Wisconsin's wildlife and a changing climate

Duration

September 2009 - September 2021

Narrative

Grassland ecosystems originally dominated central North America, but now, prairies in general, and tall-grass prairies in particular, are one of the most extensively human-altered ecosystems. The management and conservation of prairie systems and their dependent species often focuses on habitat protection and restoration, but there is growing recognition that prairie fauna, such as grassland birds, are sensitive to climate variability such as drought, heat waves, and flooding. This project is a collaboration across multiple organizations and includes the USGS Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, US Fish and Wildlife Service, state natural resource managers in the Midwest, and non-governmental organizations. Our project will develop a framework for identifying demographic sensitivities of grassland birds and other fauna to past and future climate variability thereby providing guidance on the future management and selection of grassland conservation areas.

Research Products and Activities

Peer Reviewed Publications

• LeDee, O.E., W.H. Karasov, K.J. Martin, M.W. Meyer, C.A. Ribic, and T.R. Van Deelen. 2011. Envisioning the future of wildlife in a changing climate: collaborative learning for adaptation planning. Wildlife Bulletin 35: 508-513.
• LeDee, O.E., S. Hagell, K. Martin, D. McFarland, M. Meyer, A. Paulios, C. A. Ribic, D. Sample, and T. Van Deelen. 2013. Climate change impacts on Wisconsin’s wildlife: a preliminary assessment. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Technical Bulletin No. 197.
• Hagell, S. and C.A. Ribic. 2014. Barriers to climate-adaptive wildlife management: A survey of researchers and managers in Wisconsin. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38: 672-681.
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