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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
USGS1978

Megalineament in southeastern Alaska marks southwest edge of Coast Range batholithic complex

The Coast Range megalineament is a prominent, nearly continuous topographic and structural feature that extends southeastward about 550 km (330 mi) from its junction with the Chatham Strait – Lynn Canal fault at Point Sherman to Tongass Passage near the mouth of Pearse Canal where it leaves southeastern Alaska. It probably extends still further southeastward into British Columbia along Work Channel and Chatham Sound – Grenville Channel.The megalineament is a zone a few hundred metres to 10 km (6 mi) wide in which closely spaced joints, foliation, compositional layering, and small faults define the megalineament trend. The zone usually coincides with topographic depressions apparently caused by selective fluvial and glacial erosion of the less resistant rocks of the zone.Studies in the Juneau, Endicott Arm, and Behm Canal areas indicate that the megalineament (1) is locally the site of lateral and (or) vertical separations of no greater than several kilometres; (2) does not mark a major structural or metamorphic discontinuity in the near-surface rocks; (3) may be located near a pre-metamorphic and pre-intrusive discontinuity; (4) is consistently associated with and parallel to steep gradients in both the gravity and aeromagnetic fields; and (5) probably is the surface expression of the western contact, at depth, of the intrusive rocks and gneisses of the Coast Range batholithic complex with the schists to the southwest.

Alaska↗
USGS1989

Evolution of the western part of the Coast plutonic–metamorphic complex, South-Eastern Alaska, USA: A summary

The western Cordillera of North America extends for over 6000 km from the tip of Baja California to the Alaska Range. It includes a wide variety of metamorphic and plutonic terrains, but none is more spectacular scenically or geologically than the Coast plutonic-metamorphic complex (Brew & Ford 1984) of western Canada and south-eastern Alaska. This report briefly describes the evolution of the western part of the complex, integrating information from the deformational, plutonic and metamorphic events. Most of the original studies are reported by the authors in U.S. Geological Survey Circular numbers 733, 751, 823-B, 868, 939, 945, 967 and 978, and are not cited specifically here. This summary does not contain either a comprehensive bibliography or a comparison of the metamorphic histories of south-eastern Alaska with the adjacent parts of British Columbia. The Coast plutonic-metamorphic complex is here divided into three major elements: the western metamorphic, the central granitic and the eastern metamorphic zones (Fig. 1). The western metamorphic belt is extremely long (900 km), and narrow (7–25 km). It consists of regional dynamothermally and regional thermally metamorphosed rocks with mineral assemblages ranging from prehnite-pumpellyite to upper amphibolite facies, scattered mesozonal to epizonal granitic bodies, and a few concentrically zoned mafic-ultramafic masses. The metamorphic grade and the amount of deformation increase from south-west to north-east, culminating at, or slightly to the north-east of, the ‘great tonalite sill’: a remarkable 700-km-long, 3- to 25-km-wide vertical to northeast-dipping belt of mostly syntectonic plutons of approximately the same age, composition and structural

Alaska↗
USGS1959

K-feldspar content of Jurassic and Cretaceous graywackes of northern Coast Ranges and Sacramento Valley, California

Graywackes of Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous age are the predominant rocks in the northern Coast Ranges and the western Sacramento Valley provinces in California. These graywackes are similar in appearance, but their content of K-feldspar, which can be readily estimated after selective staining, differs widely. Study of several hundred specimens indicates that K-feldspar content is helpful in correlating or distinguishing these rocks, and sheds light on the geologic history of western California. In the Sacramento Valley a conformable sequence of Knoxville (Upper Jurassic), Shasta (Lower Cretaceous), and Upper Cretaceous rocks progressively increases in average K-feldspar content with decreasing age. Graywackes of the Franciscan formation, lying in the Coast Ranges farther west, generally contain no K-feldspar, although some contain a trace, and a few of more uncertain affiliation contain large amounts. Another belt of graywackes, west of the Franciscan formation and paralleling the Pacific shore, contains nearly as much K-feldspar as the Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Sacramento Valley, and most of these rocks are probably of middle Cretaceous age. The writers attribute the increase of K-feldspar with decreasing age of the rocks of the Sacramento Valley to changes in the source area, which is believed to be the Klamath Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. The changes include an increase in proportion of granitic rocks to others as the areas were stripped, and more abundant K-feldspar in the younger granitic rocks. The high K-feldspar content in the middle Cretaceous rocks of the coastal belt suggests that the rocks were deposited in the same basin as the Sacramento Valley rocks.

