Science-based solutions for land management
The Center for Ecosystem Climate Solutions (CECS) is developing the science-based tools California needs to more effectively manage its natural lands for climate change.
CECS brings together researchers, managers, and practitioners from across the state, who are all working to improve the health and resilience of our communities and the ecosystems we depend on.
The CECS Carbon Vulnerability Tool is Live!
This new app shows projected changes to aboveground carbon stocks across California over this century based on both moderate and extreme climate scenarios. These projections, built by a team of CEC researchers, are based on random forest models, using four seasons of temperature and precipitation as input.
The tool also allows users to identify which parts of the state are most vulnerable to future carbon loss due to changing temperature and precipitation patterns. Projections also include changes in tree versus shrub spread across the landscape and maps vulnerability for 20 tree species statewide.
The CECS Fire Progression Tool is Live!
This new app shows daily fire spread for 32 of the largest multi-day fires in California since 2012. The underlying dataset, built by CECS researchers, uses satellite detection to track daily fire spread for all 274 large, multi-day fires in California from 2012-2020.
The tool also visualizes fuel loads derived from CECS Ecosystem Integration Model, an original product that integrates geospatial data on physical conditions and a diagnostic model of pools and fluxes in order to generate data on carbon pools, water balance, die-off, and surface fuels.
Putting solar on roofs, parking lots, canals, other disturbed land provides multiple benefits. Think natural lands (biodiversity), productive farmland (food). Rooftop solar important for distributed electricity production & resilience, much more. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/business/energy-environment/california-rooftop-solar-utilities.html?smid=tw-share
Yes, much needed support for increasing the pace & scale of forest restoration. Hope this investment can also leverage multiple in-state sources of revenue, through partnerships with @usfs_r5 & counties, water agencies, state, NGOs, researchers. https://twitter.com/AlexPadilla4CA/status/1484375321021353986
This funding will provide critical support in our efforts to address the wildfires that continue to worsen as a result of the climate crisis. https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/Biden-Administration-pledges-billions-to-fight-16789202.php
Research News
- Hotter Summers Under Climate Change Lead to Worsening Sierra Nevada Wildfires January 19, 2022
- Roger Bales on Drought and California’s Water Supply in “The Conversation” December 7, 2021
- Achieving Shared Management Goals Between State and Federal Agencies Requires Shared Data November 22, 2021
- CECS Carbon Vulnerability Tool is Live! August 9, 2021
- California’s Carbon Mitigation Efforts May Be Thwarted By Climate Change Itself July 27, 2021
- Top-Level Stakeholder Survey Findings Available Now May 17, 2021