Uncertainty, Complexity and Constraints: How Do We Robustly Assess Biological Responses under a Rapidly Changing Climate?

How robust is our assessment of impacts to ecosystems and species from a rapidly changing climate during the 21st century? We examine the challenges of uncertainty, complexity and constraints associated with applying climate projections to understanding future biological responses. This includes an evaluation of how to incorporate the uncertainty associated with different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and climate models, and constraints of spatiotemporal scales and resolution of climate data into impact assessments. We describe the challenges of identifying relevant climate metrics for biological impact assessments and evaluate the usefulness and limitations of different methodologies of applying climate change to both quantitative and qualitative assessments. We discuss the importance of incorporating extreme climate events and their stochastic tendencies in assessing ecological impacts and transformation, and provide recommendations for better integration of complex climate&ndash;ecological interactions at relevant spatiotemporal scales. We further recognize the compounding nature of uncertainty when accounting for our limited understanding of the interactions between climate and biological processes. Given the inherent complexity in ecological processes and their interactions with climate, we recommend integrating quantitative modeling with expert elicitation from diverse disciplines and experiential understanding of recent climate-driven ecological processes to develop a more robust understanding of ecological responses under different scenarios of future climate change. Inherently complex interactions between climate and biological systems also provide an opportunity to develop wide-ranging strategies that resource managers can employ to prepare for the future.</div

Co-productive agility and four collaborative pathways to sustainability transformations

Co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice by diverse societal actors, is argued to play an important role in sustainability transformations. Yet, there is still poor understanding of how to navigate the tensions that emerge in these processes. Through analyzing 32 initiatives worldwide that co-produced knowledge and action to foster sustainable social-ecological relations, we conceptualize ‘co-productive agility’ as an emergent feature vital for turning tensions into transformations. Co-productive agility refers to the willingness and ability of diverse actors to iteratively engage in reflexive dialogues to grow shared ideas and actions that would not have been possible from the outset. It relies on embedding knowledge production within processes of change to constantly recognize, reposition, and navigate tensions and opportunities. Co-productive agility opens up multiple pathways to transformation through: (1) elevating marginalized agendas in ways that maintain their integrity and broaden struggles for justice; (2) questioning dominant agendas by engaging with power in ways that challenge assumptions, (3) navigating conflicting agendas to actively transform interlinked paradigms, practices, and structures; (4) exploring diverse agendas to foster learning and mutual respect for a plurality of perspectives. We explore six process considerations that vary by these four pathways and provide a framework to enable agility in sustainability transformations. We argue that research and practice spend too much time closing down debate over different agendas for change – thereby avoiding, suppressing, or polarizing tensions, and call for more efforts to facilitate better interactions among different agendas

Co-productive agility and four collaborative pathways to sustainability transformations

Co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice by diverse societal actors, is argued to play an important role in sustainability transformations. Yet, there is still poor understanding of how to navigate the tensions that emerge in these processes. Through analyzing 32 initiatives worldwide that co-produced knowledge and action to foster sustainable social-ecological relations, we conceptualize ‘co-productive agility’ as an emergent feature vital for turning tensions into transformations. Co-productive agility refers to the willingness and ability of diverse actors to iteratively engage in reflexive dialogues to grow shared ideas and actions that would not have been possible from the outset. It relies on embedding knowledge production within processes of change to constantly recognize, reposition, and navigate tensions and opportunities. Co-productive agility opens up multiple pathways to transformation through: (1) elevating marginalized agendas in ways that maintain their integrity and broaden struggles for justice; (2) questioning dominant agendas by engaging with power in ways that challenge assumptions, (3) navigating conflicting agendas to actively transform interlinked paradigms, practices, and structures; (4) exploring diverse agendas to foster learning and mutual respect for a plurality of perspectives. We explore six process considerations that vary by these four pathways and provide a framework to enable agility in sustainability transformations. We argue that research and practice spend too much time closing down debate over different agendas for change – thereby avoiding, suppressing, or polarizing tensions, and call for more efforts to facilitate better interactions among different agendas

Flora and vegetation of the Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona

I compiled the first vascular flora of the Tucson Mountains of southeastern Arizona, part of the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. The study area consisted of over 40,000 hectares, with two principal biotic communities: desertscrub and desert-grassland. Over 300 km of trails, ridges, washes, canyons, and peaks were surveyed in a three year period, covering all elevations and habitats. This was supplemented by examination of herbarium records. The area is unusually rich compared to other regional floras in the state of Arizona, including a vascular flora of 605 specific and infraspecific taxa in 331 genera and 80 families. The distribution of life forms is: herbaceous annuals and perennials (73%), shrubs (9%), subshrubs (8%), succulents (4%), and trees (1%). Obligate annuals make up 45% of the flora, of which 62% are obligate spring annuals, 33% obligate summer annuals, and 5% either spring or summer annuals. Historical records from the first part of the century are reviewed and compared with the present day flora; 27 species that were found in the Tucson Mountains prior to 1950 have not been collected since, in spite of increased sampling effort. A disproportionate number of these locally-extirpated species are winter annuals

Pratt & Whitney EB-PVD YPSZ TBCs

The goal of this project was to further the understanding of TBCs deposited by EB-PVD by Pratt & Whitney. First Pratt & Whitney's coater one was re-qualified. After that a fixture was designed to permit blade positioning on the x, y and z-axes and also allow for blade rotation. Finally the coating qualities were studied. Crystallographic orientation was determined using x-ray diffraction, column growth angles were calculated and surface and column microstructure were analyzed using SEM

Hand-built structures for restoring degraded meadows in sagebrush rangelands: examples and lessons learned from the Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

May 2018.Includes bibliographical references.Purpose: Gully erosion and channel incision are widespread problems reducing the function and resilience of wet meadows and riparian areas. The loss of natural water storage capacity in these systems is of concern in low-precipitation areas where wet-mesic areas represent a small fraction of the landscape but are disproportionately important to wildlife and livestock. This technical note provides conservation practitioners with information on simple yet effective "Zeedyk" restoration techniques. The emphasis here is on structures that can be built by hand to address shallow headcuts or small incised channels (< 4 ft deep) impacting meadows and low-to-moderate gradient (< 3% slope) intermittent/ephemeral drainages in sagebrush rangelands. The note provides examples and lessons learned from partners in the Gunnison Climate Working Group who have been implementing a landscape-scale project using these techniques in the Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado. The note provides information and references to help practitioners identify opportunities, prioritize treatments, and design projects in similar watersheds across the West

Mastication Treatments Increase Perennial Herbaceous Cover Across Soil Types in Southeastern Colorado Pion-Juniper Woodlands,

Tree-removal treatments have been broadly applied across piñon-juniper ecosystems of the western United States to reduce tree cover, stimulate understory plant production, and promote habitat for shrub- and grassland-obligate wildlife species. Mastication treatments have become an increasingly common approach, yet the efficacy of these treatments can vary on the basis of a variety of factors, including soil characteristics, woodland structure, and grazing pressures. Here, we assessed vegetation responses to mastication treatments across three dominant soil types in two-needle piñon (Pinus edulis Engelm. [Pinaceae])−one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma [Engelm.] Sarg.) woodlands in southeast Colorado, United States, a region characterized by monsoonal precipitation, limited presence of introduced plant species, and relatively high grazing intensity by cattle and wildlife. We found that mastication treatments were effective at increasing herbaceous plant cover and species diversity (by 1.2 × and 1.5 ×) and at reducing the amount of exposed soil (60% reduction) 3 yr following treatment. This was mainly due to increases in native perennial grasses. Further, there were limited (and insignificant) increases in cover of annual plants and low abundance of introduced species in treated plots. Understory plant responses to treatment were similar across soils with a range of available water capacities. The increase in understory plant cover and richness paired with the low abundance of introduced species suggests that mastication treatments increase forage production for cattle and wild ungulates. In addition, the lack of soil type differences in treatment response suggests that mastication treatment placement does not need to prioritize soil type and can instead focus on other key areas of importance, such as wildlife habitat connectivity, historic woodland structure, and treatment feasibility

Six modes of co-production for sustainability

The promise of co-production to address complex sustainability challenges is compelling. Yet, co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice, encompasses diverse aims, terminologies and practices, with poor clarity over their implications. To explore this diversity, we systematically mapped differences in how 32 initiatives from 6 continents co-produce diverse outcomes for the sustainable development of ecosystems at local to global scales. We found variation in their purpose for utilizing co-production, understanding of power, approach to politics and pathways to impact. A cluster analysis identified six modes of co-production: (1) researching solutions; (2) empowering voices; (3) brokering power; (4) reframing power; (5) navigating differences and (6) reframing agency. No mode is ideal; each holds unique potential to achieve particular outcomes, but also poses unique challenges and risks. Our analysis provides a heuristic tool for researchers and societal actors to critically explore this diversity and effectively navigate trade-offs when co-producing sustainability