California↗
USGS2018

A multiscale natural community and species-level vulnerability assessment of the Gulf Coast, USA

Vulnerability assessments combine quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of species or natural communities to current and future threats. When combined with the economic, ecological or evolutionary value of the species, vulnerability assessments quantify the relative risk to regional species and natural communities and can enable informed prioritization of conservation efforts. Vulnerability assessments are common practice in conservation biology, including the potential impacts of future climate scenarios. However, geographic variation in scenarios and vulnerabilities is rarely quantified. This gap is particularly limiting for informing ecosystem management given that conservation practices typically vary by sociopolitical boundaries rather than by ecological boundaries. To support prioritization of conservation actions across a range of spatial scales, we conducted the Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment (GCVA) for four natural communities and eleven focal species around the Gulf of Mexico based on current and future threats from climate change and land-use practices out to 2060. We used the Standardized Index of Vulnerability and Value (SIVVA) tool to assess both natural community and species vulnerabilities. We observed greater variation across ecologically delineated subregions within the Gulf Coast of the U.S. than across climate scenarios. This novel finding suggests that future vulnerability assessments incorporate regional variation and that conservation prioritization may vary across ecological subregions. Across subregions and climate scenarios the most prominent threats were legacy effects, primarily from habitat loss and degradation, that compromised the adaptive capacity of species and natural communities. The second most important threats were future threats from sea-level rise. Our results suggest that the substantial threats species and natural communities face from climate change and sea-level rise would be within their adaptive capacity were it not for historic habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,↗
USGS2021

A comparative baseline of coral disease in three regions along the Saudi Arabian coast of the central Red Sea

Coral disease is a growing problem for coral reefs globally and diseases have been linked to thermal stress, excess nutrients, overfishing and other human impacts. The Red Sea is a unique environment for corals with a strong environmental gradient characterized by temperature extremes and high salinities, but minimal terrestrial runoff or riverine input and their associated pollution. Yet, relatively little is known about coral diseases in this region. Disease surveys were conducted at 22 reefs within three regions (Yanbu, Thuwal, Al Lith) in the central Red Sea along the Saudi Arabian coast. Surveys occurred in October 2015, which coincided with a hyperthermal-induced bleaching event. Our objectives were to 1) document types, prevalence, and distribution of coral diseases in a region with minimal terrestrial input, 2) compare regional differences in diseases and bleaching along a latitudinal gradient of environmental conditions, and 3) use histopathology to characterize disease lesions at the cellular level. Coral reefs of the central Red Sea had a widespread but a surprisingly low prevalence of disease (<0.5%), based on the examination of >75,750 colonies. Twenty diseases were recorded affecting 16 coral taxa and included black band disease, white syndromes, endolithic hypermycosis, skeletal eroding band, growth anomalies and focal bleached patches. The three most common diseases were Acropora white syndrome (59.1% of the survey sites), Porites growth anomalies (40.9%), and Porites white syndrome (31.8%). Sixteen out of 30 coral genera within transects had lesions and Acropora , Millepora and Lobophyllia were the most commonly affected. Cell-associated microbial aggregates were found in four coral genera including a first report in Stylophora . Differences in disease prevalence, coral cover, amount of heat stress as measured by degree heating weeks (DHW) and extent of bleaching was evident among sites. Disease prevalence was not explained by coral cover or DHW, and a negative relationship between coral bleaching and disease prevalence was found. The northern-most sites off the coast of Yanbu had the highest average disease prevalence and highest average DHW values but no bleaching. Our study provides a foundation and baseline data for coral disease prevalence in the central Red Sea, which is projected to increase as a consequence of increased frequency and severity of ocean warming.

