Research at the George Perkins Marsh Institute solves real-world problems and engages with partners from individual households to organizations and agencies working at national or global scales. Much of our work is interdisciplinary in nature, and conducted in large teams with collaborations among Clark researchers as well as with researchers at other institutions around the world. The scale of projects ranges from local neighborhoods to regional watersheds to whole countries and the entire globe. External support for research activities comes from federal, state, local and international grants, private donations, foundations, and other sources. Search the list below for current and past projects.<\/p>\n\n\n
Karen Frey<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Pacific Arctic region (PAR) has had the most spatially extensive loss of seasonal sea ice of any of the Arctic marginal seas. The northern Bering and Chukchi Seas are among the most productive marine ecosystems in the Arctic and are important carbon sinks and seasonal sources of organic materials. The recent shifts in sea ice cover are having profound consequences for seasonal phytoplankton production as well as affecting upper trophic level species, including species harvested locally for subsistence. In short, many organisms (from microzooplankton to top predators) are changing their distribution, migration routes and foraging patterns. However, key uncertainties remain as to how the marine ecosystem will respond to seasonal shifts in the timing of spring sea ice retreat and\/or delays in fall sea ice formation. This continuing long-term project will focus on the following questions: (1) Will an earlier sea ice retreat and changes in seawater hydrographic properties influence the composition of pelagic and benthic prey species, and how will that affect the resiliency of the system and upper trophic level organisms? (2) How do seasonal changes in hydrography (salinity, temperature, and nutrients) affect the distribution of primary production and export production to the benthos? (3) What will be the ecosystem responses to changes in environmental drivers, and can we forecast the biological response in the food web through ecological modeling? (4) How will biophysical changes in the PAR impact upper trophic level species and thereby disrupt food security for coastal communities?<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Geological Survey<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Changes in Earth\u2019s climate are increasingly affecting natural resources in Hawai\u2018i and on many other Pacific Islands and territories. Increasing temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and more intense droughts and severe storms are just some of the challenges faced by resource managers. Therefore, the need for high-quality reliable climate data and translated products that can be used to proactively plan for changing environmental conditions has never been greater. Working with partners through the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Centers (PI-CASC), this project is focused on the co-creation of several new datasets and knowledge products to be utilized by a wide range of users including researchers, resource managers, educators, and the community at large. The research addresses four primary objectives: 1) Analyze how participatory climate change scenario planning can be used to inform management plans; 2) Improve data availability in American S\u0101moa and Guam including the development of high-resolution historical rainfall maps; 3) Develop cyber-infrastructure on the Hawai\u2018i Climate Data Portal (HCDP) to make Guam and American S\u0101moa rainfall maps available for streamlined visualization and download; and 4) Work with local partners and community leaders in Hawai\u2018i, Guam, and American S\u0101moa to develop climate knowledge products using a previously demonstrated co-production approach.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Hamed Alemohammad<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Aeronautics and Space Administration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Agriculture, one of the largest drivers of terrestrial habitat loss and climate change, is fundamental to human health and well-being, and plays a critical role in socio-economic development. However, tracking agricultural change is difficult because of the uneven availability and varying quality of data, particularly in Africa. To understand how agricultural systems are changing, it is necessary to map field boundaries at national to regional scales on an annual basis. This task requires remote sensing, which has recently seen tremendous gains in the ability to map individual fields, due to increasing availability of high-resolution imagery and advances in artificial intelligence. To improve the ability to map small fields over large areas, this research will: 1) examine whether field boundary labels developed on VHR (very high resolution) imagery improves a boundary-aware model's ability to delineate in HR (high resolution) imagery, 2) quantify how many VHR-based labels are needed to optimize HR-based field boundary delineation, and 3) to demonstrate the ability of VHR-improved models to generate a seven-year series of country-scale field boundary maps in Ghana, Zambia, and Tanzania, and use them to analyze agricultural change. This project will improve methods for tracking and understanding the nature and impacts of widespread agricultural change.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Taylor Geospatial Engine<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
To understand how agricultural systems are changing, it is necessary to map field boundaries at national to regional scales. This project will contribute to improving the understanding of the best approaches to modeling field delineation in areas that have been identified as low-performance areas in previous work, and will also support increasing global coverage through incorporation of additional data sources for case study benchmark testing.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Robert J. Johnston<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
