Digital Commons Network^™

California Drought Outlooks Based On Climate Change Models’ Effects On Water Availability, Lauren Lynam, Thomas Piechota

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Future streamflow in California is evaluated based on eight climate projections models and the effects on water availability. The unimpaired projected streamflow for eleven California rivers, collected from Cal-Adapt, are compared with unimpaired historical flows (1950–2015) using eight climate model projections (2020–2099) identified as representative as possible future scenarios; Warm Dry RCP 4.5, Average RCP 4.5, Cool Wet RCP 4.5, Other RCP 4.5, Warm Dry RCP 8.5, Average RCP 8.5, Cool Wet RCP 8.5, and Other RCP 8.5. Projected drought deficits (or magnitudes), durations, and intensities are statistically tested against historical values to determine significance of differences between past streamflow …

Managing Water Stored For The Environment During Drought, Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Michael Dettinger, Kristen Dybala, Gokce Sencan, Anna Sturrock, Barton Thompson, Harrison Zeff

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Storing water in reservoirs is important for maintaining freshwater ecosystem health and protecting native species. Stored water also is essential for adapting to the changing climate, especially warming and drought intensification. Yet, reservoir operators often treat environmental objectives as a constraint, rather than as a priority akin to water deliveries for cities and farms. Reservoir management becomes especially challenging during severe droughts when surface water supplies are scarce, and urban and agricultural demands conflict with water supplies needed to maintain healthy waterways and wetlands. In times of drought, most freshwater ecosystems suffer.

This blog post examines 2021 water year actions …

Evaluating Alternative Feed Sources During Drought, Matthew D. Garcia, Ruger P. Carter, Ryan Larsen, Eric Thacker, Jacob Hadfield, Reganne K. Briggs, Justen Smith

All Current Publications

During years of drought, it is important to critically evaluate alternative feed sources available for cattle. The traditional method for sustaining a herd through a drought is feeding extra stored forage to compensate for decreased forage production or decreased forage quality available on rangelands and pastures due to drought conditions. However, hay prices rise substantially, and availability decreases due to irrigation water limitations and increased demand from livestock producers. This fact sheet will evaluate why hay prices rise and what alternatives are available to compensate for forage reductions during drought.

Avoiding Water Bankruptcy In The Drought-Troubled Southwest: What The Us And Iran Can Learn From Each Other, Mojtaba Sadegh, Ali Mirchi, Amir Aghakouchak, Kaveh Madani

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The 2021 water year ends on Sept. 30, and it was another hot, dry year in the western U.S., with almost the entire region in drought. Reservoirs vital for farms, communities and hydropower have fallen to dangerous lows.

The biggest blow came in August, when the U.S. government issued its first ever water shortage declaration for the Colorado River, triggering water use restrictions.

In response, farmers and cities across the Southwest are now finding new, often unsustainable ways to meet their future water needs. Las Vegas opened a lower-elevation tunnel to Lake Mead, a Colorado River reservoir where water levels …

Climate Change In New Mexico, Monica Ksir

Climate Change and Public Health Preparedness

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Crop Rotation Diversification Enhances Maize Drought Resistance Through Soil Organic Matter, Leah L.R. Renwick, William Deen, Lucas Silva, Matthew E. Gilbert, Toby Maxwell, Timothy M. Bowles, Amélie C.M. Gaudin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change adaptation requires building agricultural system resilience to warmer, drier climates. Increasing temporal plant diversity through crop rotation diversification increases yields of some crops under drought, but its potential to enhance crop drought resistance and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted a drought manipulation experiment using rainout shelters embedded within a 36-year crop rotation diversity and no-till experiment in a temperate climate and measured a suite of soil and crop developmental and eco-physiological traits in the field and laboratory. We show that diversifying maize-soybean rotations with small grain cereals and cover crops mitigated maize water stress at the …