Yanbu, Thuwal, Al Lith↗
USGS2004

Redistribution and growth of the Caspian Tern population in the Pacific Coast region of North America, 1981-2000

We examined nesting distribution and demography of the Pacific Coast population of Caspian Terns ( Sterna caspia ) using breeding records and band recoveries spanning two decades since the first population assessment. Since 1980, population size has more than doubled to about 12 900 pairs, yet the proportion of the population nesting at inland (18%) versus coastal sites (82%) has remained constant. Although the breeding range of the Pacific Coast population has expanded northward into Alaska and farther south in Mexico, there was no net latitudinal shift in the distribution of breeding pairs or new colonies. The distribution of breeding birds among areas changed dramatically, however, with 69% of breeding terns now nesting in Oregon (primarily in the Columbia River estuary) versus 4% during the late 1970s. During the past 20 years, there has continued to be a greater proportion of Caspian Terns breeding at anthropogenic sites compared to natural sites. Estimated annual survival rates for hatch-year and after-third-year birds during 1981-1998 were greater than during 1955-1980, consistent with the higher rate of population increase in recent decades. Fecundity required to maintain a stable population ( λ = 1 ) was estimated at 0.32–0.74 fledglings pair −1 , depending on band recovery probabilities for sub-adults. Caspian Terns readily moved among breeding sites and rapidly colonized new areas; however, a greater concentration of breeding Caspian Terns among fewer colonies in response to anthropogenic factors is an important conservation concern for this species.

Condor↗
USGS2005

Further evidence for the invasion and establishment of Pterois volitans (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) along the Atlantic Coast of the United States

We document the continued population expansion of red lionfish, Pterois volitans, the first documented successful introduction of an invasive marine fish species from the western Pacific to Atlantic coastal waters of the United States. Red lionfish are indigenous to the Indo-Pacific and have apparently established one or more breeding populations on reefs off the southeastern United States. Fifty-nine specimens, most presumably adult red lionfish, were documented or collected on live-bottom reefs off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, and on a manmade structure off Georgia. Observation/collection depths and bottom water temperatures for these fish ranged from 40-99 m and 13.8-24.4??C, respectively. Eleven juvenile lionfish, believed to be expatriated from southeastern waters, were collected in estuaries along the coast of Long Island, NY, at depths of 0-5 m and water temperatures ranging from 13.8-16.5??C. Twelve of the total 70 specimens collected or observed were positively identified as red lionfish. Based on histological assessment of gonad tissue, two reproductively-active males and one immature female were collected. The life history of red lionfish, especially their reproductive biology and food habits, should be investigated along the east coast of the US to determine the potential impacts of this species on ecosystems they have invaded.

Southeastern Naturalist↗
USGS2019

Nest survival of Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) on the upper Texas coast, USA

The Black-necked Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus ) is a migratory shorebird of temperate and tropical America. Declining wetland quality and associated declines in hydrological integrity may contribute to widespread habitat loss for stilts nesting on the upper Texas Gulf of Mexico coast of the USA, as both fresh and brackish marshes are converting to open water and saline marsh. Nests ( n = 356) were monitored in three wetland types on the upper Texas coast from 21 April-30 June 2011-2012. Of these 356 nests, 151 were located in managed freshwater wetlands (16 in 2011 and 135 in 2012), 128 were located in managed intermediate wetlands (75 in 2011 and 53 in 2012), and 77 were located in rice fields (all in 2012). Collectively, nest success was 0.2% (0 in rice fields and as high as 4.3% in freshwater wetlands in 2012), among the lowest ever reported for the species. The most frequent cause of nest failure was predation by mammalian and avian predators (∼50%). Daily nest survival rate was positively related to mudflat nesting substrates and negatively related to colony size, rice field, and brackish coastal wetland habitats. Future efforts to minimize edge effects in managed wetlands may prove valuable to improve nest success of stilts and other species that nest in similar wetland types.

Texas↗
USGS2005

Reddish Egret extends its breeding range along the North American Atlantic coast into South Carolina

We report the northernmost breeding record of the Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) along the North American Atlantic Coast. Nesting activity was first seen in late May 2004, and on 6 July 2004 a nest was discovered with two young chicks on Marsh Island, a barrier island located within Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina, USA. Reddish Egret nestlings were last observed within 1 m of the nest on 30 July 2004. This represents a northward extension of ca. 450 km in the breeding range of this species and, for the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the only recorded instance of nesting north of Florida.

