Integrated Assessments of the Impacts of Climate Change on Natural Resources

Concerns about the possibility of an anthropogenically-induced greenhouse warming have prompted a growing body of research designed to understand the likely biological and physical impacts of climate change on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the social and economic consequences of these impacts. Relatively few studies, however, have integrated both the biophysical and the socioeconomic aspects or considered the linkages between them. The publication of this volume culminates a project designed to encourage and, hopefully, facilitate future integrated assessments of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Specific project objectives include: (1) characterizing the current state of natural science and socioeconomic modeling of the impacts of climate change and current climate variability on forests, grasslands, and water; (2) identifying what can be done currently with impact assessments and how to undertake such assessments; (3) identifying impediments to linking biophysical and socioeconomic models into integrated assessments for policy purposes; (4) recommending research activities that will improve the state of the art and remove impediments to model integration.