New York Sea Grant<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Residential septic systems are a primary source of nitrogen loading to nearby water bodies which can negatively impact water quality. Collaborating with researchers at University of Connecticut, University of Maryland, and University of Miami, this interdisciplinary project will develop a generalizable framework and integrated, spatially-explicit economic-behavioral-hydrological model to inform the design and targeting of programs to reduce Long Island Sound non-point source nitrogen loads from residential onsite wastewater treatment systems. This work will significantly advance public understanding of opportunities and barriers to reduction of nitrogen from residential parcels, provide a tool that predicts household adoption of alternative onsite wastewater treatment technologies under alternative programs and scenarios, and identify how programs can be optimally designed for cost-effective nitrogen-load reduction. The framework and tool will be illustrated via an application to coastal counties and municipalities within the Long Island Sound watershed, and will be generalizable to other regions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Arizona State University<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Extreme climate events, such as droughts and storms, have severe consequences in the Pacific Islands, particularly when multiple events co-occur either simultaneously or consecutively. Compound events are driven by a combination of multiple hazards and\/or drivers, which can be in a single location or linked across large distances. Compound events can also result from interactions with environmental or non-climate hazards, or socioeconomic stressors. While compound event research has expanded greatly since first being introduced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Climate Extremes in 2012, few studies have examined these types of events in the Pacific Islands region. Working with collaborators at the University of Hawai\u2018i at M\u0101noa, NOAA, Arizona State University, and the East-West Center, this project will characterize compound events in Hawai\u02bbi and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and describe the implications for hazard prediction, impact assessment, and adaptation planning.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation (HEGS program)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Many developing governments state in their climate change mitigation pledges that they intend to use funding to benefit rural citizens; however, shifts in land markets may result in reduced land ownership by rural residents. Linkages between land markets and gains in planted tree cover need to be studied to mitigate such unintended policy consequences, which may in turn lead to migration and food insecurity. Collaborating with researchers at Middlebury College, this project examines factors that lead to the regeneration of forests in developing regions in Eastern Africa that have been deforested by people. In particular, the research examines the extent to which forest regrowth arises from the purchases of rural property by urban landowners, who may use the properties to cultivate tree crops. Using a combination of satellite imagery and ethnographic methods, researchers can discern the extent to which forest regrowth is attributable to these rural-to-urban land sales. An ethnographic analysis of landowner priorities further elucidates the determinants of tree cover gain across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This research contributes to the management and stewardship of forests in regions that are the focus of conservation efforts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Department of Defense\/Minerva Research Initiative<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Climate change is already disrupting economic security and livelihoods, increasing societal instability, and threatening global and national security. This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa where climate change impacts come on top of rapid urbanization, economic growth, and transformation of the continent\u2019s agricultural systems. Large investments in infrastructure and farming are changing rural labor markets and supply chains, altering the food system. In parallel, urbanization is altering both rural and urban labor opportunities, particularly among young people. These demographic change processes fundamentally link to food systems. Whether these changes have made agricultural and urban systems more vulnerable to climate change is a critical question. Predicting how this complex set of dynamics influences conflict and identifying potential points of intervention requires a detailed understanding of the climate-food-urbanization nexus. Clark University\u2019s role in this project involves the use of remote sensing images and other available geospatial data together with machine learning to map infrastructure and agricultural change in Zambia and selected portions of Kenya and Tanzania.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Denise Humphreys Bebbington<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
John Rogan<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The proposed development of the US$ 3.6 billion Chancay Multipurpose Port Project in Peru will establish the largest, deep-water port on South America\u2019s Pacific Coast. This new mega-port will generate impacts in the surrounding city and adjacent areas due to increased economic activity. However, it is the capacity of the port to move massive amounts of bulk cargo\u2014including from and across the western Amazon\u2014that makes it imperative to identify and analyze broader risks and impacts. This project seeks to assess the implications of the Chancay mega-port project as a driver of habitat change in the Peruvian Amazon. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers, based in Peru and the US, will analyze access infrastructure and trade corridor development associated with the mega-port, identify legal and regulatory gaps, and inform decision-making processes. Research insights will be broadly disseminated to affected stakeholders through roundtables, seminars, publications, and social media. This project will contribute to regional efforts to improve transparency and strengthen infrastructure governance with the goal of preserving conservation areas and Indigenous territories in the Peruvian Amazon.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Laurie Ross<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
