Geography
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Novel forms of drought are emerging globally, due to climate change, shifting teleconnection patterns, expanding human water use, and a history of human influence on the environment that increases the probability of transformational ecological impacts. These costly ecological impacts cascade to human communities, and understanding this changing drought landscape is one of today's grand challenges. By using a modified horizon-scanning approach that integrated scientists, managers, and decision-makers, we identified the emerging issues in ecological drought that represent key challenges to timely and effective responses. Here we review the themes that most urgently need attention, including novel drought conditions, the potential for transformational drought impacts, and the need for anticipatory drought management. This horizon scan and review provides a roadmap to facilitate the research and management innovations that will support forward-looking, co-developed approaches to reduce the risk of drought to our socio-ecological systems during the 21st century. We used a modified horizon-scanning approach that brought together scientists, managers, and decision-makers to identify the emerging issues around the ecological impacts from drought that represent key challenges to effective response. We found three broad themes within ecological drought that need attention, including novel drought conditions, transformational drought impacts, and anticipatory drought management. This horizon scan and integrated review provides a roadmap to inspire the needed research and management innovations to reduce the risk of 21st century droughts.
Publication Title
One Earth
Publication Date
9-18-2020
Volume
3
Issue
3
First Page
337
Last Page
353
ISSN
2590-3330
DOI
10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.019
Repository Citation
Crausbay, Shelley D.; Betancourt, Julio; Bradford, John; Cartwright, Jennifer; Dennison, William C.; Dunham, Jason; Enquist, Carolyn A.F.; Frazier, Abby G.; Hall, Kimberly R.; Littell, Jeremy S.; Luce, Charles H.; Palmer, Richard; Ramirez, Aaron R.; Rangwala, Imtiaz; Thompson, Laura; Walsh, Brianne M.; and Carter, Shawn, "Unfamiliar Territory: Emerging Themes for Ecological Drought Research and Management" (2020). Geography. 10.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/10
Copyright Conditions
Published source must be acknowledged with citation. Crausbay, Shelley D., et al. "Unfamiliar territory: Emerging themes for ecological drought research and management." One Earth 3.3 (2020): 337-353.
