Climate Adaptation Science News

Christopher Keyes joins the college as department head of wildland resources, Edd Hammill is interim department head of watershed sciences, and Juan Villalba is the new associate dean for research and graduate programs.

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University has announced a $450,000 partnership with Rio Tinto Kennecott — the institute’s first Summit-Level community partner with annual funding of more than $100,000 per year.

Utah State University will now offer a bachelor of science degree emphasis in ranch management economics, a newly developed program designed to prepare students for success in the dynamic field of ranch management, specifically in the Intermountain West....

A new USU study has shed light on how mountain streams in the Upper Colorado Basin respond to the compounded disturbances of wildfire, extreme precipitation and debris flows.

Working on a project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Water Research Laboratory graduate student Homa Salehabadi developed a structured framework for assessing streamflow data to inform management options post-2026.

Biological Engineering Professor David Britt was awarded $300,000 by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for research to supply crops with resources to better withstand climate change and drought.

Deep technology skills that combine the speed of artificial intelligence with real-time data offer strategic advantage during natural disasters, such as the crown fire that burned in Yellowstone National Park.

Geochemistry professor aims to continue building a welcoming and supportive academic environment with robust research opportunities.

Following a yearlong collaborative effort, the Utah Division of Water Rights and Utah State University researchers just released the results of a study that improves understanding of how water moves through the Great Salt Lake basin.

A team led by Jim Lutz, professor in Wildland Resources, is working through sun and storm this summer at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Southern Utah, checking up on trees.

David Rosenberg gathered feedback from 26 Colorado River Basin managers and experts took on water user roles to discuss consuming, banking and trading Colorado River water.

Emily Burgess, a doctoral student in USU's Department of Biology and the Ecology Center, is studying how a changing climate is affecting plant and microbial interactions.

A team of researchers, including Janice Brahney from the Department of Watershed Sciences and Ecology Center, has developed a new metric, the "lake-smoke day," to help study wildfire smoke contamination around lakes and rivers.

Christopher R. "Chris" Smith is the new head of USU's Department of Biology. Smith is an evolutionary ecologist and organismal biologist, whose research focuses primarily on social insects.

Four Utah State University faculty members have received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 2024-25 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Wei Zhang, assistant professor of climate science in the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, is part of a newly announced virtual Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring, a $2.3 million initiative of the National Integrated Heat Health Information ...

USU faculty members Matt Yost, Heloisa Rutigliano, and Andreé Walker Bravo recently completed a year of leadership training in the USDA and Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities LEAD 21 program.

Scholars participating in the 2024 Native American Summer Mentorship Program share insights from month-long Logan campus experience.

Plant and agroclimate scientist Matt Yost helps Utah farmers improve production and optimize water use, and now serves colleagues in the American Society of Agronomy.

Researchers from Utah State University and the Utah Water Research Laboratory recently published a new study that aims to help communities more accurately predict streamflow patterns in karst mountain watersheds.

Evolutionary biologist Zach Gompert publishes findings about repeated evolution in the American Association for the Advancement of Science journal "Science Advances."

Tucked away in a basement facility on Utah State University's Logan campus, the Intermountain Herbarium is a treasure trove of plant, fungi and seed specimens.

Journalists, researchers, and Colorado River experts gathered at the Utah State University Moab campus in late April to launch the Colorado River Collaborative, a statewide media group to help train, inform, and support news organizations in telling solut...

From the Colorado to the Great Salt Lake - Utah and the Intermountain West face an epic variety of issues in water quality, scarcity, and equity. Solving them requires experts to put their heads together, crossing industries and disciplines.

The Utah Department of Natural Resources, Office of the Great Salt Lake and other water agencies took a field trip earlier this month to tour how other Southwest communities handle water in dry climates as they search for solutions to improve the lake's w...

A new exhibition, “Beauty & the Beaks: A Photographic Love Letter to the Swaner Preserve” by Steve Krongard and Jodi Buren, will be on display at the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter through Dec. 1.

Drought-busting spring rains may slow in the future — to understand why, researchers first had to define a "miracle."

Long-term trends for ice cover on Yellowstone Lake, North America's largest high-elevation lake, seem to be holding steady despite warming trends in the region.

David Tarboton spoke on the importance of properly organizing and sharing research data at the annual D. Wynne Thorne Lecture on April 8.

Whether you’re solving sudoku, crushing candy or flinging furious fowl, interactive games have become a default part of many people’s lives. Where some see a chance to zone out, Department of Watershed Sciences faculty Janice Brahney sees an opportunity t...

The annual Spring Runoff Conference at Utah State University brings dozens of professionals together to discuss these water issues and better water management to protect Utah’s major water bodies. The conference took place March 26-27, at Cache County

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water & Air (ILWA) held their annual run-off conference that looks at water in Utah from Bear Lake to the Colorado River and where it intersects with Utah’s water supplies and also explores the situation with o...