UMass Memorial Hospital<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Since launching the Worcester Youth Violence Prevention Initiative in 2015, gun and knife incidents involving young people under 25 have declined 31% in the city and arrests of young people have declined 68%. Despite these impressive accomplishments, youth gun and knife incident data that suggest Worcester\u2019s work is not complete. Recognizing that cumulative experiences of trauma in childhood correlate with later risk behavior and poor health outcomes, the Governance Council has implemented three interventions to address the impacts of trauma as early and effectively as possible: Handle with Care, Youth Crisis Response Team, and the Hub. These strategies permit timely, age- and risk-level appropriate responses to violence and other traumatic incidents, the interruption of retaliatory violence, and the reduction in long-term negative impacts of trauma on child development and family wellbeing. However, four sets of reasons the downstream trauma responses are not functioning as intended have been identified. Referred to as \u2018pain points\u2019 these challenges indicate the need for an aligned, trust-filled, culturally responsive, coordinated upstream to downstream trauma response system. This project strives to create this system.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Robert J. Johnston<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The USDA spends more than $5 billion per year on conservation to enhance environmental quality, ecosystem services and agricultural sustainability. The biophysical impacts of these programs (e.g., on soil retention and water quality) are relatively well understood and can be estimated using standard modeling approaches. Yet the economic benefits of these programs remain unknown, and credible information on non-market benefits is particularly lacking. Despite \u201ca rich literature on valuation of non-market goods, the methods are often difficult or impractical to use. Large-scale, applied valuation of this type almost universally requires benefit transfer (BT); yet BT methods to support reliable large-scale valuation are inadequately developed, particularly for applications such as resource conservation and water quality improvements with widespread, diffuse impacts. USDA and its partners hence struggle to produce credible estimates of non-market conservation benefits. Addressing this major gap, this project will develop standardized BT procedures designed to support valid and reliable BTs for spatially heterogeneous, large-scale environmental changes due to resource conservation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Robert J. Johnston<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Coastal communities face compound hazards due to elements such as sea-level rise, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, flooding, changing morphology, heat, drought, and human development. Amidst these challenges, public and private organizations have developed public engagement and capacity-building programs to help support adaptation planning and implementation that meet community goals, support social welfare and equity, enhance ecosystems and services, reflect credible science, and engage a diversity of community groups. Despite common beliefs that engagement and capacity-building improve adaptation outcomes, there is a lack of systematic evidence on performance, including impacts on social, environmental and economic outcomes. This project will develop a novel analytical framework and quantitative approach to evaluate and predict the extent to which heterogeneous engagement and capacity-building activities enhance communities\u2019 capacity to progress towards transformative adaptation. Results will be used in coordination with partners and stakeholders to provide guidance for effective engagement and capacity-building, targeted to community characteristics.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Jon Denton-Schneider<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Economic History Association<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Budget cuts are common during times of fiscal austerity and often include substantial reductions in welfare spending. In developed economies, the withdrawal of income support for poor families can have wide-ranging consequences in the short run, including increasing poverty and criminal activity as well as worsening health and educational outcomes. However, our understanding of the long-run effects is generally limited to an assessment of those adults who were children when the programs began. Therefore, despite the prevalence of income support programs in the developed and developing worlds, we generally lack the data to study their effects on the health and well-being of the low-income population across its life course and into subsequent generations. The implementation of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 in England and Wales offers a unique opportunity to fill this gap in our knowledge. This project uses historical data to examine the short and long run effects associated with the elimination of income support programs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Cynthia Caron<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Edward Carr<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Morgan Ruelle<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Climate Adaptation Support Activity (CASA) program supports USAID\/Washington and USAID Missions to implement the Agency\u2019s ambitious Climate Strategy and the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) initiative. To support CASA, Clark University researchers, through a partnership with Tetra Tech ARD, will provide technical assistance and other support relating to climate risk, livelihoods, and food security impact analysis and analytics. This phase of the long-term project focuses on production of 39 updated country Climate Risk Profiles that will improve decision-making around climate adaptation needs and opportunities.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Deborah Martin<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
