Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North West Alaska CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this USGS CESU grant opportunity about?

This Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) funding opportunity from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Science Center supported research on how climate change could reshape arctic caribou winter habitat in northern Alaska and adjacent northwestern Canada. The emphasis is on understanding how changing wildfire regimes and vegetation shifts (including shrub and forest expansion into tundra) may affect winter ranges that depend on lichen-rich forage.

What problem is the project trying to solve?

Wildfire is already a major force shaping boreal forest and tundra landscapes, and climate change is expected to alter fire frequency, intensity, and patterns. At the same time, warming may accelerate the expansion of shrubs and trees into areas that are currently tundra. Because arctic caribou rely heavily on winter forage where ground lichens are available, the project seeks to estimate how future fire regimes and vegetation transitions may change the amount and distribution of habitat capable of supporting those lichen-rich winter foraging areas.

Why are lichens and stand age important for caribou winter habitat in this opportunity?

The opportunity highlights that winter ranges supporting ground lichens are critical for arctic caribou. Lichens can take many years to re-establish after fire, and shifts from tundra to shrubland or forest can change lichen abundance and accessibility. Because of this, the project emphasizes stand age structure and landscape composition as practical indicators of future winter habitat suitability, focusing on whether forest and tundra stands are old enough to support lichen development.

What kinds of research methods does the opportunity call for?

The work is designed around landscape simulation modeling that combines downscaled (fine-scale) climate projections with models of vegetation succession and wildfire across large areas. The goal is to project ecological responses through the end of the century by applying downscaled climate scenarios to simulated landscapes representing current conditions.

Why does the opportunity emphasize downscaled climate projections?

A key motivation described in the opportunity is that many climate projections exist but are often available at global scales that are too coarse to guide practical management decisions for specific habitats and species. This project aims to bridge that gap by using downscaled climate scenarios suitable for landscape-level simulations and habitat-relevant comparisons.

What spatial resolution is expected for the modeling?

Modeling is expected to be conducted at a 1 km by 1 km resolution. The opportunity notes that this scale is detailed enough to support comparisons across regions and identify shifts in habitat extent and quality relevant to caribou winter ecology.

What is the geographic area covered by the simulations?

The simulation domain is broad and covers the primary winter ranges for four major arctic caribou herds: Western Arctic, Teshekpuk, Central Arctic, and Porcupine. The domain is described as generally north of the Yukon River to the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, extending from the Seward Peninsula eastward into northwestern Canada.

Which caribou herds are specifically included?

The opportunity explicitly identifies four herds: the Western Arctic Herd, Teshekpuk Herd, Central Arctic Herd, and Porcupine Herd, with modeling focused on their primary winter ranges.

What habitat metrics or outputs are expected from the research?

Within each herd's winter range, the research is expected to evaluate trends in the geographic extent of forest and tundra stands that are old enough to support development of forage lichens used by caribou in winter. The opportunity also frames outputs around changes in habitat extent and quality tied to stand age structure, fire effects, and vegetation transitions over time.

What time horizon is the project intended to project through?

The opportunity describes projecting ecological responses through the end of the century, using downscaled climate scenarios applied to simulated landscapes representing current conditions.

What management value is the project intended to deliver?

The intended outcome is decision-relevant information about the potential extent, variability, and timing of winter habitat changes under different climate futures. By comparing results across the four herds' winter ranges, the work is positioned to show where impacts may be most severe or where habitat may persist longer, supporting planning for monitoring, land management, and conservation strategies.

Why does the opportunity describe this work as urgent?

The opportunity frames urgency around rapid warming in Alaska and the likelihood that changing fire regimes, combined with expanding shrubs and trees, will drive major and long-lasting shifts in caribou winter landscapes.

What type of award is this opportunity using?

This was offered as a cooperative agreement under the CESU program, which is built around partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to organizations that are participating partners in the North and West Alaska CESU.

How many awards were anticipated?

The USGS anticipated making one award.

What was the estimated funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $150,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA?

The funding opportunity number was 10HQPA0059. The CFDA was 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).

When was it posted, and what were the deadline and archive dates?

It was posted on May 4, 2010. The application deadline was May 17, 2010. It was archived on June 16, 2010.

Who was the listed point of contact for access issues?

The listed point of contact for access issues was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.