South Atlantic LCC Conservation Planning Atlas
The South Atlantic Conservation Planning Atlas (CPA) is a free mapping portal designed to share regional spatial data.
Southeast
Students Design Low-Impact Landscape to Reduce Stormwater Runoff
The challenge of new development
Climate Outlooks Help Water Supply Planning
Withdrawing water from nature
In the early 2000s, Dr. Alison Adam’s hometown of Tampa, Florida, experienced prolonged drought conditions. As surface water became scarce, the regional water utility—Tampa Bay Water—made the decision to use groundwater to meet consumers’ needs. Pumping groundwater lowered water levels in the region’s wetlands and lakes, eventually damaging ecosystems and reducing habitat for wildlife.
Developing and Using an Index to Guide Water Supply Decisions
Stressors and impacts
Nearly half a million people in southwest Florida rely on the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority—more simply, the Authority—for their municipal and household water needs. As the Science and Technology Officer at this mid-sized utility, Kevin Morris fills a number of roles: he is responsible for engineering, construction, planning, budgeting, and scientific modeling, all with the goal of providing a reliable supply of safe drinking water into the future.
Climate Change Atlas for Tree and Bird Species
The Climate Change Atlas documents the current and projected future distribution of 134 tree species and 147 bird species in the eastern United States. Changes in temperature and precipitation will affect the future distribution of tree species, and changes in the distribution of trees will have an effect on many species of birds. The Atlas can help to answer a range of questions concerning current and projected suitable habitat in the year 2100.
Alert System Helps Strawberry Growers Reduce Costs
Stressors and impacts
The Florida morning was cool and damp; raindrops from a predawn shower shone on the strawberry leaves like little cabochon diamonds. Ferris Farms General Manager Dudley Calfee, surveying his strawberry crop, knew that if the weather warmed up before the raindrops dried, fruit rot could take hold. Instead of gleaming red berries to take to market, he would have the moldy grey fuzz of a disaster on his hands. The subtropical climate of Florida makes growing strawberries a constant battle against at least two kinds of fruit rot: anthracnose and Botrytis.
Strawberry Advisory System
The Strawberry Advisory System is a plant disease decision support system for strawberry fields in Florida. This management tool helps growers assess the risk of epidemics from anthracnose and Botrytis on their farms. The use of the system enables growers to apply fungicides against these diseases only when conditions are favorable for disease so that they can avoid unnecessary sprays and reduce production costs.
CarbonTracker
CarbonTracker is a data assimilation system that combines observed carbon dioxide concentrations from 81 sites around the world with model predictions of what concentrations would be based on a preliminary set of assumptions (“the first guess”) about sources and sinks for carbon dioxide. CarbonTracker compares the model predictions with reality, and then systematically tweaks and evaluates the preliminary assumptions until it finds the combination that best matches the real world data.
Quantifying Risk Shows Value of Replacing Highway
Climate stressors and impacts
Designing a Communications Handout About Sea Level Rise
Stressors and impacts
Periodic high-tide flooding in Charleston, South Carolina, is a nuisance to residents and visitors. A few times per year, several inches of ocean water inundate portions of the town, causing driving hazards and forcing temporary business closures. And after the waters subside, the salty residue can cause corrosion and decay roads, buildings, and infrastructure. As sea levels rise, the frequency of these floods is increasing, and residents affected by the flooding are anxious to have the problem addressed.