); elected
o%cials in both executive and legisla-tive government branches (federal, state,
local, and tribal); leaders in industries
that depend on and can impact natural
resources, such as agriculture, forestry,
and recreation; and private landowners,
whose role is crucial because they own
more than 70 percent of the land in the
United States.
"e Strategy should also be useful for
decision makers in sectors that a#ect
natural resources (such as agriculture,
energy, urban development, transporta-tion, and water resource management),
for conservation partners, for educators,
and for the interested public, whose input
and decisions will have major impacts on
safeguarding the nation’s living resources
in the face of climate change. "e Strategy
also should be useful to those in other
countries dealing with these same issues
and those dealing with the international
dimensions of climate adaptation.
USFWS
2 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Executive Summary
Fish, wildlife, and plants provide jobs, food, clean
water, storm protection, health benefits and many other important ecosystem services that support people, communities and economies across the nation every day. The observed changes in the climate are already impacting these valuable resources and systems. These impacts are expected to increase with continued changes in the planet’s climate system.
Action is needed now to help safeguard these natural resources and the communities and economies that depend on them.
Measurements unequivocally show
that average surface air tempera-tures in the United States have risen two
degrees Fahrenheit (°F) over the last
50 years. The science strongly supports
the finding that the underlying cause
of these changes is the accumulation of
heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) and
other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the
atmosphere. If GHG emissions continue
unabated, the planet’s average tempera-ture is projected to rise by an additional
2.0 to 11.5 °F by the end of the century,
with accompanying increases in extreme
weather events, variable and/or incon-sistent weather patterns, sea levels and
other factors with significant impacts
on natural environments and the vital
services they provide.
Faced with a future climate that will
be unlike that of the recent past, the
nation has the opportunity to act now
to reduce the impacts of climate change
on its valuable natural resources and
resource-dependent communities and
businesses. Preparing for and addressing
these changes in the near term can help
increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of actions to reduce negative impacts
and take advantage of potential benefits
from a changing climate (climate adap-tation). In 2009, Congress recognized
the need for a national government-
“...develop a national,
government-wide strategy to
address climate impacts on fish,
wildlife, plants, and associated
ecological processes.”
—Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Ag encies Appr opr iations Ac t, 2010g
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Executive Summary | 3
and other decision makers to take
effective steps towards climate change
adaptation over the next five to ten years.
Federal, state, and tribal governments
and conservation partners are encour-aged to read the Strategy in its entirety
to identify intersections between the
document and their mission areas and
activities.
The Strategy is guided by nine principles.
These principles include collaborating
across all levels of government, working
with non-government entities such as
private landowners and other sectors like
agriculture and energy, and engaging the
public. It is also important to use the best
available science—and to identify where
science and management capabilities
must be improved or enhanced. When
adaptation steps are taken, it is crucial
to carefully monitor actual outcomes in
order to adjust future actions to make
them more effective, an iterative process
called adaptive management. We must
also link efforts within the U.S. with
wide climate adaptation strategy for fish,
wildlife, plants, and ecosystems, asking
the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) and the U.S. Department of the
Interior (DOI) to develop such a strategy.
CEQ and DOI responded by assembling
an unprecedented partnership of federal,
state, and tribal fish and wildlife conser-vation agencies to draft the document.
More than 90 diverse technical, scientific,
and management experts from across the
country participated in drafting the
technical content of the document.
The result is The National Fish, Wildlife
and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
(hereafter Strategy). The Strategy is the
first joint effort of three levels of govern-ment (federal, state, and tribal) that have
primary authority and responsibility for
the living resources of the United States
to identify what must be done to help
these resources become more resilient,
adapt to, and survive a warming climate.
It is designed to inspire and enable
natural resource managers, legislators,
efforts internationally to build resil-ience and adaptation for species that
migrate and depend on areas beyond
U.S. borders. Finally, given the size and
urgency of the challenge, we must begin
acting now.
Climate Change
Impacts on Natural
Systems
The Strategy details the current and
expected future impacts of climate
change on the eight major ecosystem
types in the United States (Chapter 2).
For example, warmer temperatures
and changing precipitation patterns are
expected to cause more fires and more
pest outbreaks, such as the mountain
pine beetle epidemic in western forests,
while some types of forests will displace
what is now tundra. Grasslands and
shrublands are likely to be invaded by
non-native species and suffer wetland
losses from drier conditions, which
would decrease nesting habitat for water-fowl. Deserts are expected to get hotter
and drier, accelerating existing declines
in species like the Saguaro cactus.
Climate change is expected to be
especially dramatic in the Arctic.
Temperature increases in northern
Alaska would change tussock tundra
into shrublands, leading to increased fire
risk. In addition, the thawing of frozen
organic material in soils would release
huge amounts of GHGs, contributing to
climate change. In coastal and marine
areas, the loss of sea ice and changing
ocean conditions are threatening key
species such as walrus, ice seals and polar
bears as well as the lifestyles and subsis-tence economics of indigenous peoples.
Global annual
average
temperature from
1901–2000,
indicating a
clear long-term
global warming
trend. Orange
bars indicate
temperatures
above and blue
bars indicate
temperatures
below the average.
The black line
shows atmospheric
carbon dioxide
(CO2) concentration
in parts per
million (ppm).
58.5°F
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
260
58.0°F
57.5°F
57.0°F
56.5°F
CO2 CONCENTRATION (PPM)
1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxidesource: us gcrp 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.
4 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
areas (including refugia and corridors
of habitat that allow species to migrate),
and areas where habitat restoration can
promote resiliency and adaptation of
species and ecosystem functions.