Because discovery is a core part of the land grant mission of Utah State University, the school’s Office of Research and the University Libraries will join to host events during Research Week, April 8-12.

Forces that drive climate change do more than just create warming temperatures; they cause more frequent extreme weather events, including heat waves. The global impact of heat waves is one reason that stories about the research have appeared in more than...

Fires were set in an effort to get rid of phragmites, a highly invasive grass that is choking wetlands along the Great Salt Lake.

New research from the Quinney College of Natural Resources and the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism are studying Yellowstone National Park to calculate surplus carbon visitors from across the world add to the atmosphere each year as a direct re...

As part of a series, Utah State Today is publishing profiles of a variety of leaders. This interview with Quinney College of Natural Resources Dean Linda Nagel is in observation of March as Women's History Month

Cache Water Users and Utah State University have combined two annual water conferences into one event, the Northern Utah Water Users/Spring Runoff Conference, on March 26 and 27.

As part of a series, Utah State Today is publishing profiles of a variety of leaders. This interview with Michelle Baker, dean of the USU College of Science, is in observation of March as Women's History Month.

USU plant biologist Carl Rothfels, director of USU's Intermountain Herbarium and associate professor in the Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center, is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award.

Why, exactly, aren't universities better at moving the needle on climate change, even on their own campuses?

Stephanie Frohman will join the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air as associate director.

Utah’s first ever Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan was released Friday at the Utah State Capitol, offering state leaders, land managers and outdoor enthusiasts an insider’s look at how recreation access and infrastructure will evolve over the next 20 yea...

There may, as they say, be plenty of fish in the sea - but angling opportunities on Utah's streams, rivers and lakes are getting more crowded.

Winners of the 2024 Utah High School Clean Air Marketing Contest will be announced at Utah State University's Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art Community Art Day on Saturday, Feb. 10. Clean air public service announcements created by this year's 57 final...

Dust from the atmosphere acts like a fertilizer for algae, broadening its growth tolerance. Microscopic algae are the foundation of freshwater systems, but recent shifts from climate-change stressors are changing the way they grow, according to recent res...

As countries work to cut emissions from fossil fuels, deforestation and other sources, a major study led by Trisha Atwood from the Quinney College of Natural Resources has found that bottom trawling - dragging heavy fishing nets across the ocean floor - c...

A new event on the USU campus, Dialogues on Economic Growth and Sustainability, is set to explore issues and tensions related to economic growth and sustainability.

Experts synthesize data and insights needed to help decision-makers return lake to healthy levels.

USU ecologist Moria Robinson, assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Ecology Center, is lead author of a Nov. 10 paper in Science exploring how and why patterns in plant-herbivore interactions vary across the globe.

Tiny bits of quartz record the intensity of fires from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, potentially offering new ways to study historic fires and how heat affects soil.

The message from the latest National Climate Assessment released this week is that the cascading effects of change are impacting every region with varying degrees of damage. The high-impact report includes two expert authors from the Quinney College of Na...

Peter Howe tracks a looming threat unfolding across the United States, one that causes more human casualties than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined - and one that you've perhaps never even thought much about.

Students and faculty from the Quinney College of Natural Resources participate in tree-planting project at Wuda Ogwa, a site sacred to the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation near Preston, Idaho.

Since the HMS Beagle arrived in the Galapagos with Charles Darwin to meet a fateful family of finches, ecologists have struggled to understand a particularly perplexing question: Why is there a ridiculous abundance of species in some places on earth and s...

Dr. Peter Adler will be succeeding Dr. Nancy Huntly as director of the Ecology Center at Utah State University.

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air released the 2023 Report to the Governor and Legislature on Utah's Land, Water, and Air at an event in downtown Salt Lake City on Thursday morning.

Utah's 2022-2023 meteorological winter was one of the wettest ever recorded in the Beehive State. While the generous precipitation was a welcome boost to dry reservoirs and groundwater supplies, the massive snowfall brought its share of headaches for prop...

This past August, the National Audubon Society, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Sageland Collaborative, Point Blue Conservation, Tracy Aviary, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service all came together to conduct their biannual migratory shorebird survey...

The Canyonlands Research Center is a research ranch in arid, Moab, Utah. This ranch provides insight into how climate adaptation can occur with agriculture and ranching, but also with restoration practices.

Zhao Ma is a professor of Natural Resource Social Science at Purdue University. Her work is centered at the crossroads of ecological and social change. At her seminars this week, she explored invasive plant management, adaptation to climate change, and ho...