Hydraulic Architecture Explains Species Moisture Dependency But Not Mortality Rates Across A Tropical Rainfall Gradient, Alexandria L. Pivovaroff, Brett T. Wolfe, Nate G. Mcdowell, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Stuart J. Davies, L. Turin Dickman, Charlotte Grossiord, Riley T. Leff, Alistair Rogers, Shawn P. Serbin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Intensified droughts are affecting tropical forests across the globe. However, the underlying mechanisms of tree drought response and mortality are poorly understood. Hydraulic traits and especially hydraulic safety margins (HSMs), that is, the extent to which plants buffer themselves from thresholds of water stress, provide insights into species-specific drought vulnerability. We investigated hydraulic traits during an intense drought triggered by the 2015–2016 El Niño on 27 canopy tree species across three tropical forest sites with differing precipitation. We capitalized on the drought event as a time when plant water status might approach or exceed thresholds of water stress. We investigated …

An Integrated Food, Energy, And Water Nexus, Human Well-Being, And Resilience (Few-Wise) Framework: New Mexico, Kamini Yadav, Hatim M. Geli, Andres F. Cibils, Michael Hayes, Alexander Fernald, James Peach, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, Vincent C. Tidwell, Lindsay E. Johnson, Ashraf J. Zaied, Melakeneh G. Gedefaw

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Interconnected food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus systems face many challenges to support human well-being (HWB) and maintain resilience, especially in arid and semiarid regions like New Mexico (NM), United States (US). Insufficient FEW resources, unstable economic growth due to fluctuations in prices of crude oil and natural gas, inequitable education and employment, and climate change are some of these challenges. Enhancing the resilience of such coupled socio-environmental systems depends on the efficient use of resources, improved understanding of the interlinkages across FEW system components, and adopting adaptable alternative management strategies. The goal of this study was to develop a …

Western Fires Are Burning Higher In The Mountains At Unprecedented Rates: It’S A Clear Sign Of Climate Change, Mojtaba Sadegh, John Abatzoglou, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Western U.S. appears headed for another dangerous fire season, and a new study shows that even high mountain areas once considered too wet to burn are at increasing risk as the climate warms.

Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. West is in severe to exceptional drought right now, including large parts of the Rocky Mountains, Cascades and Sierra Nevada. The situation is so severe that the Colorado River basin is on the verge of its first official water shortage declaration, and forecasts suggest another hot, dry summer is on the way.

Warm and dry conditions like these are a recipe …

Drought-Tolerant Options For Southwest Agriculture: Edible Produce, Emily Rice, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

The arid Southwest has been heavily impacted by drought and climate change. The Southwest states are some of the driest in the nation. From 2000 to 2020, 65% of the state of Utah experienced abnormally dry conditions, 78% of Arizona, 69% of New Mexico, and 71% of Nevada. Drought can damage pastures and crops, leading to economic losses in agriculture. Sustaining agricultural production (crops, food, livestock) on tribal lands will become progressively more challenging in the future due to decreased water availability, extended droughts, and changes in precipitation quantities and timing. This fact sheet is the second in a series …

Splitting The Difference: Heterogeneous Soil Moisture Availability Affects Aboveground And Belowground Reserve And Mass Allocation In Trembling Aspen, Ashley T. Hart, Morgane Merlin, Erin Wiley, Simon M. Landhäusser

Aspen Bibliography

When exploring the impact of resource availability on perennial plants, artificial treatments often apply conditions homogeneously across space and time, even though this rarely reflects conditions in natural systems. To investigate the effects of spatially heterogeneous soil moisture on morphological and physiological responses, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) saplings were used in a split-pot experiment. Following the division of the root systems, saplings were established for a full year and then subjected to either heterogeneous (portion of the root system exposed to non-lethal drought) or homogeneous (whole root system exposed to non-lethal drought or well-watered) treatments. Above- and belowground …

Another Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming In The Western U.S., And The Drought-Stricken Region Is Headed For A Water Crisis, Mojtaba Sadegh, Amir Aghakouchak, John Abatzoglou

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are drying out.