John Rogan<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Commonwealth of Massachusetts<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Over 17,000 trees were planted by Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in Worcester in response to the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) infestation in two phases between 2010 and 2014. During 2015 and 2016, the Clark University Human-Environment Regional Observatory conducted an inventory of over 1500 of the trees planted in the Burncoat and Greendale neighborhoods and reported those findings to the DCR. The first goal of this research is to revisit those cohorts of trees, and evaluate them for survivorship (alive, dead, or removed), condition (ranking 1-5 scale) and growth (diameter at breast height, tree crown width) over the 7-8 years since the trees were last surveyed. In order to better understand the impact of urban development on the tree cohort under investigation, the second goal of the project is to use remote sensing techniques to show change in land cover types (tree canopy cover, grass area cover, buildings, water, and impervious surface cover) from 2010 to 2023 with a specific focus in the context of proximity and overlap (if any) with the DCR tree cohort under investigation. This research will help DCR understand the most important ecological, biophysical, and anthropogenic factors that have influenced the Burncoat and Greendale tree cohort.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Florencia Sangermano<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
John Rogan<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Ecuador Camara Nacional de Acuacultura<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
With growing global populations, demand for protein and more specifically seafood is expected to increase. As wild fisheries already face over-exploitation, aquaculture offers one solution to help meet growing demand while maintaining wild stocks and supporting healthy ocean ecosystems. However, in some cases, aquaculture can result habitat destruction, water pollution, the spread of diseases to wild populations, and a lower quality product. This project seeks to characterize the change in coastal mangrove habitat in Ecuador during a 23-year period (1999-2021) resulting from ongoing shrimp farming. The study will identify areas of mangrove gains and losses and propose potential regions for mangrove conservation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Dominik Kulakowski<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Bureau of Land Management<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
As climate change continues, forests are increasingly affected by multiple types of disturbances over short periods. Notably, outbreaks of bark beetles have been widespread and affect fire regimes in complex ways. While much research has examined how susceptibility to outbreaks depends, in part, on the same attributes that are manipulated by fuel treatments, less attention has been placed on how those outbreaks, in turn, affect the long-term efficacy of fuel treatments. Conversely, fire severity (which is modulated by fuel treatments) also affects susceptibility to outbreaks. Importantly, full accounting of the interactions among fuel treatments, outbreaks, and fires under an altered climate is lacking, setting the stage for unpredicted outcomes. Using the montane forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as a case study, this project seeks to understand: (1) effects of fuel treatment and climate on fire severity; (2) how post-treatment fires and bark beetle outbreaks interact to determine longevity of fuel treatments; and (3) how fuel treatments, fires, and bark beetle outbreaks interact to determine cumulative tree mortality, regeneration, and vegetation conditions. The study will model interactions among fuel treatments, fires, and bark beetle outbreaks under climate change scenarios.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Stefanie Covino<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Blackstone River\u2019s health and history are inextricably intertwined with its role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Plans at all levels prioritize restoration in this heavily impacted watershed. In addition, advocates have worked for decades to create fish passage, and there is finally traction with The Nature Conservancy creating permit-ready designs. However, without local capacity or training available, we lack practitioners to advance these complicated projects and there is little outreach or community buy-in to ensure lasting success. This project has two primary goals: (1) the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative will host a dam removal training workshop for ~150 participants, to share best practices, resources, and funding opportunities, and (2) the Collaborative will organize a series of technical stakeholder working group meetings for tribes, federal agencies, dam owners, and others working to advance fish passage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Morgan Ruelle<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Rockefeller Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Working with partners at The New York Botanical Garden, Cornell University, Addis Ababa University, and Wollo University, this project investigates the potential benefits of traditional crop mixtures, including (1) their contributions to the nutritional status of mothers and infants suffering from micronutrient deficiencies, (2) their ability to provide stable yields under an increasingly variable climate, and (3) their role in maintaining and enhancing soil quality. Through a combination of literature review and field research, Clark University\u2019s role in the project focuses on farmers\u2019 indigenous agroecological knowledge, including agronomic practices related to crop mixtures and their use in traditional foodways. Specifically, interviews with farmers in North and South Wollo, Ethiopia will examine their understanding of the role of crop mixtures in crop rotation, soil regeneration, and climate adaptation, and determine what farmers have learned about the performance and value of crop mixtures. The project includes cross-training of students among the partner institutions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
TerraCarbon<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Nature-based solutions are important for addressing climate change, improving the availability and quality of freshwater, and protecting biodiversity. REDD+ provides a framework that governments can follow for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as increasing forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. This project supports the development of the Cambodian REDD+ activity data for one of the world\u2019s largest voluntary carbon markets program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. Project work includes the creation of a national forest regrowth dataset, the improvement of existing classifications in key regions, and the review of standard operating procedures developed by partner TerraCarbon, an advisory firm that helps develop carbon offset projects to fund nature-based climate solutions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between East and West<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