New research shows that in addition to trees, humble grasses play an essential role in capturing carbon to fight climate change in savanna ecosystems.

"We have these beautiful popcorn cumulus that just sit there and you look at the shape of the clouds, that type of day, we go outside and go to the beach, it just cooking pollution that's already been sitting there. And so that's what makes air quality wo...

Results from the Utah People and Environment Poll are showing a positive shift in Utahn's perceptions of climate change - reflecting a growing understanding among residents of its impacts and causes.

In some places rain is changing - it is falling less often, but with more intensity. New research is deciphering which plants might thrive and survive under these new conditions, and it often depends on their roots.

Jennifer Reeve, associate professor of organic and sustainable agriculture, and Matt Yost, associate professor and agroclimate Extension specialist, have joined an international team that aims to gather data on how different farming techniques remove carb...

Physics professor Robert Davies and former student Jacob Alder share climate concerns on 'surreal' trip with Walking Softer.

Doctoral scholar Emily Calhoun and faculty mentor Norah Saarman partner with public officials on abatement, disease prevention efforts.

Chevak, Alaska was hit by a 70-year typhoon in September 2022, and a USU team is evaluating long-term vegetative changes in the wake of the storm.

Utah State University journalists at Utah Public Radio have created an interactive website to help Utahns understand the critical role Great Salt Lake and its wetlands play in the ecosystem that is crucial to 10 million birds.

Utah State University Blanding and Utah State University Moab will host the art exhibit Sentinels, presented by the Last Glacial Collective. The exhibit is a collaboration of artists that worked to present their concern for the global future through artis...

The Western U.S. is a hotspot for studying climate change impacts on the hydrological or water cycle. Despite lower-than-average total precipitation in 2021, the contrasting dryness and wetness in the Western U.S. has been widely described as a "precipita...

The Great Salt Lake's disappearance could cause immense damage to Utah's public health, environment, and economy. The choices we make over the next few months will affect our state and ecosystems throughout the West for decades to come.

Declining water levels exposed much of the Great Salt Lake's bed and created conditions for storms of dust laden with toxic metals that now threaten 2 million people.

If plants were a bit more ambulatory, Peter Adler and Michael Stemkovski might find their work to be a bit less urgent.

It might come as a surprise that the water stores we assume are so carefully measured and divided are not always precisely accounted for or understood.

CAS faculty Sasha Reed is working with a team to study how the loss of biological soil crusts could affect water cycles and desert ecology.

First debuted back in 2012, 'Rising Tide: The Crossroads Project' recently marked its 10th anniversary with a special performance at Utah State University - where the project initially began to take shape.

As the climate becomes warmer and drier in the Colorado Plateau, traditional Angus-cattle ranching is facing challenges. USU students Will Munger and Maria Stahl are exploring the possibilities of Criollo cattle at the Dugout Ranch in San Juan County.

With record high temperatures scorching Utah into September this year and crushing previous years' records, the effects of excess carbon in Earth's atmosphere is impossible to ignore. To combat these effects, a $15 million research project has been funded...

USU Extension Specialist and researcher Matt Yost will be speaking at the USU Research Landscapes on the topic of water optimization.

An interdisciplinary team of Utah State University researchers recently explored how historic canal trails can be used as an active transportation solution. Their findings will help the Utah Department of Transportation and community leaders make decision...

Scientific studies are finding that climate change is intensifying weather with heat waves occurring more often, cold temperatures getting colder, and rainfall amounts becoming more extreme.

In this period of great drought, scientists are researching whether Criollo cattle are better adapted to climate change and if they have a lesser impact on desert landscapes being affected by climate change.

Many foods you see are advertised as 'carbon neutral' achieve that on paper by putting money into carbon shares after traditional production. We're trying to create a little more authenticity in that process.

Utah is commonly known for its "greatest snow on earth" claim to fame. Home to 15 well-revered ski resorts, both residents and tourists alike spend the winter months on the slopes. However, this title of "greatest snow" is at risk due to climate change.

The Great Salt Lake is following a similar pattern to central Chile's former Lake Aculeo. Will Munger, a PhD student at USU, compares the two lakes and provides possible solutions to prevent the Great Salt Lake from the fate of Lake Aculeo.

The Decisions Downstream exhibit at the Swaner EcoCenter in Park city uses art and science to illustrate how management decisions about rivers could be improved by incorporating information about the ecosystem.

Although savannas already hold substantial belowground carbon, new research, conducted by USU's Yong Zhou, found that increasing tree cover through fire suppression captures much less carbon than projected.

Trees have a complex relationship with snow and energy as the season warms up, but new research from USU's Department of Wildland Resources shows that big trees can protect melting snowpacks in water-stressed environments.

