Mapping Climate Change Vulnerability of Rangelands in the West Using Social-Ecological Indicators
Dates
Publication Date
2021-04-27
Summary
Perhaps once considered dry, unproductive and unremarkable landscapes, America’s rangelands are increasingly recognized as invaluable cultural and ecological systems as they become progressively threatened by climate change. Water scarcity and wildfire across the western United States is expected to increase in severity and frequency due to climate change (Schoennagel et al., 2017). The economies of rural rangeland communities rely on agriculture and recreation, and the semi-arid landscapes are home to unique ecological communities. With careful stewardship, rangelands maintain soils, watersheds and carbon storage, but poor management can degrade wildlife habitat and destroy biodiversity (McNeeley et al., 2017). Representing almost [...]
Summary
Perhaps once considered dry, unproductive and unremarkable landscapes, America’s rangelands are increasingly recognized as invaluable cultural and ecological systems as they become progressively threatened by climate change. Water scarcity and wildfire across the western United States is expected to increase in severity and frequency due to climate change (Schoennagel et al., 2017). The economies of rural rangeland communities rely on agriculture and recreation, and the semi-arid landscapes are home to unique ecological communities. With careful stewardship, rangelands maintain soils, watersheds and carbon storage, but poor management can degrade wildlife habitat and destroy biodiversity (McNeeley et al., 2017). Representing almost half of all land mass in the West, these rangelands are mostly under federal management (Gorte et al., 2012), yet vulnerability across its diverse landscape and multiple uses has not been assessed.Climate impacts threaten this human-environment system with reduction in water availability and timing, invasive species and wildfire.