It’s only May, and states are already considering water use restrictions to make the supply last longer. California’s governor declared a drought emergency in 41 of 58 counties. In Utah, irrigation water providers are increasing fines for overuse. Some Idaho ranchers are talking about selling off livestock because rivers and reservoirs …

Informing Drought Mitigation Policy By Estimating The Value Of Water For Crop Production, Renata Rimsaite, Justin Gibson, Nicholas Brozovic

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Farmers use irrigation to mitigate drought risk and reduce yield uncertainty. A clear understanding of the monetary value of irrigation water and how it varies across time and space can help to inform farmers and policymakers about the potential impacts of water shortages and reduce uncertainty in decision making. Here, we introduce a framework for understanding the economic value of water used to produce corn in the central High Plains region during the period 2010–2017. Our analysis uses publicly available data for corn price and for irrigated and non-irrigated yields and incorporates irrigation requirement adjustments to account for the hydrologic …

Quick Guide Drought Management.Pdf, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

WVU-Extension fact sheet

Utah Livestock Producer Preferred Drought Management Strategies, Kynda R. Curtis, Tatiana Drugova, Ruby Ward

All Current Publications

This fact sheet, the second in a series of three, examines livestock producer preferred drought management strategies and how producer preferences change depending on drought severity and expected grazing efficiency. Severe drought in livestock production leads to decreases in feed availability, range or hay quality, and overall lower quality beef (Holupchinski et al., n.d.). Hence, drought increases production costs and producer dependence on imported feed. Thus, extended drought poses a threat to agricultural productivity and the economies of rural and tribal areas in Utah.

Utah Hay And Forage Grower Preferred Drought Management Strategies, Kynda R. Curtis, Tatiana Drugova, Ruby Ward

All Current Publications

This fact sheet, the third in a series of three, examines the preferred drought management strategies of hay and forage growers and how their preferences change depending on drought severity and expected yields. Severe drought in forage production causes crop damage and losses leading to decreases in yield and profitability for growers (Yost et al., 2019). Water shortages are also common, with restrictions on use commonly imposed, especially in the late summer months. Hence, extended drought poses a threat to agricultural productivity and the economies of rural and tribal areas in Utah.

Utah Fresh Produce Grower Preferred Drought Management Strategies, Kynda R. Curtis, Tatiana Drugova, Ruby Ward

All Current Publications

This fact sheet, the first in a series of three, examines the preferred drought management strategies of fresh produce growers and how their preferences change depending on drought severity and expected yields. Severe drought in fresh produce production causes stunted growth resulting in smaller, lower quality produce, as well as increased vulnerability to pests, all of which result in large economic losses (Holupchinski et al., n.d.). Water shortages are also common, with restrictions on use commonly imposed, especially in the late summer months. Hence, extended drought poses a threat to agricultural productivity and the economies of rural and tribal areas …

Human Influences And Decreasing Synchrony Between Meteorological And Hydrological Droughts In Wisconsin Since The 1980s, Woonsup Choi, Susan Ann Borchardt, Jinmu Choi

Geography Faculty Articles

Hydrological droughts are important for agriculture and other human activities such as navigation and groundwater pumping, so it is necessary to understand their characteristics at various temporal and spatial scales. This study aims to examine the characteristics of hydrological droughts and their propagation from meteorological droughts across Wisconsin. Hydrological droughts were identified for twenty-four U.S. Geological Survey streamflow monitoring sites using the 20th percentile threshold level for each calendar day. Meteorological droughts were identified in the same way using daily precipitation data. Drought events of both types were identified for the period from 1980 to 2018, and the drought in …

Assessing And Mapping The Spatial-Temporal Change In Forest Phenology Of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Using Moderate Resolution Satellite, Bailey Ytterdahl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on coastal forests in Kenya that have some of the highest variety of flora and fauna, specifically Arabuko Sokoke Forest. Arabuko Sokoke Forest is located 110 miles north of Mombasa and 18 kilometers south of Malindi. This forest is known to be a worldwide biodiversity hotspot that is home to endemic and rare plants and animals. Within the Arabuko Sokoke Forest ecosystem, there are two main issues that challenge the conservation of the area. First, there has been more competition for land, primarily for agriculture and development. Second, there is an increase demand for forest resources due …

Narrow And Brittle Or Broad And Nimble? Comparing Adaptive Capacity In Simplifying And Diversifying Farming Systems, Margiana Petersen-Rockney, Patrick Baur, Aidee Guzman, S. Franz Bender, Adam Calo, Federico Castillo, Kathryn De Master, Antoinette Dumont, Kenzo Esquivel, Claire Kremen, James Lachance, Maria Mooshammer, Joanna Ory, Mindy J. Price, Yvonne Socolar, Paige Stanley, Alastair Iles, Timothy Bowles

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Humanity faces a triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and global food insecurity. In response, increasing the general adaptive capacity of farming systems is essential. We identify two divergent strategies for building adaptive capacity. Simplifying processes seek to narrowly maximize production by shifting the basis of agricultural production toward centralized control of socially and ecologically homogenized systems. Diversifying processes cultivate social-ecological complexity in order to provide multiple ecosystem services, maintain management flexibility, and promote coordinated adaptation across levels. Through five primarily United States focused cases of distinct agricultural challenges—foodborne pathogens, drought, marginal lands, labor availability, and land access and …

Plant Traits Are Differentially Linked To Performance In A Semiarid Ecosystem, Jennifer L. Funk, Julie E. Larson, Joni Ricks-Oddie

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A central principle in trait‐based ecology is that trait variation has an adaptive value. However, uncertainty over which plant traits influence individual performance across environmental gradients may limit our ability to use traits to infer ecological processes at larger scales. To better understand which traits are linked to performance under different precipitation regimes, we measured above‐ and belowground traits, growth, and reproductive allocation for four annual and four perennial species from a coastal sage scrub community in California under conditions of 50%, 100%, and 150% ambient precipitation. Across water treatments, annual species displayed morphological trait values consistent with high rates …

Climate Variability Of Atmospheric Rivers And Droughts Over The West Coast Of The United States From 2006 To 2019, Paul R. Zechie, Sen Chiao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Water resources are crucial to the livelihood and sustainability of the general public across the western United States. This study covers the timespan of both the third driest drought in Californian history between 2012 and 2015 as well as the extreme atmospheric river year in 2016-2017. The evaluation of vertical moisture profiles using Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) Radio Occultation (RO) data, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Reanalysis of 500 hPa geopotential heights, 1000-500 hPa thickness, Optimum Interpolation (OI) Sea Surface Temperature (SST), NOAA/NDBC buoy data, and NASA, MEaSUREs, Gridded …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Nac Transcription Factor Family Uncovers Drought And Salinity Stress Response In Pearl Millet (Pennisetum Glaucum), Ambika Dudhate, Harshraj Shinde, Pei Yu, Daisuke Tsugama, Shashi Kumar Gupta, Shenkui Liu, Tetsuo Takano

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a cereal crop that possesses the ability to withstand drought, salinity and high temperature stresses. The NAC [NAM (No Apical Meristem), ATAF1 (Arabidopsis thaliana Activation Factor 1), and CUC2 (Cup-shaped Cotyledon)] transcription factor family is one of the largest transcription factor families in plants. NAC family members are known to regulate plant growth and abiotic stress response. Currently, no reports are available on the functions of the NAC family in pearl millet.

