CONCLUSIONS

The use of a hierarchy of atmospheric and process models enables us to assess the effects of global climate change at the scale of landscape-scale processes. In this example, regional climate, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife resources are affected by simulated global climate change. However, not all possible simulated or actual future climates would necessarily have the same environmental effects. Our strategy does provide a methodology for quantifying the response to a range of possible climatic changes on national lands and resources and may serve to identify regions and processes that are most vulnerable to these changes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Bev Lipsitz, Jenny Buchner, and Jeff Honke provided technical help that made this project possible. Filippo Giorgi and the staff at the National Center for Atmospheric Research provided the GENESIS simulation output. Robert S. Webb and Cathy Whitlock provided useful discussions and ideas, and Dick Poore and Robert S. Webb provided constructive criticisms of the manuscript. This effort was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Global Change and Climate History Program. This report benefited greatly from the editorial efforts of Rick Scott and the graphical experience of Carol Quesenberry.

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