This project will describe combined extreme events and the related implications for hazard prediction, impact assessment, and adaptation planning in Hawai\u2019i and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). The research entails an investigation of current knowledge through an examination of literature and interviews with stakeholders, and culminates in the writing of a review paper that contextualizes the compound and correlated extreme events for tropical Pacific Islands. This effort will catalog, characterize, and prioritize combined extreme events in Hawai\u2019i and the USAPI. Specifically, it will identify and classify the various event types, explain the rationale, review key examples, and include a discussion of climate variables and their spatial and temporal dependencies. Events will be categorized geographically and by sector to help inform future research and application needs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Christopher Williams<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Open Space Institute<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Climate change can disrupt wildlife habitat and other natural amenities supported by land trusts and other conservation organizations. However, these organizations require good data upon which to base their land protection decisions. This project will update the National Forest Carbon Monitoring System (NFCMS) to establish a data timestamp for 2020, or the most recent possible date, in order to better represent contemporary carbon stocks and expected future sequestration. The project will ensure the dataset better represents present conditions viewed by users on the ground. Doing so will support greater applicability and build confidence from the user community. The project will also use the USGS LCMAP (Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection) dataset to identify areas of recent forest gain that were missed (and treated as non-forest) in the earlier version.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Stefanie Covino<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Anonymous Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
This project will support the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative\u2019s culvert training and assessment project that will assist local communities and organizations in the watershed to understand and assess road-stream crossings (culverts) replacement or removal\/restoration that will improve ecological and social benefits. The project includes offering 2-day fieldwork trainings and organizing volunteer participants and key professionals to assess approximately 200 culverts in the Blackstone Watershed, with a focus on the high-quality habitat of coldwater fisheries located in the Douglas-Sutton-Northbridge region. The Collaborative will work closely with diverse organizations and municipal partners to prioritize top culvert management actions for ecological and social improvements, provide comprehensive outreach materials, and identify potential funding sources for implementation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Gustavo Oliveira<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Robert Gilmore Pontius Jr.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Aeronautics and Space Administration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Brazilian Cerrado is one of the most important and threatened ecosystems in the world in terms of carbon fluxes, water resources, biodiversity, and social diversity including indigenous and other traditional communities. Agricultural expansion has become central to the Cerrado\u2019s regional development and global food security, with western Bahia state being one of the most active agricultural frontiers worldwide. However, climate change is altering the dynamics of agricultural production in the region whereby a hotter and drier climate is driving an increase in irrigation to guarantee the viability of large-scale commercial agriculture. Yet, researchers still poorly understand the manner and extent to which this form of adaptation is taking place. This project will investigate land change in the Cerrado biome region and has three main objectives: (1) develop generally applicable methods with accompanying software to quantify and analyze land change and its associated socio-economic drivers and impacts, (2) examine the expansion of irrigated agriculture as a form of adaptation to climate change, and (3) develop spatially explicit scenario models that inform policies concerning agrarian development, water use, and climate change adaptations for the Cerrado, with implications for other savannah and semi-arid biomes worldwide.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Robert J. Johnston<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
New York Sea Grant<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Non-point sources account for approximately 60% of nitrogen loading in Long Island Sound (LIS) and residential lawn fertilizer has been among the most difficult of these sources to reduce. In response, policymakers and other stakeholders have proposed behavior-change campaigns to promote lawn practices that reduce fertilizer use. However, the potential effect of these efforts on nitrogen loads in LIS is entirely unknown. Even if the number of households influenced by a campaign can be identified, not all households fertilize equally, not all fertilizer applications have the same impact on nitrogen loads, and not all households react similarly to behavior change-campaigns. Working with colleagues at University of Connecticut, University of Maryland, and University of Miami, and building on prior research efforts in LIS, this project will develop a model that links parcel-level behavioral predictions for residential fertilizer use with integrated nitrogen load models to accurately predict the nitrogen loading impacts of behavior changes, by household types, in specific coastal areas throughout Connecticut and New York. The team will also evaluate the ways in which targeted behavior-change campaigns for residential lawn care influence nitrogen loads to LIS areas proximate to environmental justice (EJ) communities, and whether fertilizer use by wealthier households might have disproportionate effects on EJ communities. Results will be used to provide actionable guidance for targeting behavior-change campaigns across the LIS watershed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