RESULTS: Our genome-wide analysis found 151 NAC transcription factor genes (PgNACs) in the pearl millet genome. Thirty-eight …

Effects Of Thinning On Dynamics And Drought Resistance Of Aspen-White Spruce Mixtures: Results From Two Study Sites In Saskatchewan, Philip G. Comeau

Aspen Bibliography

Drought stress associated with warm temperatures is causing increased mortality and reduced growth of trees in drier portions of the boreal forests of western Canada with both warming and drought expected to increase over the coming decades. While thinning is often shown to reduce drought stress, there is little information on its effects in stands comprised of mixtures of trembling aspen and white spruce that are common in the forests of this region. This study examined effects of pre-commercial thinning on aspen and spruce growth, response to drought stress, and stand dynamics for two study sites located in Saskatchewan, Canada. …

Impacts Of Drought On Tribal Economies In New Mexico, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis, Man-Keun Kim

All Current Publications

Sustaining agricultural production on tribal lands will become progressively more challenging in the future due to decreased water availability, extended droughts, and changes in precipitation amounts and timing. This fact sheet will illustrate the potential economic impacts of drought on agriculture and reservation economies in New Mexico. New Mexico is the fifth driest state in the United States, with average yearly precipitation of 13.38 inches, and 69% of the state experienced abnormally dry conditions over the past two decades. The results discussed here cover six reservations located in New Mexico, including Acoma Pueblo, Jicarilla Apache Nation, Laguna Pueblo, Mescalero Apache …

A Record Of Vapour Pressure Deficit Preserved In Wood And Soil Across Biomes, Adrian Broz, Gregory J. Retallack, Toby M. Maxwell, Lucas C.R. Silva

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The drying power of air, or vapour pressure deficit (VPD), is an important measurement of potential plant stress and productivity. Estimates of VPD values of the past are integral for understanding the link between rising modern atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO₂) and global water balance. A geological record of VPD is needed for paleoclimate studies of past greenhouse spikes which attempt to constrain future climate, but at present there are few quantitative atmospheric moisture proxies that can be applied to fossil material. Here we show that VPD leaves a permanent record in the slope (S) of least-squares …

Impacts Of Drought On Tribal Economies In Arizona, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis, Man-Keun Kim

All Current Publications

Sustaining agricultural production on tribal lands will become progressively more challenging in the future due to decreased water availability, extended droughts, and changes in precipitation amounts and timing. The objective of this fact sheet is to illustrate the economic impacts of drought on agriculture and reservation economies in Arizona. Arizona is the fourth driest state in the United States, with average yearly precipitation of 11.24 inches, and 78% of the state experienced abnormally dry conditions over the past 20 years. The results discussed here cover five reservations located in Arizona, including the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, …

Impacts Of Drought On Tribal Economies In Nevada, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis, Man-Keun Kim

All Current Publications

Sustaining agricultural production (e.g., crops, food, livestock) on tribal lands will become progressively more challenging in the future due to decreased water availability, extended droughts, and changes in precipitation amounts and timing. The objective of this fact sheet is to illustrate the economic impacts of drought on agriculture and reservation economies in Nevada.

Economic Impacts Of Drought In Utah: Uintah And Ouray Reservation, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis, Man-Keun Kim

All Current Publications

Sustaining agricultural production on tribal lands will become progressively more challenging in the future due to decreased water availability, extended droughts, and changes in precipitation amounts and timing. The objective of this fact sheet is to illustrate the economic impacts of drought on agriculture and the economy of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.

Increased Cuticle Waxes By Overexpression Of Wsd1 Improves Osmotic Stress Tolerance In Arabidopsis Thaliana And Camelina Sativa, Hesham M. Abdullah, Jessica Rodriguez, Jeffrey M. Salacup, Isla S. Castañeda, Danny J. Schnell, Ashwani Pareek, Om Parkash Dhankher

Stockbridge Faculty Publication Series

To ensure global food security under the changing climate, there is a strong need for developing ‘climate resilient crops’ that can thrive and produce better yields under extreme environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, and high temperature. To enhance plant productivity under the adverse conditions, we constitutively overexpressed a bifunctional wax synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD1) gene, which plays a critical role in wax ester synthesis in Arabidopsis stem and leaf tissues. The qRT-PCR analysis showed a strong upregulation of WSD1 transcripts by mannitol, NaCl, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, particularly in Arabidopsis thaliana shoots. Gas chromatography and electron microscopy analyses of …