Photo Credit

The Fifth National Climate Assessment and the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Map of the 10 Regions of the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

In late 2023, the White House released the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the National Climate Assessment is an in-depth overview of climate in the U.S., informing policy and highlighting the scope of its impact on the nation. About every four years, this interagency report highlights future climate prospects, risks, responses, and successes on managing the changing climate in 10 key regions (see map and panel). The Pacific Southwest Research Station is supporting the efforts in the Southwest, Hawai’i, and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. To that effort, three researchers from the research station contributed to the most recent report: Chris Fettig, serving as federal coordinating lead author for the chapter on Forests; Rich Mackenzie, serving as a chapter author on Hawai’i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and contributor on the Blue Carbon Focus Section; and Christian Giardina, serving as a chapter author for Hawai’i and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands.

Chapter 7 of NAC5 focuses on how millions of acres of U.S. forests provide diverse ecosystem services recreational opportunities, wood products, and wildlife habitat. This chapter also covers topics such as adaptions necessary for building and maintaining resilient forests, and how climate change and disturbances are affecting forests.

Photo Credit

USDA Forest Service photos by Christopher J. Fettig

You can read Chapter 7 of NCA5: Forests.

For more information, see the NCA5 Webinar on Forests.

Photo Credit

USDA Forest Service photos by Richard Mackenzie (left) and Christian Giardina (right)

Chapter 30 of the NAC5 pertains to Hawai’i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. This chapter outlines their ecosystem, which encompasses an incredible amount of biodiversity, and the ecological concerns impacting the many islands and diverse groups that call the Pacific home. This chapter also covers how climate change affects food and water access, climate change and human health outcomes, the threat of rising sea levels, threats to biodiversity and ecosystem health, and the power of indigenous knowledge to bolster resilience.

You can read Chapter 30 of NCA5: Hawai’i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands.

You can also check out the NCA5 Webinar on Hawai’i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands on February 13th from 1-2 p.m. HST.

The Pacific Southwest Research Station also contributed to the Focus on Blue Carbon. Blue Carbon refers to marine ecosystems (ocean and coastal) and their ability to sequester carbon. Just like trees in a forest, marine ecosystems capture and store carbon via seagrasses and mangroves, making them important to the global greenhouse gas budget and for climate change mitigation. Keys for the future will be quantifying the carbon stocks in these ecosystems, and understanding how potential sea level rise may impact them.

You can read the Chapter Focus On: Blue Carbon.

You can also check out the NCA5 Webinar on Coastal Effects and Blue Carbon on January 22nd from 1-2:30 p.m. EST.

Around the Station

PSW Supports National New Employee Orientation

In December, Dr. Gina Tarbill, Dr. Matthew Sloggy, and Dr. José Sánchez participated as panelists in the National New Employee Orientation hosted by Region 5. As a part of the panel titled "PSW Opportunities to Partner," these researchers gave new employees an overview of what working in a Forest Service research station is like, and examples of how we've partnered with the National Forest System to solve the issues our forests and visitors face. Dr. Rachel Smith and Jennifer Jones of PSW also facilitated several panels for new employees on Strategic Priorities and This is Who We Are, respectively.

New employees participate in a forest recreation virtual reality demonstration (left) and wildlife research exhibit (right). Photo credits: Aj Moses, USDA Forest Service

Webinars & Events

Applications of the Lost Meadow Model for Management

Dr. Karen Pope¹, Adam Cummings¹, Kyle Merriam^2
1 Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station
² Forest Service Region 5
 

This webinar covers:

• The role and importance of montane meadows.
• A machine learning model that identifies potential “lost meadows” which can support meadow restoration.
• Demo: How to access and use the maps generated by the model.

Webinar Recording

SCIENCEx Genetics Week

Mark your calendars, January 29th - Feb 1st is SCIENCEx Genetics week. Forest Service researchers will talk about work happening across the country pertaining to fish and wildlife, landscape restoration, climate change perspectives, and research applications. The registration link and recordings for previous SCIENCEx focus weeks can be found at the link below.

Register for SCIENCEx Genetics

SCIENCEx Webinar Archive

California Land and Fire Management Needs Assessment

To gain an updated understanding of needs around knowledge exchange, information sources, and scientific research, the California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC) is leading a survey and inviting you to participate. All are welcome, from those working in fire as well as those in non-fire roles to complete the survey to help inform science delivery and regional knowledge exchange within California. Please share the survey link with others.

The survey should take ~15 minutes to complete. The survey has been extended and will be open until the end of January.

Take the survey

Station News

Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frogs Can Teach Us About Our Planet

The documentary My Octopus Teacher showed how octopuses connect us to the wonders of our natural world and instill a sense of empathy for the creatures around us. Pacific Southwest Research Station Aquatic Ecologist Karen Pope believes we can learn similar lessons from Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs.

Read More

PSW Researcher at the Forefront of Reforestation Efforts

Reforestation might sound like a simple concept, but Pacific Southwest Research Station Forester Jianwei Zhang explains that it’s more complicated than many realize. He presented his research findings at a Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) Reforestation Symposium, sharing years of knowledge and field experience. Reforestation is vital as prolonged drought, insect infestations, and severe wildfires, largely fueled by climate change, batter our nation’s trees.

Read More

Meadow Restoration Benefits People and the Environment

Pacific Southwest Research Station Ecologist Dr. Karen Pope and Sierra National Forest Supervisor Dean Gould explain why meadows matter and the ongoing efforts to restore them.

Watch Video

Forest Service Employees Receive National Recognition for Work with Tribes

U.S. Forest Service Ecologist Dr. Frank Kanawha Lake and Regional Tribal Relations Specialist Rowena Yeahquo earned USDA’s distinguished Nation to Nation Tribal Innovation Awards for their outstanding work with tribal communities.

Read More

Publication Highlights

More PSW Publications via Treesearch

Pacific Southwest Research Station

The Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) was founded in 1926 as a part of the Research and Development branch of U.S. Forest Service. Since its inception, PSW has expanded to serve California, Hawai'i, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. PSW develops and delivers science-based information, technologies, and applications to help people make informed decisions about natural resource management, conservation, and environmental protection.

Fact and Trivia Corner
Does is snow in Hawai'i?

While it may only snow a handful of times a year, the tallest peaks of Hawai'i - Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Haleakala - can, and often do, receive a light dusting of snow during the winter months.