The Climate Change Resource Center (CCRC) has recently released a new education resource on climate change adaptation responses to help the USDA Forest Service, USDA Climate Hubs, other agencies, and the general public learn more about responding to a changing climate. The CCRC is an online, nationally-relevant resource that connects land managers and decision-makers with credible, relevant, and useable science to address climate change in natural resource planning and application.
Natural resource managers are already observing changes in their forests and rangelands and experiencing challenges managing these lands in a changing climate. In order to continue to maintain healthy forests and rangelands into the future, land managers need to understand how to address these challenges and respond to climate change effects. This requires that managers assess the vulnerabilities and risks associated with climate change and choose the best course of action for the landscapes they manage.
The new interactive module, “Responses to Climate Change: What You Need to Know”, provides a brief, 15-minute overview of adaptation options for resistance, resilience, and transition, and describes how to incorporate these ideas into natural resource planning and activities. The interactive features within the module allow users to control their learning experience, with opportunities to explore outside links and see examples of how managers are adapting to climate change on the ground. This is the third module in a series of education modules produced by the CCRC.
The first education module, “Climate Change Science and Modeling” covers the fundamentals of climate change science, and the second module, “Climate Change Effects on Forests and Grasslands” builds on that foundation, examining climate change effects around the country. This third new module completes the series by focusing on solutions for adapting ecosystems to climate change.
The “Responses to Climate Change” learning material is followed by a regionally-specific activity that engages users in creating their own adaptation plan based on real-world examples.
Source:usda.gov