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State of the Science: October 14, 2009
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We will set the stage to create a common understanding of likely climate change impacts within watersheds by examining:
- Breakthrough modeling techniques to incorporate microclimate effects (e.g. fog) at the local scale
- Predictions of how ranges of species will contract, expand or move northward
- The Laguna watershed as a basis to prepare a list of hypothesized watershed scale climate change impacts
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John Wiens, PRBO Conservation Science
John Wiens grew up in Oklahoma as an avid birdwatcher. Following degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.S., Ph.D.), he joined the faculty of Oregon State University and, subsequently, the University of New Mexico and Colorado State University, where he was a Professor of Ecology and University Distinguished Professor. His work has emphasized landscape ecology and the ecology of birds, leading to over 200 scientific papers and 7 books.
Read full bio and conference presentation abstract on the Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Sea to Sky: Marine Climate Impacts and the Laguna |
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Presented by William Sydeman, Farralon Institute
Despite the fact that 71% of the earth is covered in salt water, and >90% of all habitats on the planet are marine, we know despairingly little about marine ecosystems and climate change impacts. The warmest global ocean temperatures on record were observed in summer 2009.
Read entire article on the Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Climate Change in the Laguna Watershed: Addressing Hydrologic and Ecologic Impacts |
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Presented by Lorraine Flint, US Geologic Survey
Climate change in the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed will be manifested by numerous changes in the surface water and groundwater resources, as well as in the stressors for ecological landscapes and species diversity.
Read entire article on the Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Bird Distributions Across Scales and Ecosystems: How Species-based Modeling can Inform Management and Decision Making |
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Presented by Diana Stralberg, PRBO Conservation Science
Species distribution modeling (SDM) has become an important tool for projecting climate-related shifts in species’ geographic distributions and community composition.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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High Resolution Modeling of Plant and Insect Response to Climate Dynamics |
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Presented by Marc Kramer, UC Santa Cruz
Species /community response and adaptation to localized climate dynamics is a critical area for research, especially when linked with the added threat of exotic species invasion that may be heightened by these changing conditions.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Predicting the Future Spread of Invasive Plants in California |
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Presented by Elizabeth Brusati, California Invasive Plant Council
Distribution of invasive plant populations in California is dynamic, and effectively protecting native flora requires knowledge about where invasive plants are and where they may spread in the future. We determined statewide distribution of 36 invasive plants in California by surveying local resource managers in all counties.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Consequences of Climate Change for Mutualistic Interactions |
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Presented by Caroline Christian, Sonoma State University
Mutualisms represent some of the most tightly-linked species interactions and have been shown to have profound effects on the structure of populations and communities and provide important ecosystem services. Recent meta-analyses indicate that many species engaged in mutualistic interactions are responding to climate change through modifications in their geographic distributions, phenology, and organizational hierarchies.
Read entire article on the Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Heritable Genetic Diversity and Gene Flow – Main Ingredients in the Recipe for Managing Micro-Evolution to Foster Climate Change Adaptation |
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Presented by Christina Sloop, Laguna Foundation
In the face of global climate change, ecologists forecast unprecedented species range shifts and disassociations of ecological communities. While climate change prediction modeling is applied to tackle uncertainty as to species’ and ecosystem response within various climate change scenarios, we also need to incorporate the evolutionary potential for rapid species adaptation to avoid local extinction and resist range shifts.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Modeling River Flows and Sediment Dynamics for the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed |
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Presented by Chris Potter, NASA-Ames
The non-point source pollution Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) from the U. S. Department of Agriculture has been applied to understand management options that may improve water quality in the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Predicting Past and Future Water Discharge Rates on the Russian River |
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Presented by Chris Potter, NASA-Ames
We have developed modeling applications of the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) ecosystem model coupled with a surface hydrologic routing scheme previously called the Hydrological Routing Algorithm (HYDRA) to model river discharge rates across Russian River drainage area.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Laguna de Santa Rosa Total Maximum Daily Load Update |
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Presented by Steve Butkus, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
The Laguna de Santa Rosa (Laguna) watershed is listed on the current California Section 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies for excessive nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sedimentation, low dissolved oxygen (DO), high temperature, and mercury contamination. Placement of a waterbody on the Section 303(d) list triggers the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Update on the U.S. Geological Survey Santa Rosa Plain Cooperative Groundwater Study |
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Presented by Marcus Trotta, Sonoma County Water Agency
The Santa Rosa Plain groundwater basin covers an area of approximately 80,000 acres and is home to approximately half of the population of Sonoma County. The groundwater system beneath the Santa Rosa Plain provides numerous benefits to the region, including rural residential and municipal water supplies, irrigation water for agriculture, and baseflow to streams and surface water bodies.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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The Aquatic Animals of the Laguna de Santa Rosa: Then and Now |
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Presented by Teejay O'Rear, UC Davis
The Laguna de Santa Rosa is the focus of many management activities that seek to improve its flood-control and ecological functions. In order for management activities to succeed, their effects on the aquatic community must be both known and measurable. However, with the exception of a study performed in 1988, there is little information on the composition of the Laguna de Santa Rosa's fish and aquatic-invertebrate communities.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Restoration and Management of Ludwigia hexapetala-Invaded Wetlands of the Laguna in the Face of Climate Change |
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Presented by Brenda Grewell, USDA-ARS
The successful invasion of the Laguna de Santa Rosa by Ludwigia hexapetala (Uruguayan primrose-willow) has challenged watershed goals for restoration of desirable biological communities and ecosystem processes. The abundance of aquatic weeds is regulated by light, hydrology, temperature, nutrients, and biological interactions that may all vary with climate.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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Integrating Invasive Weed and Nutrient Management with Bioenergy Production |
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Presented by Michael Cohen, Sonoma State University
Constructed wetlands can be used to lower levels of residual contaminants and nutrients in water, while biogasification of vegetation harvested from the wetlands can generate useable energy. Two gravity-flow 400 ft^2 Channelized Aquatic Scrubbers (CAS) were constructed at the City of Santa Rosa Laguna Treatment Plant, each composed of three channels ranging in depth from 5 to 20 inches and stocked with native floating aquatic plants and algae common in the Laguna de Santa Rosa.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase... |
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The Reclamation and Environmental Restoration of Laguna de Santa Rosa |
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Presented by Bob Hillman and James McElvaney, Laguna Foundation
A working hypothesis offers a plan to reduce and reverse the effects of Over-Nutrification, Chemical Contamination, and the Overgrowth of Ludwigia in the Laguna, and provides for its sustainable Reconstruction by “terra-forming” portions of the Laguna into deep cold water ponds as the sanctuary it once was, for fish, waterfowl and wildlife, alike, surrounded by easily maintained raised dry flats, achieving tangible results at a cost-savings for Laguna stakeholders.
Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
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Meet & Greet with Local Officials
Join us on Friday at the conclusion of the Conference for a mixer and meet & greet session with local officials, including...
Kathleen Schaffer, Sebastopol City Council
Jake Mackenzie, Rohnert Park City Council
Sam Salmon, Vice Mayor, Town of Windsor
Shirlee Zane, 3rd District Supervisor, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Wesley Chesbro, California Assemblymember
Grant Davis, Sonoma County Water Agency
David Noren, Sonoma County Regional Water Quality Control Board
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