Altered Precipitation

The amount, type, and timing of precipitation across the United States influences vegetative distribution and productivity. Changes in precipitation regimes in a changing climate, are expected to challenge land managers and producers with short- and long-term planning under greater variability and threats to working land sustainability. Likely threats include increased runoff, flooding, erosion, landslides and susceptibility to pests, decreased soil moisture and productivity, and earlier snowmelt. The USDA Climate Hubs are working with land managers to develop and implement practices to minimize the associated impacts of increasing precipitation variability.

Lindsey Rustad, USDA Forest Service research ecologist, at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

There is growing concern that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events are increasing under the changing climate. Scientists continue to study the impacts these extreme weather events can have on natural and managed ecosystems. Progress has been made in…

Going to Extremes at HBEF

Rangeland ecosystems are diverse

Changes in the timing and availability of water resources across the Northwest are affecting rangelands. Warming winter temperatures are reducing mountain snowpack and resulting in earlier snowmelt and less available water in the summer months. Reduced water availability,…

Building Water Resilience in the Northwest Through Rangeland Management

Soil conglomerates up close

Changes in the timing and availability of water resources pose significant challenges to irrigated and dryland agriculture across the Northwest. Warmer winters are shrinking mountain snowpack and melting snow is entering streams and rivers before water is needed for irrigating…

Building Water Resilience in the Northwest Through Soil Management

An oak woodland in California.

California's forests play a critical role in providing ecosystem services such as fresh air, clean water, timber, and spaces for cultural and recreational opportunities. From the open, grassy hillsides of blue oak woodlands, to the park-like settings of ponderosa forests, to the…

Keeping California Forests and Woodlands Healthy

Gypsum curtain scene from virtual tour

Nutrient leaching is a process by which percolating rainwater carries dissolved nutrients down through the soil profile. Leached nutrients that reach shallow groundwater may then move towards surface water features like drainage ditches and streams. Nitrogen and phosphorus are…

UMES Permeable Reactive Barriers

Workers at Briarpatch Enterprises in Milford, CT, offload bags of clams harvested from Long Island Sound onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt lifts the bags into a company truck that transports them to the warehouse for processing. Photo by Judy Benson, Connecticut Sea Grant.

Climate change is a global challenge. It has the potential to impact environmental, animal, and human health, as well as the economy. The food production sector is particularly susceptible to changes in the climate. These changes have far-reaching societal impacts such as…

Climate Change and Aquaculture in Connecticut’s Long Island Sound

Flood damage on a Massachusetts farm following Hurricane Irene, August 2011. Image by John Appleton.

Climate change will alter rainfall patterns in New England in the coming decades. Storms will likely become more intense, increasing the frequency of flooding. This leaves many agricultural lands, especially those in floodplains, at risk. Farms in New England tend to be…

Farming the Floodplain: Trade-offs and Opportunities

ADIM Workshop sm

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub and the Indiana State Climate Office at Purdue University will provide a 1.5 day workshop on regional research, management and monitoring needs with an emphasis on herbicide/pesticide drift issues. The ADIM workshop will take place from TBD at the…

POSTPONED: Agricultural Drift & Inversion Monitoring (ADIM) Workshop

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist at the University of Maine, takes a closer look at the grapes

Maine is a state known for its long, cold winters and short growing season, but changes in climate are disrupting this norm. Many growers around the state have already started to experience the trend towards longer growing seasons. This includes slightly warmer summers and…

UMaine’s Highmoor Farm

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