Sustainability in a Time of Climate Change:

Developing an Intensive Research Framework for the Great Plains

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the U.S. Geological Survey are partnering to present a workshop to discuss the potential impacts of climate change on the Great Plains. Please join us in exploring answers to the question: What will life be like in the Great Plains 100 years from now in a time of global climate change?

Situation:
The grasslands and farmlands of Nebraska are among the world's most productive agricultural areas – a level of production made possible by a wealth of water resources. Beneath Nebraska lies the High Plains Aquifer, the largest groundwater system in the Western Hemisphere, and the great Platte River system transects the state. Together these systems sustain a major agricultural economy, native grasslands, important river ecosystems, thousands of acres of lakes and wetlands, and the North American North-South Central Migratory Flyway, which is vital to the survival of a majority of Western Hemisphere waterfowl, including threatened and endangered species.

Needs:
Climate change and accompanying pressures are major threats to these critical ecosystems. More informed policy, stewardship and legal decisions are required to balance competing ecological and human socio-economic demands and to ensure long-term sustainability of the Great Plains. Yet a lack of robust, dynamic scientific data characterizing the aquifer, surface waters, land cover and geomorphology, combined with deficiencies in modeling capabilities, impede the accurate forecasting needed for informed decision-making to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Purpose:
A creative research partnership among University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the U.S. Geological Survey and key regional stakeholders and decision makers offers an opportunity to address these issues. The long-term goal of this research partnership is to create an integrated, real-time knowledge base and climate change response system. This workshop, to be held May 19-22, 2008, in the heart of the Platte River, High Plains Aquifer and Sandhills systems, will bring together scientists, stakeholders and decision makers to discuss key research questions and socio-economic issues facing the region. Discussion will center on three key questions for stakeholders:

• What are your current challenges?
• What are your perceived future challenges?
• What are the tools that will assist you in sustainably managing resources?

Presented by:
Co-sponsored by: