Item talk:Q160773
Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a National Synthesis of Streamflow Regimes Under a Changing Climate
In ecosystems characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams, the dynamics of how the water moves - how deep it is, how fast it flows, how often it floods - have direct effects on the health, diversity, and sustainability of underlying communities. Yet increasingly, climate extremes like droughts and floods are disrupting fragile stream ecosystems by specifically changing their internal aquatic flows. Human infrastructure, such as irrigation and dams, further disrupt these dynamics. These changes in climate and land use are leading to teh fragmentation of aquatic habtiat, degraded water quality, altered sediment transport processes, variation in the timing and duration of floodplain inundation, shifts in stream and lake temperatures, and the conversion of flowing streams to lakes and wetlands. This project, termed the “Future of Aquatic Flows,” has three primary components: 1) Regional projects focused on key research questions related to the future of aquatic flows in a changing climate at each CASC region around the country; 2) A national synthesis component which will synthesize the state of the science on how aquatic changes will be impacted by climate change, and implications for ecosystems and human communities; 3) A training component for the post-doctoral researchers who participate in this cohort of the CAP Fellows program "Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a National Synthesis" is the umbrella project for the 2022-2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort. Fellows situated at each of the nine regional CASCs will work with USGS, university, and regional partners to conduct research directly applicable to regional management priorities relating to aquatic flows, and will also work with each other on a national synthesis project on the topic. More information about the Future of Aquatic Flows CAP Fellowship can be found here: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/science/2022-24-future-aquatic-flows