NASA\/Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
NISAR is a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Clark University researchers will collaborate with NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and its other sub-contractors to help guide development of the methods for participatory calibration and validation of the radar-based mapping efforts. Specific tasks will include: (1) developing reproducible Jupyter notebooks that can be used to develop calibration\/validation samples for upload to CollectEarthOnline (CEO); (2) creating CEO samples, and preparing sampling tutorials\/cheat sheets for sample interpreters; (3) working with the Amazonia Hub to guide CEO sessions with in-region participants; (4) curating collected samples and image datasets; and (5) calculating agreement between interpreters.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Jennifer Safford-Farquharson<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Laurie Ross<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Robert Woods Johnson Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
High quality early education and care (EEC) ensures \u201cequity from the start\u201d by allowing families to work while also providing infants and young children with enriching environments for brain, body, and social development. The Child Opportunity Index (COI) centers equity and makes structural racism visible by measuring and mapping the conditions and quality of resources at the neighborhood level. Three neighborhoods in Worcester (Vernon Hill, Bell Hill, and Main South) have Very Low COI scores as compared to other zip codes in the city and Massachusetts. These three neighborhoods also have the highest number of infants born and the largest waitlists for subsided EEC vouchers in Worcester, making them \u201cEEC Deserts\u201d and a clear racial and economic justice issue. Working with Together for Kids Coalition and Edward Street Child Services, this project seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What factors drive the persistence of EEC deserts in the Vernon Hill, Bell Hill, and Main South neighborhoods? (2) What resources do families in these neighborhoods rely on to take care of their young children? (3) What barriers do families face when attempting to access formal EEC? (4) What are the systemic barriers to providing EEC in these three neighborhoods? The resulting Data Dashboard will be used by Worcester\u2019s Governance Council for Children, Youth, and Families and other stakeholders to: (1) link to statewide EEC advocacy efforts such as Common Start; (2) bring needed partners to the table; and (3) create solutions that fill EEC gaps in licensable and sustainable ways.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Margaret Post<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The California Endowment<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The California Endowment supports programs that expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. It is important that these programs are periodically evaluated to ensure goals are being met. Working with partners at Grassroots Solutions, this project will document the learning practices of community organizers and develop guidance for how funders and evaluators can transform their learning partnerships with organizers. Specifically, project team members will engage in data gathering and analysis including learning circle facilitation, literature review, and resource mapping, as well as conducting sensemaking workshops with organizers, funders, and evaluators. A final learning brief and reflection session will be shared with The California Endowment.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
World Food Programme<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Partnering with Cloud to Street PBC, a flood mapping and intelligence company, this project will use complex machine learning methods and advanced cropland analytics to generate 3-m high-resolution cropland datasets for the Republic of Congo. The work will initially focus on the Likouala, Cuvette, and Plateaux regions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
John Rogan<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Groundwork Rhode Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
This project engages community members and schoolchildren in learning about, establishing, and supporting urban bird habitat through hands-on tree and shrub plantings in environmental justice neighborhoods near the Blackstone River (an American Heritage River and National Heritage Corridor). Tree Equity Scores show that the cities of Central Falls and Pawtucket (Rhode Island) are significantly lower in urban tree canopy and will be increasingly burdened with the heat island impacts of climate change. Residents of these cities also have significantly less opportunities to be connected to nature. The project will plant 200 trees and dozens of additional shrubs to create 6-10 bird-friendly, highly visible demonstration sites (elementary schools, YMCAs, parks, private businesses) near the river, coordinate volunteer resident planting days, train high school students on tree planting and maintenance, and develop an urban bird habitat and restoration curriculum for schoolchildren in the two cities. Student researchers in Clark University\u2019s HERO (Human-Environment Regional Observatory) program will also model other urban tree benefits (heat island, flooding, air quality) from the new bird demonstration plantings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
John Rogan<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Department of Agriculture and Groundwork Rhode Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Working with several government, NGO, and community partners, this project will implement a science-based tree planting and forest restoration initiative along a 15-mile stretch of the Blackstone River, one of 14 American Heritage Rivers and home to several drinking water supplies for a downstream city. This initiative will significantly increase tree canopy cover in environmental justice areas of three Rhode Island communities adjacent to the Blackstone by leveraging new tree planting projects via volunteers supported by municipal efforts and NGO\u2019s. The expanded tree canopy cover will reduce heat island impacts and improve public health via reduced air pollution and extreme heat as well as reduced stormwater pollution for drinking water supplies. A comprehensive approach which addresses both upstream and downstream forest canopy is needed including downstream tree planting and canopy retention and upstream resilient forestry practices for small, woodlots. Student researchers in Clark University\u2019s HERO (Human-Environment Regional Observatory) program will conduct extensive modeling and monitoring that will help focus tree planting in areas for maximum reduction of heat island, flooding and stormwater impacts and will set up a monitoring system to document heat, air and water quality results. The initiative will serve as a demonstration project for many other landscapes where health equity, forest resilience, and water supply protection overlap.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Robert Gilmore Pontius Jr.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
