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Climate Change and Wetlands in the Southern Great Plains: How Are Managers Dealing with an Uncertain Future?

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Abstract

Little guidance is available to assist wetland managers in developing climate adaptation plans. To facilitate development of recommendations for adaptation strategies, it is essential to first determine if or how wetland managers are addressing these challenges. We used an online survey to solicit feedback from wetland managers and biologists in the Southern Great Plains of North America to gain information on perceptions of wetland managers regarding climate change; assess how the effects of climate change are being addressed through management; and identify barriers to implementing climate change adaptation. The majority of wetland managers (63%) agreed they are currently experiencing effects of climate change in wetlands, and most respondents (76%) reported that changes in the timing of water availability throughout the year was the most likely impact. Managers reported using a diversity of approaches in managing for changing precipitation, with management of native and invasive plant species being the two most common practices. Lack of funding and personnel were the most commonly identified factors limiting manager’s response to changing precipitation patterns. In addition, >50% of managers indicated uncertainty about the effects of climate change on wetlands as a barrier to management, which may relate to limited access to peer-reviewed science. While most of the management practices reported were short-term measures and may not reflect long-term adaptation for climate change, the fact that many managers are considering climate change in their management suggests that there is considerable opportunities to continue developing capacity for climate change adaptation in the region.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the survey participants for all of their feedback, and to those who helped connect us with new managers for our survey. In addition, we would like to thank Dave Haukos, Bill Johnson and two anonymous reviewers for providing valuable comments that greatly improved this paper.

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DWL, OJ, BCY, CAD, EPR, SRL conceived project and collected the data. DWL analyzed data and wrote paper. All authors provided feedback on survey questions, contact lists, and final paper.

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This project was supported by the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center Grant G21AC10387-00.

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Correspondence to David W. Londe.

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Londe, D.W., Joshi, O., York, B.C. et al. Climate Change and Wetlands in the Southern Great Plains: How Are Managers Dealing with an Uncertain Future?. Environmental Management 71, 379–392 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01758-w

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