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Western Mountain Initiative (WMI)

The impetus for integration among Western Mountain Initiative (WMI) projects stems from the need to understand how the unique features of mountain systems will determine regional ecosystem responses to climatic change, as well as to identify how large mountain systems influence each other. 

Projects in the Western Mountain Initiative:

2004-2008

1999-2003

    
Common Goals, Objectives and Scientific Issues:
              
Shared research themes:

Table 1.  Scientific themes covered by WMI  programs (shaded areas indicate scientific themes included in each research program). (From the WMI Web site.)

research themes

Shared Objectives:

  1. Identify common objectives and scientific themes.
        
  2. Collaborate to develop general principles for understanding and managing mountain ecosystems based on commonalties among program findings.
       
  3. Share information and projects in the WMI network by developing an information clearinghouse for Western mountain ecosystems, integrating databases for large-scale assessments, and validating and applying ecosystem models across mountain ecoregions.
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Related USGS Projects from Fort Collins Science Center (FORT)

 

Other Related USGS Resources

National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (USGS)
Sierra Nevada Global Change Research Program (WERC)
Climate Change Research at Northern Rocky Mountain Research Center (NOROCK)

  
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In the Spotlight

Image of Tripod Fire, Washington State Western Mountain Initiative:
Predicting Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change - Irreplaceable resources such as water, timber, biodiversity and recreational opportunities are all being affected by the earth's global changing climate. Ecological disturbances - wildfire, insect outbreaks, and the spread of invasive species - are also accelerating and changing the earth's ecosystems.  US Geological Survey (USGS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) scientists are collaborating with WMI and university partners to study and better understand global trends in mountain ecosystems in the western United States, and to be able to predict the responses, with an emphasis on sensitivities, thresholds, resistance, and resilience to climatic variability and change. 

Go to the Western Mountain Initiative website for more information, and access the WMI Overview Fact Sheet.

Photo: Tripod Fire, Washington State. Photograph by Philip Higuera, National Parks Ecological Research.

Related USGS Resource

Climate Change: The Science of Impacts webpage FORT science is largely driven by the needs of the DOI and other clients and partners. With change agents such as warming temperatures and the attendant complications described above, managers have their hands full as they strive to keep ecosystems functioning and native species from becoming listed or disappearing altogether while balancing this with other human needs and activities. The scientists and other specialists at the Fort Collins Science Center have the breadth and depth of expertise to meet managers’ ongoing needs and new challenges brought about by the cascading effects of climate change. Visit Fort Collins Science Center's Climate Change page >>

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