Spruce-fir forests reach their southern limit in New England and the Upper Midwest, and are predicted by coarse climate envelope models to be greatly reduced or extirpated by climate change in the next century. However, complex climatology, involving orographic effects and consequent changes in temperature and precip, along with substantial spatial variability, make it imperative that we understand where the most resilient stands are likely to be, and what the effects of these changes mean for spruce-fir associated species. In this project, we take advantage of long-term surveys at multiple locations across the region to relate wildlife dynamics (elevation distribution and reproductive success, population trends) to interannual variation and long-term change in climate, with the ultimate objective of coupling these relationships to climate models. We used long-term data to document US-range wide declines and distributional changes in spruce-fir dependent birds over much of the northeast and northcentral region. This allows agencies to target efforts towards at-risk target species and habitats.
- Environmental factors affecting brook trout occurence in small headwater stream sections. Kanno, Y., Letcher, B.H., O'Neil, K.P., Nislow, K. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (2015): 372-382.
- Ralston, Joel, King David I., Deluca William V., Niemi Gerald J., Glennon Michale J., Scarl Judith C., and Lambert Daniel J. Analysis of combined data sets yields trend estimates for vulnerable spruce-fir birds in northern United States, Biological Conservation, 2015.
- Forests, landscapes, and fishes in a changing regional environment. Northern States Research Cooperative Webinar Series April 30, 2015.
- Archaology News Network New data on bird population trends and the climate conditions they occupy July 20, 2016
- Science Newsline New Data on Bird Population Trends And the Climate Conditions They Occupy July 20, 2016
- Phys.Org New data on bird population trends and the climate conditions they occupy July 20, 2016
- Science Codex New data on bird population trends and the climate conditions they occupy July 21, 2016
- Environmental News Network Bird ranges vary more than thought July 24, 2016
- Amherst Bulletin UMass study offers new insights into bird climates August 1, 2016