Research Projects

The Midwest CASC funds projects that address the Midwest region’s science priorities, which include heavy precipitation events and drought, loss of winter, altered hydrological regimes, novel terrestrial landscapes, and barriers to and opportunities for adaptation.

As of December 2022, there are 27 projects underway.

Midwest CASC Projects

Year Title Principal Investigator(s) Topic(s) Status
2019 Managing and Promoting the Resiliency of Winter-Adapted Species to Climate Change Benjamin Zuckerberg Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2019 Fish Habitat Restoration to Promote Adaptation: Resilience of Sport Fish in Lakes of the Upper Midwest Jordan S Read , Gretchen Hansen Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Understanding and Forecasting Potential Recruitment of Lake Michigan Fishes David Bunnell Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 The Impact of Future Climate on Wetland Habitat in a Critical Migratory Waterfowl Corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region Owen McKenna Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants Completed
2020 Supply-and-Demand Dynamics Associated with Using Stocking to Maintain Walleye Fisheries in the Face of Climate Change Daniel Isermann Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Scoping the Feasibility of Incorporating Climate Change into Risk Assessments of Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Midwest Mark Wiltermuth , Benjamin Letcher, Jordan Read, Nicholas Phelps Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Quantifying the Impacts of Climate Change on Fish Growth and Production to Enable Sustainable Management of Diverse Inland Fisheries Gretchen Hansen Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Modeling the Interaction of Forest Management and Climate Change on the Spread and Impact of Non-Native Invasive Plants Hong He Landscapes, Science Tools for Managers, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Linking Stream Fish Thermal Ecology and Adaptive Capacity to Inform Watershed-Based Management and Species Status Assessments Craig Paukert Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Impacts of Climate Change on Vegetation, Ecohydrology, and Management of Manoomin (Wild Rice) Watersheds Daniel Larkin Indigenous Peoples, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Identifying Effects of Weather and Land Use on Autumn and Winter Waterfowl Distribution Dynamics in the 21st Century Lisa Webb Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Exploring the Potential for Adaptive Tree Plantings to Restore and Sustain Forest Habitats Across the Upper Lake States Anthony D'Amato Landscapes, Science Tools for Managers, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Evaluating the Role of Climate on Midwestern Butterfly Trajectories, Monarch Declines, and the Broader “Insect Apocalypse” Elise Zipkin, Leslie Ries Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2020 Climate, Storms, and the Drivers of Cyanobacteria Blooms in Lake Superior Hilary Dugan Water, Coasts and Ice In Progress
2020 Can Climate Change Mitigation Through Forest Management Save the Moose in Minnesota? Deahn Donner Landscapes, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2021 Walleye Fisheries: Bright Spots in a Changing Climate Holly Embke Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2021 Public Acceptance and Preferences for Climate Change Adaptation in the Midwest David Fulton Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2021 Evaluating How Changing Climate and Water Clarity Can Affect Restoration of Native Coregonine Fish in Midwestern Lakes David Bunnell Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2022 Workshop: Natural Solutions to Ecological and Economic Problems Caused by Extreme Precipitation Events in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Ryan Burner , Kristen L Bouska, John Delaney , Molly Van Appledorn Science Tools for Managers, Water, Coasts and Ice In Progress
2022 The Combined Effects of Seasonal Climate and Extreme Precipitation on Flood Hazard in the Midwest Daniel Vimont Drought, Fire and Extreme Weather, Water, Coasts and Ice In Progress
2022 Developing a Decision Making and Climate Adaptation Framework for National Wildlife Refuge System Managers in the Midwest Max Post van der Burg Landscapes, Science Tools for Managers In Progress
2022 Technical Assessment of Climate Science Needs in the Midwest Jessica Hellmann In Progress
2022 Leveraging Genomic Data to Increase Adaptive Potential and Inform Management Action for the Endangered Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly Under Climate Change Sarah Fitzpatrick In Progress
2022 Improving the Midwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool to Support Regional Climate Adaptation John Delaney Science Tools for Managers, Water, Coasts and Ice In Progress
2022 Identifying Thermal Refugia for Brook Trout Climate Adaptation in Coldwater Streams Diana Karwan Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2022 Climate-Driven Connectivity Between Prairie-Pothole and Riparian Wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed: Implications for Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality Owen McKenna Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress
2022 Characterizing Climate-Driven Changes to Flood Events and Floodplain Forests in the Upper Mississippi River to Inform Management Molly Van Appledorn Drought, Fire and Extreme Weather, Landscapes, Water, Coasts and Ice In Progress
2022 Assessing the Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer and Adaptation Strategies on Habitat Quality for At Risk Wildlife in Black Ash Forests Alexis Grinde Indigenous Peoples, Landscapes, Water, Coasts and Ice, Wildlife and Plants In Progress