North American grasslands provide important ecosystem services, including food, fiber, and animal production, erosion control, runoff reduction, and wildlife habitat. They are also vulnerable to climate change impacts such as increased temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. However, grasslands have often been overlooked in climate policy and are underrepresented in adaptation literature.
To support the needs of grassland managers who are grappling with increasing climate change impacts, a team of researchers synthesized existing knowledge and expert input to develop a Grassland Adaptation Menu, recently published in Conservation Science and Practice. The Grassland Adaptation Menu is intentionally designed to help managers translate concepts into action. It includes eight general strategies and 32 approaches for climate adaptation.
Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center Graduate Fellow Jacy Bernath-Plaisted was the lead author on this publication. Several other Midwest CASC community members also contributed, including Stephen Handler (Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science), Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy), Leslie Brandt (US Forest Service), and Benjamin Zuckerberg (University of Wisconsin-Madison).