Product Type: Fact Sheet
Year: 2008
Author(s): Baron, J.S., D. Peterson, and J. Wilson
Pages: 2
Suggested Citation: Baron, J.S., D. Peterson, and J. Wilson. 2008. Western Mountain Initiative: Predicting ecosystem responses to climate change: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008-3093. 2 p.
This publication is distributed by the USGS Publications Warehouse .
Mountain ecosystems of the western United States provide irreplaceable goods and services such as water, timber, biodiversity, and recreational opportunities, but their responses to climatic changes are complex and not well understood. The Western Mountain Initiative (WMI), a collaboration between USGS and U.S. Forest Service scientists, catalyzes assessment and synthesis of the effects of disturbance and climate change across western mountain areas, focusing on national parks and surrounding national forests. The WMI takes an ecosystem approach to science, integrating research across science disciplines at scales ranging from field studies to global trends.