Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperatives:

The Big Picture Approach to Science and Management

What are LCCs?• Self-directed partnerships that:– Provide science and support for conservation and

sustainable resource management;

– Address landscape-scale stressors, i.e., climate change;

– Bring together resource managers within an ecoregion to identify shared conservation goals;

– Bring together resource managers and scientists to identify and address information gaps;

LCC Background

Who makes up LCC partnerships?

– Federal and state/provincial agencies

– Tribal/First Nations and local governments

–Non-governmental organizations

–Universities, others

LCC Background

Why LCCs?Some conservation challenges are too “Big” to be solved by any one entity.• Geographic “Big” – Landscape-scale stressors and

processes cross jurisdictional boundaries.• Conceptual “Big” – Science questions associated with

management problems are multi-disciplinary in nature.• Effort “Big” – Implementation costs are high; coordination

allows leveraging of funds but increases bureaucratic overhead.

LCC Background

LCC Background

What do LCCs do? Science to Inform Management• Assess landscape condition and vulnerabilities

• Coordinate monitoring

• Facilitate conservation planning

• Deliver information to stakeholders

• Develop analytical and decision-making tools

• Facilitate formation of adaptation strategies

LCC Background

LCC Background

Arctic LCC

For more info: arcticlcc.org

Arctic LCC Strategic Plan Areas of Emphasis

Describe and Forecast Ecosystem Change Terrestrial Observation Network Interdisciplinary Climate Response Research:

Link physical processes/biological response Model Ecosystem Response to Climate

Data Integration and Management Spatial Data

Provide Information to Meet Near-term Management Needs

Arctic LCCLong-term monitoring of climate, hydrology, soils/permafrost,

and vegetation in representative watersheds.

Monitoring Change

Arctic LCC Interdisciplinary Research

Approved for 2013-2014 Starts:• Response of an Arctic Freshwater Ecosystem to Climate and Land-use

Change

• Biological Responses to Increasing Water Temperatures in Lakes of the Barrow/Atqasuk Focus Watershed: An Interdisciplinary Bioenergetics and Contaminants Study

Tentatively Approved, Need Funding Partners for 2014 Starts:• Climate Change Effects on Wetlands, Invertebrates and Shorebirds

• How Will Marine Food Webs in the Coastal Arctic Respond to Increased Runoff Associated With Permafrost Melt?

Explicit investigation of linkages between climate change, physical processes, and biological response.

Arctic LCC Interdisciplinary Research

Approved for 2013-2014 Starts:• Response of an Arctic Freshwater Ecosystem to Climate and Land-use

Change

• Biological Responses to Increasing Water Temperatures in Lakes of the Barrow/Atqasuk Focus Watershed: An Interdisciplinary Bioenergetics and Contaminants Study

Tentatively Approved, Need Funding Partners for 2014 Starts:• Climate Change Effects on Wetlands, Invertebrates and Shorebirds

• How Will Marine Food Webs in the Coastal Arctic Respond to Increased Runoff Associated With Permafrost Melt?

Explicit investigation of linkages between climate change, physical processes, and biological response.

Arctic LCC Strategic Plan Areas of Emphasis

Data Integration and Management Spatial Data

Provide Information to Meet Near-term Management Needs

Western Alaska LCC

Western Alaska LCC Emerging Science Strategy

• Rotate every two-years between Coastal, Freshwater and Terrestrial Systems themes

• Plan focus for each theme 6-12 months in advance

• Always ask for “cross-system” projects – (linkages from changes in physical drivers to

biological / ecological / human impacts)• All projects must be completed within four

years of theme “start”.

INITIAL Ideas for a long-term science strategy

Western Alaska LCC FY2012 –13: Coastal Systems

• Changes in Coastal Storms & their Impacts• Coastal Hazards Workshop (w/ AOOS, Ak CSC),

=> report w/ priority info needs on AOOS website• Inventory of coastal projects (AOOS website)• Integrated suite of projects (RFP) (WALCC website)– spatially detailed projections of storm surge inundation on

Yukon Delta coast region of important migratory waterfowl breeding,

– Results used to assess storm impacts on specific breeding waterfowl & project future impacts under scenario(s) of relative sea level rise.

Western Alaska LCC Emerging Science Strategy

• Rotate every two-years between Coastal, Freshwater and Terrestrial Systems themes

• Plan focus for each theme 6-12 months in advance

• Always ask for “cross-system” projects– (linkages from changes in physical drivers to

biological / ecological / human impacts) • All projects must be completed within four

years of theme “start”.

INITIAL Ideas for a long-term science strategy

Western Alaska LCC Emerging Science Strategy

• Rotate every two-years between Coastal, Freshwater and Terrestrial Systems themes

• Plan focus for each theme 6-12 months in advance

• Always ask for “cross-system” projects– (linkages from changes in physical drivers to

biological / ecological / human impacts)• All projects must be completed within four

years of theme “start”.

INITIAL Ideas for a long-term science strategy

Western Alaska LCC Emerging Science Strategy

• Rotate every two-years between Coastal, Freshwater and Terrestrial Systems themes

• Plan for each theme 6-12 months in advance• Always ask for “cross-system” projects– (linkages from changes in physical drivers to

biological / ecological / human impacts)• All projects must be completed within four

years of theme “start”.