This project extends ongoing research at the Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site. The overall objective of the long-term project is to develop a predictive understanding of the responses of a linked watershed-marsh-estuarine system in northeastern Massachusetts to rapid environmental change. Clark University\u2019s role in the project is to create time series land cover maps for the coastal wetland and to analyze the maps concerning changes in geomorphology, vegetation, and wildlife habitat in the context of an urbanizing landscape and climate-induced sea-level rise. Previous work shows that advancements in remote sensing technology allows for finer spatial resolutions, providing more details concerning map patches at individual time points, but also causes challenges in characterizing changes over time because seasons, storms, and tides all cause fluctuations that are now captured by remote imagery. This project will address how to evaluate the configuration of landscape dynamics across various time intervals using newly developed methods and data available from the National Agriculture Imagery Program. The project will also develop new computer programs that allow for the application of these new methods to any landscape.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Cynthia Caron<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Edward Carr<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Morgan Ruelle<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Climate Adaptation Support Activity (CASA) program supports USAID\/Washington and USAID Missions to implement the Agency\u2019s ambitious Climate Strategy and the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) initiative. To support CASA, Clark University researchers, through a partnership with Tetra Tech ARD, will provide technical assistance and other support to: (1) Increase actionable information that supports the design and implementation of impactful climate change adaptation approaches, interventions, and systems shifts; (2) Identify strategic and forward-looking climate change adaptation and resilience approaches that support sustainable, scalable, and innovative adaptation, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning; (3) Expand and provide inclusive capacity strengthening, convening, and coalition strengthening that supports impactful climate change adaptation action; and (4) Support CASA programmatic planning and implementation. This initial planning project will contribute to CASA start-up activities and project deliverables detailing Clark University\u2019s longer-term role within CASA.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Stefanie Covino<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Center for Large Landscape Conservation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
With its headwaters located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Blackstone River has a reputation as a heavily developed, urbanized river. The watershed includes 29 municipalities in Massachusetts and 10 municipalities in Rhode Island. The most heavily urbanized areas are located in Worcester, MA; Woonsocket, RI; Central Falls, RI; and Pawtucket, RI, all of which are also home to mapped Environmental Justice populations. The Blackstone Watershed is also the ancestral homeland of the Nipmuc Nation, recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a sovereign people. The Blackstone Watershed Collaborative exists to improve the health and resilience of the Blackstone Watershed communities and help meet the increasing challenges to water quality resulting from urban growth and climate change impacts. This project will improve organizational capacity and allow the collaborative to deeply engage with under-represented populations in the watershed, including indigenous communities such as the Nipmuc Nation. Specifically, this project will inform establishment of an inclusive governance structure, creation of a 5-year fundraising plan, and establishment of a list of priority projects.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Timothy Downs<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
In a rapidly urbanizing and climate-changing world, inter-basin water supply megaprojects are on the rise, with huge energy, greenhouse gas, and water injustice implications. These projects are subject to perverse positive feedbacks such that they increase climate change, and thus increase the water scarcity used to justify them in the first place. This project uses a planned 3-fold-expansion water supply program for Mexico City as the urgent impetus to co-create a new frontier in climate-change impact science, policy analysis and education. Participatory GIS and collaborative System Dynamics Modeling are paired to make impact cascades (i.e., multiple climatic and non-climatic impacts occurring simultaneously and interacting across sectors and regions) and inequities spatially explicit, and then combined with eXtended Reality (XR) technology to visualize and compare alternative climate\/development scenarios that diverse stakeholders can inhabit virtually. The project will also co-create research-based courses for U.S. and Mexico-based students, as well as enhance community engagement, to facilitate integration of the research with public education.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Lyndon Estes<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Lacuna Fund<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Smallholders in Africa often lack access to the inputs and information that can help boost their productivity and resilience to major sources of volatility including climate shocks. One key reason for this inadequacy of agricultural extension services is the absence of data that accurately map where croplands are and what they grow. Making such maps is challenging because it requires the ability to use satellite imagery to accurately map the boundaries of smallholders\u2019 fields over large areas and accurately label these crop fields. This project will develop a crop field boundary label sample design covering two mapping regions (Western\/Central Africa and Eastern\/Southern Africa), develop and prepare the labelling platform for use, and provide technical support and guidance to project partners on how to use the platform.