In the Western U.S. where skiing, hiking, biking, hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation are core to many people’s lives, and where local economies rely on income generated by these activities, the impacts of a changing climate are already difficul...

According to USU professor David Rosenberg, water conservation information needs to be communicated in a way that explains why conservation is needed and frames conservation messages as potential opportunities with benefits

Dennis Newell, graduate director in the Department of Geosciences, is coordinating the department's efforts as a new AGU Bridge Program partner. The nationwide initiative encourages underrepresented students to pursue graduate studies in geosciences.

A new grant will allow researchers to determine how water markets can be used to make water management systems more resilient. The interdisciplinary team include (left to right) Matt Yost, Niel Allen, Sarah Null, David Rosenberg, and Alfonso Torres-Rua.

According to the Utah Climate Center, although Utah is likely to see a split in the precipitation pattern, confidence is even greater that the state will experience above-average wintertime temperatures everywhere, which can lead to more frequent rain ins...

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers at USU creating tools to better understand the global impact of climate change and other disasters as part of a national initiative.

Davies is calling on lawmakers to develop policies that tackle climate change to stop the trends that could lead to more dangerous extremes — including more drought, heatwaves and flooding.

Climate change is predicted to increase temperatures and shift precipitation patterns in Utah, which could have significant impacts on ski resorts.

Heavy rains in early late June and early July have triggered flash floods and multiple debris flows in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar area; USUs Belize Lane and Haley Canham are part of the team picking up where the firefighters left off.

USUs Jack Schmidt highlights the risks of business as usual on the Colorado River, knowing he may have to accept a difficult truth: that people may again decide to sacrifice the river's ecosystems to get the water they want for cities, farms, and power.

Laine Brice publishes her capstone communication project on the CAS Website!

In a rare exchange, scientists and water resources engineers from Iran and Utah are collaborating on a bold scientific study to restore Lake Urmia, one of the world’s largest saline lakes.

USUs Trisha Atwood and 25 other experts offer the most comprehensive assessment to date of where to ramp up strict ocean protection to increase seafood security, curb biodiversity loss, and provide a cost effective solution to climate change.

Recently, researchers including USU's Simon Wang, found that even just a half-degree of warming could significantly increase the likelihood and significance of wildfires.

Chuck Hawkins has been awarded the SFSs AoE for his contributions to research on freshwater ecosystems, aquatic bioassessment, and leadership across freshwater science.

UNESCO released the first global scientific assessment of its World Heritage marine sites’ blue carbon ecosystems, highlighting the critical environmental value of these habitats. Dr. Trisha Atwood is one of the contributors to this report.

With the help of a team of students from Utah State University, members of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation are working to restore the sacred land at the site of the Bear River Massacre.

There are many different paths that can lead to a successful career; Nature Index asked five researchers, including Dr. Trish Atwood, for their insights on what to do after completing a PhD.

USU Associate Professor David Rosenberg and Ayman Alafifi, a water resources engineer at Brown and Caldwell, have developed an innovative computer model that helps water and wetland managers make better, data-based decisions.

Matt Yost, an assistant professor and Extension agroclimate specialist at Utah State University, has been recognized by the American Society of Agronomy with the organization’s Early Career Award.

Dr. Courtney Flint, a natural resources sociologist, will address how understanding the relationship between Utah's lands and personal well being is necessary for Utah's future at the next Research Landscapes.

Trisha Atwood of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center is a recipient of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship.

Utah State University ecologist Bonnie Waring heads one of seven projects chosen nationally by competitive peer review for a U.S. Department of Energy Terrestrial Ecological Sciences grant.

Researchers from Utah State University’s Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism recently completed research to better understand how shifting spring runoff is affecting angling in the Yellowstone River watershed.

CAS Co-PI Patrick Belmont and other USU faculty bring attention to USU's carbon footprint.

How do you tackle a wicked problem like climate change? Though there aren't any easy answers, there are complex ones, and it’s these nuanced approaches that graduate students are pursuing in the CAS program.

Jordan Smith and colleagues in the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism characterize the operation of the nation’s 50 state park systems between 1984 and 2017.

Patrick Belmont and Chris Monz are leading an effort toward a resolution that would bolster a commitment by former President Albrecht to make USU a carbon neutral university

CAS faculty member Peter Howe and colleagues in the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication are featured in the New York Times for work highlighting public consensus on solutions.

Zhang and faculty member Jordan Smith determined the influence of a variety of "push" and "pull" factors.

Morrisett (CAS Cohort 3 PhD Student) completed a summer internship with the Center during her undergraduate career at Stanford.

Drs. Brendan Murphy, Larissa Yocom, and Patrick Belmont acknowledge the well-documented risk wildfires pose to homes and structures, but highlight the less appreciated risk that high severity wildfires pose for water security.