99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

IGN 2

From Mountains to Coasts: Ecosystems in the Third National Climate Assessment

The United States National Climate Assessment (NCA) collects, integrates, and assesses observations and research from around the country, helping to show how the climate is changing and what it means for peoples’ lives, livelihoods, and future. The Third NCA Report (released in spring 2014), the most comprehensive assessment of climate change science, impacts, and responses in the United States to date, analyzes the current and future impacts of climate change on a number of socioeconomic and environmental sectors. The report discusses numerous impacts of climate change on ecosystems, including shifts in biodiversity and location of species, disruptions in ecosystem structures and functions, inability of ecosystems to adapt to change, and alterations to the capacity of ecosystems to moderate the consequences of disturbances. Because of the importance of ecosystems to humanity, impacts will affect the fisheries, drinking water, air quality, croplands, and iconic species and landscapes that support jobs, economic growth, health, and human well-being. This session will highlight major findings from the report about climate change’s effects on ecosystems and sectors of concern. A related session will highlight findings from each region of the United States. Report authors will discuss key findings from the NCA chapter on ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services and from other report chapters linked to ecology and ecosystems. The session will also include a moderated discussion that will allow participants to ask questions about the NCA process and products and offer feedback on progress toward building assessment capacity across the US through a sustained NCA process.