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Abby Frazier<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has worked collaboratively to build an important foundation for understanding drought in Hawai\u2018I and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). The Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) collaborative: (i) brings together relevant agencies and stakeholders for meaningful engagement and collaborations in the Pacific; (ii) explores knowledge co-production with land stewards and resource managers including the delivery of tailored climate data products; (iii) provides easier access to drought and climate information and data sources for a wide range of private, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and agency based stewards and managers; (iv) enhances quality and scope of information available to users; (v) improves capacity for knowledge delivery and technical assistance; and (vi) fosters a more collaborative information transfer environment. This project will develop a formalized, centralized structure for drought research and knowledge exchange designed to support ongoing and future drought related work in Hawai\u2018i and USAPI; continue development and refinement of the Hawai\u2018i Rangeland Information Portal (HRIP) decision-support tool; formally launch the HRIP web application and disseminate this tool among the ranching community; update and improve upon methods for producing site-specific drought and climate products for stakeholders in Hawai\u2018i; and utilize knowledge and lessons learned in Hawai\u2018i to expand NIDIS efforts into the USAPI.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Karen Frey<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Seasonal sea ice in the Pacific Arctic region has declined significantly, with large portions of this region becoming ice-free by mid-summer. This Pacific Arctic sector is also among the most biologically productive marine ecosystems in the world and acts as an important sink and perhaps seasonal source of carbon. Although sea ice is a dominant feature in these shelf environments at high-latitudes, we are only beginning to understand how changes in sea ice cover (through its influence on light, seawater temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability) will specifically affect ecosystems in these regions. This NSF RAPID project adds new optical measurements of light transmittance through the upper ocean water column across a continental shelf gradient to an existing suite of observations on the Synoptic Arctic Survey cruise to the central Arctic Ocean in the fall of 2022. The research will test the hypothesis that light transmittance increases with declines in sea ice cover and varies with light absorbing impurities in the water column, and utilize the optical measurements to elucidate questions surrounding vertical heat distribution in the water column, primary productivity, and the photodegradation of dissolved organic matter.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Karen Frey<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Aeronautics and Space Administration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Working collaboratively with researchers at Northeastern University, this project will develop remote sensing data and LOADEST (Load Estimator software) modeling of dissolved organic carbon for rivers globally and across the Arctic.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Florencia Sangermano<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
National Science Foundation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Biodiversity loss is one of the most severe global environmental problems caused by habitat loss, leading to functional diversity changes and profound cascading effects on the abundance, composition, and ecology of fauna and flora. These changes affect species interactions and ecological function and services, with impacts that can reach human health and well-being, primarily through changes in disease regulation services. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a hotspot for biodiversity and rodent diversity, with most rodent species considered pathogen reservoirs or hyper reservoir species, making the area a hotspot for future emerging infectious diseases. This project (1) evaluates the effects of habitat loss on small mammals' functional diversity (i.e., community composition and interaction network structure), and assesses their effect on pathogen spillover risk throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest; and (2) evaluates the effects of forest restoration on the recovery of small mammals' functional diversity and reduction of spillover risk.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Christopher Williams<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Nature Conservancy<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Forests are a globally-significant store of carbon, but this store is vulnerable to release from disturbance processes such as harvesting or fires that contribute to global warming. At the same time, intact forests serve as a major offset to rising CO2 concentrations as forest growth becomes stimulated by rising CO2 levels, enabling forests to absorb about one third of annual carbon emissions from fossil fuels and land use change. The balance of these processes is constantly changing and it varies widely from region to region. Expanding upon previous work in the New England states, this project will provide the data, scientific analyses, and communications needed for quantifying the full climate impacts (e.g., carbon emissions and forgone carbon sequestration) of potential forest loss in the conterminous US. This project will also extend the work to include the albedo-induced radiative forcing and associated CO2 equivalent emissions that would be caused by avoiding forest conversion (deforestation).<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n
Stefanie Covino<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Narragansett Bay Estuary Program<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t