Waterbirds↗
USGS2025

Revisiting an enigma on California's north coast: The Mw6.5 Fickle Hill earthquake of 21 December 1954

Many earthquakes occur along the North Coast of California in the vicinity of the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), where the Pacific, Gorda, and North American (NA) plates meet, and on the adjacent plate boundaries. The MTJ marks the nexus of the Mendocino and San Andreas faults with the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ). Historically, most large earthquakes around the MTJ have been within the offshore Gorda plate and its subducted portion beneath the NA plate. North of the MTJ, active faults mapped in the NA plate are part of the CSZ fold‐and‐thrust belt. Although some events have been detected in the NA plate, no large historic events have been associated with mapped surface faults. The 21 December 1954 M w 6.5 earthquake in Humboldt County is one possible exception. Using published data from catalogs and articles, unpublished data from Berkeley’s archives, and S ‐ P times interpreted from two U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) accelerometers, we determine a probability cloud for the earthquake’s hypocenter using NonLinLoc. The highest probability location lies beneath Fickle Hill just east of the city of Arcata, California, at 40.87° N, 124.03° W, and ∼11 km depth. Using P ‐wave polarities from Berkeley stations and the digitized waveforms from the accelerometers, we find that the focal mechanism most consistent with the data indicates thrust movement with strike, dip, and rake of 350°, 10°, and 90°, respectively, at a depth of 14 km. Given the depth uncertainties of both this event and the megathrust, this implies that the earthquake most likely took place on the subduction interface rather than on the mapped faults in the Mad River fault zone that trend 322° and dip to the northeast. The revisited intensity in the epicentral region also supports a location beneath Fickle Hill to the east of the city of Arcata, California.

California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2017

Earthquake early Warning ShakeAlert system: West coast wide production prototype

Earthquake early warning (EEW) is an application of seismological science that can give people, as well as mechanical and electrical systems, up to tens of seconds to take protective actions before peak earthquake shaking arrives at a location. Since 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in collaboration with several partners to develop EEW for the United States. The goal is to create and operate an EEW system, called ShakeAlert, for the highest risk areas of the United States, starting with the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington. In early 2016, the Production Prototype v.1.0 was established for California; then, in early 2017, v.1.2 was established for the West Coast, with earthquake notifications being distributed to a group of beta users in California, Oregon, and Washington. The new ShakeAlert Production Prototype was an outgrowth from an earlier demonstration EEW system that began sending test notifications to selected users in California in January 2012. ShakeAlert leverages the considerable physical, technical, and organizational earthquake monitoring infrastructure of the Advanced National Seismic System, a nationwide federation of cooperating seismic networks. When fully implemented, the ShakeAlert system may reduce damage and injury caused by large earthquakes, improve the nation’s resilience, and speed recovery.

California, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2009

Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2001 and 2002: A salinity gradient approach

Distribution of marine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV; i.e., seagrass) in the northern Gulf of Mexico coast has been documented, but there are nonmarine submersed or SAV species occurring in estuarine salinities that have not been extensively reported. We sampled 276 SAV beds along the gulf coast in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas in 2001 and 2002 in oligohaline to polyhaline (0 to 36 parts per thousand) waters to determine estuarine SAV species distribution and identify mesohaline SAV communities. A total of 20 SAV and algal species was identified and habitat characteristics such as salinity, water depth, pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and sediment composition were collected. Fourteen SAV species occurred two or more times in our samples. The most frequently occurring species was Ruppia maritima L. (n = 148), occurring in over half of SAV beds sampled. Eleocharis sp. (n = 47), characterized with an emergent rather than submerged growth form, was a common genus in the SAV beds sampled. A common marine species was Halodule wrightii Asch. (n = 36). Nonindigenous species Myriophyllum spicatum L. (n = 31) and Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle (n = 6) were present only in oligohaline water. Analyzing species occurrence and environmental characteristics using canonical correspondence and two-way indicator species analysis, we identify five species assemblages distinguished primarily by salinity and depth. Our survey increases awareness of nonmarine SAV as a natural resource in the gulf, and provides baseline data for future research.

