Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Missouri
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

1. Coordinate the Biodiversity sector of the 2013 National Climate Assessment 2. Identify the key data and knowledge gaps related to how climate change will affect biodiversity 3. Assess the potential role that existing protected lands has on the protection of aquatic biodiversity at smaller spatial scales a. Determine if aquatic biodiversity on Missouri protected lands (e.g., federal protected, Conservation Opportunity Areas, Priority Watersheds) is representative of the biodiversity in the region. b. Identify if the level of aquatic biodiversity differs in these Missouri protected areas by land area, Missouri region, and by different systems (e.g., is the number of aquatic species on protected lands different in the northern Missouri dissected plains, the Ozark transitional areas, the forested Ozarks; are more large river species protected in these lands compared to small stream species)? c. Determine if there are certain fish communities or geographic regions on protected lands in Missouri that are more vulnerable to changes in climate. d. Make recommendations on the best approaches to protect Missouri aquatic biodiversity in the future (e.g., prioritizing regions for future protection or conservation easements, identify if one large protected area may be more beneficial than several smaller projected areas) 4. Aid in the analysis of writing of the 2013 NCA Synthesis Report