INITIAL Ideas for a long-term science strategy

Western Alaska LCC FY2014 –15: Freshwater Systems

• Topic: Changes in Stream & Lake Temperatures and their Impacts

• Details being developed, Sept. RFP

• Major components:– Recommendations from recent statewide

workshop on Stream and Lake Temperature– Projects investigating potential Impacts

Northwest Boreal LCC

Northwest Boreal LCC• NWB LCC was initiated in 2011

• International partnership– Over 20 participating

organizations• Alaska• Yukon Territory• British Columbia• Northwest Territories

Northwest Boreal LCC• Science and management Information Needs

Assessment– Informal questionnaire– Priority biological and cultural resources– Management Framing Workshop

• Focusing on users’ needs

Information Needs Assessment

• Drivers of change in boreal ecosystems

– Wildfire

– Invasive species

– Insect disturbance

– Permafrost dynamics

– Vegetation composition change

– Land-use change

• Impacts on biological and cultural resources

Northwest Boreal LCC Drivers of Change

• Baseline data – Assessments/syntheses

• Coordinated monitoring• Understanding relationships• Projecting future states• Adaptation framework and best

management practices

Northwest Boreal LCC Categories of Activity

• Improved geo-spatial data layers, specifically as they relate to habitat maps (vegetation, soils, permafrost)

• Anthropogenic footprint (current and projected)

• Projections of future forest disturbance regimes (fire, insect pest outbreaks) and impacts on priority resources

• Climate-change related impacts on subsistence/rural communities

• Products/data that span the US-Canadian border

Northwest Boreal LCC Example Information Needs

Northwest Boreal LCC

www.nwblcc.org

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Strategic Science Planning

• Focus on landscape level stressors:– Climate Variability and Change– Commercial Fisheries– Marine Shipping– Invasive/Introduced Species– Contaminants and Pollutants– Ocean Acidification

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Marine Shipping

• Increased vessel traffic through Aleutians & Bering Strait increase with loss of ice

• Real-time, archived vessel tracking AIS (Automatic Identification System) data

• Increased risk of oil or other spills, ballast water invasives, or rat “spills”

Halpren et al 2008

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Climate Variability & Change

• Changing sea ice has major implications for region

• Several large-scale investments with partners (e.g., SNAP, NOAA, AOOS) to assess vulnerability of species to sea-ice loss

A climate vulnerability workshop with Alaska Climate Science Center

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Invasive, Introduced Species

• Alaska Maritime Refuge - Removing introduced species with terrestrial mammal focus

• Aquatic invasives = risk for fisheries and subsistence resources

Focus on prevention and early detection of introduction through education

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Pollutants & Contaminants

• Threats from global transport in atmosphere and marine waters as well as “bio-transport” by species migrating from lower latitudes

• Used defense sites Includes marine debris • Community health & subsistence harvest

• Marine debris ingestion and plastics toxicology

Marine debris inventory Evaluating the effectiveness of remediation

efforts at former defense sites; UAA using fish/birds as bio-indicators for contaminants distribution

Aleutian Bering Sea Islands LCC

Help us continue our effort to develop our strategic science plan

ABSILCC.ORG

North Pacific LCC

New Website: www.nplcc.org

Together, Alaska and northwest Canada LCCs can: • Jointly address state- or region-wide information

needs

LCC Coordination

Together, Alaska and northwest Canada LCCs can: • Jointly address state- or region-wide information

needs • Serve as a forum for learning and information

exchange

LCC Coordination

Together, Alaska and northwest Canada LCCs can: • Jointly address state- or region-wide information

needs • Serve as a forum for learning and information

exchange– At multiple levels

• Facilitate communication and collaboration– Among agencies/organizations– Across disciplines– Across jurisdictional boundaries

LCC Coordination

Cross - LCC Collaboration Integrated Ecosystem Model

Cross - LCC Collaboration

Burned area

Fire Severity

ALFRESCO

DOS-TEM

GIPL-1

Soil m

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Mos

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Veg.

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Vegetation type

Soil Thermal Properties

Downscaled GCM Data

Integrated Ecosystem Model

Cross - LCC Collaboration Integrated Ecosystem Model

Examples of Anticipated Products • Climate

– Historical and projected temperature, precipitation• Disturbance

– Historical and projected area burned– Susceptibility to thermokarst

• Landcover and Vegetation– Projected treeline– Projected distribution of vegetation types through time

• Ecosystem Dynamics– Carbon fluxes, net primary productivity, carbon released by fire

• Soil Properties– Permafrost distribution, active layer thickness

LCC Contacts• Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands

Doug Burn – Coordinator (douglas_burn@fws.gov)Aaron Poe - Science Coordinator (aaron_poe@fws.gov)

• ArcticGreg Balogh - Coordinator (greg_balogh@fws.gov )Philip Martin - Science Coordinator (philip_martin@fws.gov)

• North PacificJohn Mankowski – Coordinator (john_mankowski@fws.gov)Mary Mahaffy - Science Coordinator (mary_mahaffy@fws.gov)

• Northwestern Interior ForestJohn DeLapp – Coordinator (john_delapp@fws.gov)Amanda Robertson - Science Coordinator (amanda_robertson@fws.gov)

• Western AlaskaKaren Murphy – Coordinator (karen_murphy@fws.gov)Joel Reynolds - Science Coordinator (joel_reynolds@fws.gov)