Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Understanding climate/ecosystem interactions
Climate Change
Adaptation information
for managers
Forest
vegetation and
disturbance*
Mountain
hydrology*
Western Climate
Multiagency Guide
Eco-hydrology*
Workshops
Web-based
Decision
support
tools and
models
Forecasting/modeling ecological change
Water-stress
forest
mortality
Altered
biogeochemical
cycles
Insect
outbreaks
Syntheses
Ecotonal
dieback
Changes in stream
hydrology, erosion
Fire
Space
Time
Tree
Plot
Watershed
Region
Decade
Western US
Year
Century
Day
FIGURE 8.5
Diagrammatic.summary.of.interactions.and.integration.of.scientiic.activities.
by.the.Western.Mountain.Initiative.during.the.next.phase.of.research.
tools,.and.strategies.for.adaptation.will.be.developed,.driven.by.the.goal.of.maintain-
ing.native.biodiversity.and.critical.ecosystem.structures.and.functions..All.authors.of.
this.chapter.have.participated.in.writing.Synthesis.and.Assessment.Products.for.the.
U.S..Climate.Change.Science.Program,.which.along.with.initial.efforts.on.adapta-
tion.described.previously,.will.provide.much.of.the.scientiic.basis.for.the.develop-
ment.of.adaptation.options.(Baron.et.al..2008;.Joyce.et.al..2008;.Fagre.et.al..2009).
SUMMARY
The. Western. Mountain. Initiative. (WMI),. a. consortium. of. research. groups. in. the.
western.United.States,.focuses.on.
understanding and predicting responses—empha-
sizing sensitivities, thresholds, resistance, and resilience—of mountain ecosystems
to climatic variability and change
..WMI.addresses.four.key.questions:.(1).How.are.
climatic. variability. and. change. likely. to. affect. disturbance. regimes?. (2). How. are.
changing.climate.and.disturbance.regimes.likely.to.affect.the.composition,.structure,.
and.productivity.of.vegetation?.(3).How.will.climatic.variability.and.change.effect.
hydrologic.processes.in.the.mountainous.West?.(4).Which.mountain.resources.and.
ecosystems.are.likely.to.be.most.sensitive.to.future.climatic.change,.and.what.are.
possible.management.responses?.The.research.framework.for.WMI.is.premised.on.
natural.experiments.in.time.(paleoecological.and.long-term.studies),.natural.experi-
ments.in.space.(studies.across.regions.and.elevation.gradients),.and.synthetic.mod-
eling..Results.to.date.have.documented.how.climatic.variability.and.change.effect.
long-term. patterns. of. snow,. glaciers,. and. water. geochemistry;. forest. productivity,.
