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Predicting and Managing Climate Change Impacts on Semi-Arid Land Wetlands,
Migratory Birds, and Their Prey: An Integration of Remote Sensing, Molecular Genetics, Hydrology, and Environmental Modeling
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The wetlands of North America’s Great Basin are a unique chain of desert oases that provide critical habitat and food to millions of waterbirds throughout their annual cycle. The balance between salty wetlands where invertebrate prey flourish and nearby freshwater wetlands for other waterbird needs depends on climate. Shifts in precipitation patterns can lead to evaporation and increasing saltiness, which may have dramatic effects on waterbird reproduction. USGS scientists are leading a five-year study of the large-scale effects of climate change on wetlands and wetland-dependent species in the Great Basin. Scientists will evaluate the relationships between climate and water supplies, use genetic tools to examine prey species, and predict possible changes to wetland habitat quality, prey species, and the persistence of migratory waterbirds. Results will assist land managers to understand small- and large-scale climate change effects and provide a basis for wetland conservation planning and management around the world.
Haig, Susan M. - Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist
Phone: 541-750-7482
Email: susan_haig@usgs.gov
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