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Bart Ballard

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Spatial data depicting marsh types (e.g. fresh, intermediate, brackish and saline) for the north-central Gulf of Mexico coast are inconsistent across the region, limiting the ability of conservation planners to model the current and future capacity of the coast to sustain priority species. The goal of this study was to (1) update the resolution of coastal Texas vegetation data to match that of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and (2) update vegetation maps for the Texas through Alabama region using current Landsat Imagery. Creating consistent regional vegetation maps will enable scientists to model vegetation response to and potential impacts of future climate change.
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Climate change threatens many functions of wetlands and habitat connectivity for migratory shorebirds who use wetlands across the Southern Great Plains. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will survey stakeholders in the region, project climate impacts on wetland-dependent birds, and create tools for conservation planning (e.g., ranking wetland importance to shorebirds). Results from this project will be used to improve wetland resilience, habitat connectivity, and ecosystem services. Functioning wetlands buffer against threats like drought, flooding, and pollution. However, climate change is degrading these wetland functions, including wildlife movement corridors that connect wetlands and...
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