US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7 is seeking support to develop and communicate landscape products that are useful for strategic, spatial management of fish, wildlife, and their habitat in Alaska.
This program will evaluate whether national drought indices are relevant to Alaska and can help
us understand the spatial pattern and ecological drivers of drought induced events, such as insect outbreaks and stand-level tree mortality.
Understanding the landscape context of these patterns and ecological drivers can help to improve management strategies, such as canopy breaks, to improve drought resistance and vulnerability to regional insect outbreaks.
Stand-level mortality events can transform lands from forest to grassland ecosystems which changes available habitat for wildlife and change wildfire risk to communities.