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗
USGS2010

Spring migration and summer destinations of northern pintails from the coast of southern California

To examine pathways, timing, and destinations during migration in spring, we attached satellite-monitored transmitters (platform transmitting terminals) to 10 northern pintails ( Anas acuta ) during February 2001, at Point Mugu, Ventura County, California. This is a wintering area on the southern coast of California. We obtained locations from five adult males and three adult females every 3rd day through August. Average date of departure from the wintering area was 15 March ( SE = 3 days). We documented extended stopovers of ≥30 days for several northern pintails that could have accommodated nesting attempts (San Joaquin Valley, southwestern Montana, southern Alberta, north-central Nevada) or post-nesting molt (eastern Oregon, south-central Saskatchewan, northern Alaska, central Alberta). Wintering northern pintails from the southern coast of California used a wide range of routes, nesting areas, and schedules during migration in spring, which was consistent with the larger, wintering population in the Central Valley of California. Therefore, conservation of habitat that is targeted at stopover, nesting, and molting areas will benefit survival and management of both wintering populations.

California↗
USGS2013

Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range

Riparian-zone vegetation can influence terrestrial and aquatic food webs through variation in the amount, timing, and nutritional content of leaf and other litter inputs. We investigated how riparian-forest community composition, understory density, and lateral slope shaped vertical and lateral litter inputs to 16 streams in the Oregon Coast Range. Riparian forests dominated by deciduous red alder delivered greater annual vertical litter inputs to streams (504 g m −2 y −1 ) than did riparian forests dominated by coniferous Douglas-fir (394 g m −2 y −1 ). Deciduous forests also contributed greater lateral litter inputs per meter of stream bank on one side (109 g m −1 y −1 ) than did coniferous forests (63 g m −1 y −1 ). Total litter inputs from deciduous forests exceeded those from coniferous forests most strongly in November, coincident with an autumn peak in litter inputs. Lateral litter inputs contributed most to total inputs during winter in both forest types. Annual lateral litter movement increased with slope at deciduous sites, but only in spring/summer months at coniferous sites. Neither experimental removal of understory vegetation nor installation of mesh fences to block downslope litter movement affected lateral litter inputs to streams, suggesting that ground litter moves <5 m downslope annually. N concentrations of several litter fractions were higher at deciduous sites and, when combined with greater litter amounts, yielded twice as much total litter N flux to streams in deciduous than coniferous sites. The presence of red alder in riparian forests along many small streams of the deeply incised and highly dendritic basins of the Oregon Coast Range enhances total fluxes and seasonality of litter delivery to both terrestrial and aquatic food webs in this region and complements the shade and large woody debris provided by large coniferous trees.

Oregon↗
USGS2026

Decadal-scale characteristics of natural and anthropogenic dune morphology along North Carolina Barrier Islands (SE Atlantic Coast)

Dunes offer protection to coastal communities from storms, yet quantitative research characterizing human influences on dune systems across decades and 10–100 km spatial scales constitutes a known data gap. This study analyzed a multidecadal archive of dune crest elevations and positions to map mesoscale spatiotemporal trends in foredune morphology across the barrier island coastline of North Carolina, SE Atlantic coast. Results are summarized within four categories of coastline representing a range of coastal management intensities, integrating beach width and dune lateral accommodation space to assess the comparative influence of differing intensities of anthropogenic intervention on dune morphology. These categories account for the presence of structures, roads, and alongshore connectivity to anthropogenic sediment sources (beach nourishment). These categories show distinct dune and beach system characteristics. Dunes are largest in the areas with the longest legacy of coastal management. As categories decrease in development intensity, dune and beach system characteristics generally depart from the large, static dunes and narrow beaches consistent with hold-the-line management. Where small or transgressive dunes exist on heavily developed coasts, they coincide with relatively strong hydrodynamic forcing or sediment-limiting geology. There is evidence of indirect coastal management influence on undeveloped barrier islands with alongshore connectivity to developed barriers. While this analysis was conducted at the mesoscale, the results provide researchers with the framework to make insights at smaller scales than those demonstrated in this study.