In addition to traditional habitat restora-tion and protection efforts, this Strategy
envisions innovative opportunities for
creating additional habitat. For example,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) works with farmers and ranchers
to cost-share conservation practices that
benefit at-risk, threatened, or endan-gered species, such as the lesser prairie
chicken. These efforts may be useful in
responding to climate change as well as
other existing conservation challenges.
Similarly, adjusting rice farming practices
in Louisiana could provide valuable new
resources for a variety of waterfowl and
shorebirds whose habitat is now disap-pearing because of wetland loss and sea
level rise.
It is also possible to use applied manage-ment to make habitats and species
more resistant to climate change so
they continue to provide sustainable
cultural, subsistence, recreational, and
commercial uses. For example, managing
stream corridors to preserve functional
processes and reconnect channels with
well-vegetated floodplains may help
to ensure a steady supply of ground-water recharge that maintains coldwater
species even when air temperatures rise.
Floodplains serve as vital hydrologic
capacitors, and may become even more
important in many parts of the country
as more precipitation falls as rain instead
of snow. Protecting and restoring stream
habitats to maintain more narrow and
deep stream beds and riparian shade
cover can also help keep water tempera-tures cool in a warming climate.
Climate Change
Adaptation Strategies
and Actions
The Strategy describes steps that can
be taken to address these impacts and
help conserve ecosystems and make them
more resilient (Chapter 3). Proposed
strategies and actions along with check-lists to monitor progress are organized
under seven major goals in the Strategy:
1 |
Conserve and connect habitat
2 |
Manage species and habitats
3 |
Enhance management capacity
4 |
Support adaptive management
5 |
Increase knowledge and information
6 |
Increase awareness and motivate action
7 |
Reduce non-climate stressors
Many proposed actions describe types of
conservation activities that management
agencies have traditionally undertaken
but that will continue to be useful in a
period of climate change. Other actions
are designed specifically to respond to
the new challenges posed by climate
change.
An extremely important approach for
helping fish, wildlife, and plants adapt
to climate change is conserving enough
suitable habitat to sustain diverse and
healthy populations. Many wildlife
refuges and habitats could lose some of
their original values, as the plants and
animals they safeguard are forced to
move into more hospitable climes. As a
result, there is an urgent need to identify
the best candidates for new conservation
Rivers, streams, and lakes face higher
temperatures that harm coldwater
species like salmon and trout, while sea
level rise threatens coastal marshes and
beaches, which are crucial habitats for
many species, such as the diamondback
terrapin and the piping plover.
Since water can absorb CO2 from the air,
the rising levels of the gas in the atmo-sphere and accompanying absorption
into the oceans have caused ocean waters
to become 30 percent more acidic since
1750. Acidification is already affecting
the reproduction of organisms such as
oysters. As the pH of seawater continues
to drop, major impacts on aquatic ecosys-tems and species are expected.
Executive Summary
Loss of arctic ice means loss of valuable
habitat for many marine species.
USFWS/Joel
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Executive Summary | 5
of ecosystem services provided by well-
functioning ecosystems also are needed.
For example, there may be fewer salmon
for commercial and recreational harvest,
as well as for traditional ceremonial and
cultural practices of indigenous peoples.
Adaptation efforts will be most successful
if they have broad support and if key
groups are motivated to take action
themselves. Efforts to increase aware-ness and motivate action should be
targeted toward elected officials, public
and private decision makers, groups that
are interested in learning more about
climate change, private landowners, and
natural resource user groups. Engaging
these stakeholders early and repeatedly to
increase awareness of climate change, to
develop integrated adaptation responses,
and to motivate their participation is key
to making this Strategy work.
Reducing existing stressors on fish, wild-life, and plants may be one of the most
effective, and doable, ways to increase
resilience to climate change. Many
existing non-climate stressors may be
exacerbated by climate change. In partic-ular, avoiding, reducing and addressing
the ongoing habitat degradation (e.g.,
pollution, loss of open space) associ-ated with human development is critical
and requires collaboration with land-use
planners and private land owners. Taking
steps to reduce stressors not related to
climate, such as fig
Recommended from our members
North Umpqua River (below Soda Springs Dam) fish management plan
No full textThe fish management plan for the North Umpqua River system (below Soda Springs Dam) is designed to promote effective management of the fish resources in that river. It is prepared to inform interested citizens and agencies of management objectives and promote their input in choosing the appropriate courses of action. This plan will eventually merge with the South Umpqua and Smith River plans to form one Umpqua plan. When accepted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, the plan will direct fishery decisions on the North Umpqua
Fish Pond - 1
No full textBuildings: Fish Pondphotograph date: UnknownThis picture came from the front of the "Class of 1977 Fish Pond Renovation and Endowment Ceremony" progra
Survey on zoonotic parasites in wild freshwater fish from Italy.
No full textResults of a survey on zoonotic parasites in wild freshwater fish from Italy carried out in 2009-2011 are reported and discussed
Recommended from our members
Fish diversion effectiveness of a modular inclined screen system
No full textA new type of fish diversion screen, known as the modular inclined screen (MIS), has beendesigned to provide effective fish protection at any type of water intake. Because the screenoperates at water velocities of up to about 3 m/s in the approach channel, the MIS is morecompact and cost-effective than existing low-velocity screens. The biological effectiveness of theMIS was evaluated in laboratory tests conducted with eleven fish species and in a field evaluationconducted with six fish species. During the laboratory tests, MIS passage survival exceeded 99%at velocities up to 1.8 m/s for most species, although lower survival was observed for therelatively fragile blueback herring at high operating velocities. The field evaluation demonstratedsimilar trends in passage success decreased considerably at velocities greater than 1.2 m/s,whereas passage of several riverine species typically exceeded 90% at velocities up to 1.8 m/s.The laboratory and field evaluations have demonstrated that the MIS has potential to successfullydivert a wide range of species at water intakes
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