North Carolina↗
USGS2013

Economic vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern U.S. Gulf Coast

The northern Gulf of Mexico coast of the United States has been identified as highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, based on a combination of physical and societal factors. Vulnerability of human populations and infrastructure to projected increases in sea level is a critical area of uncertainty for communities in the extremely low-lying and flat northern gulf coastal zone. A rapidly growing population along some parts of the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline is further increasing the potential societal and economic impacts of projected sea-level rise in the region, where observed relative rise rates range from 0.75 to 9.95 mm per year on the Gulf coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. A 1-m elevation threshold was chosen as an inclusive designation of the coastal zone vulnerable to relative sea-level rise, because of uncertainty associated with sea-level rise projections. This study applies a Coastal Economic Vulnerability Index (CEVI) to the northern Gulf of Mexico region, which includes both physical and economic factors that contribute to societal risk of impacts from rising sea level. The economic variables incorporated in the CEVI include human population, urban land cover, economic value of key types of infrastructure, and residential and commercial building values. The variables are standardized and combined to produce a quantitative index value for each 1-km coastal segment, highlighting areas where human populations and the built environment are most at risk. This information can be used by coastal managers as they allocate limited resources for ecosystem restoration, beach nourishment, and coastal-protection infrastructure. The study indicates a large amount of variability in index values along the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline, and highlights areas where long-term planning to enhance resiliency is particularly needed.

Alabama;Florida;Louisiana;Mississippi;Texas↗
USGS1973

Silica-carbonate alteration of serpentine: Wall rock alteration in mercury deposits of the California Coast Ranges

Chemical, isotopic, and thermodynamic properties have been measured of CO 2 -rich ground waters in the central California Coast Ranges. The acidic CO 2 -rich waters react with serpentine to form silica-carbonate rock, the host rock of many mercury deposits in the Coast Range of California. In part the waters are of a metamorphic origin and in part the waters are locally derived meteoric waters. The CO 2 is entirely derived from metamorphic reactions at depth. Depending on the relative importance of several reactions, the relative abundances of silica and carbonate minerals vary in the silica-carbonate rock. If the CO 2 -rich fluids react directly with peridotite or dunite, massive magnesite deposits may form. © 1973 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

California↗
USGS2025

Chapter 6: Climate change, wildlife, and wildlife habitats in the Oregon Coast Range

Climate change is likely to have profound effects on wildlife species within the Oregon Coast Adaptation Partnership (OCAP) assessment area, although the direction and magnitude of effects are likely to vary across species. Increased mean and extreme temperatures, especially during summer, may cause shifts in plant and animal species ranges, reduce habitat for some temperature-sensitive wildlife, alter plant phenology and the timing of available food resources, and affect species interactions (e.g., predation, competition). Altered timing of precipitation, summer drought, loss of fog, increased flooding events, earlier snowmelt, and rising sea level may reduce plant productivity, increase tree mortality, shift plant species composition, and lead to reduced wildlife habitat and habitat quality for some forests, riparian areas, wetlands, meadows, estuaries, and beaches. In addition, increasing frequency and extent of wildfire and insect outbreaks may reduce the extent of late-successional forest, reduce habitat connectivity, and increase the spread of invasive species. The biggest change expected for the assessment area is an increase in area where climatic conditions favor coastal mixed forest and a large reduction in area favoring montane conifer forest. Although actual changes in forest types may not necessarily occur by the end of the 21st century, climate change may add physiological and behavioral stress to wildlife. Some wildlife species will be able to persist in place and adapt to new conditions; some may be able to migrate to find suitable habitat; and some may be greatly reduced or extirpated from the assessment area or even go extinct. Shifts in major tree and shrub species will play a major role in food, den, and cover availability for wildlife. Rising sea level will reduce low-elevation habitats along the coast. An increase in the frequency of high-severity weather events will increase frequency and magnitude of flooding, including debris flow events. Coupled with increased temperatures during summer, this may reduce or fragment important ecosystems for aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Evaluation of the vulnerabilities of nine wildlife species based on literature reviews suggests that each species has life-history attributes that can lead to resilience or vulnerability to climate change effects. Depending on long-term objectives, several broad adaptation strategies focus on protecting refugia, establishing redundant wildlife strongholds with large-scale connectivity, and promoting structural and biological complexity.

Oregon↗