2011 Research Highlights
Promoting Science-Management Integration through Technology Refinement
Moving beyond the straw man
The body of knowledge on climate change is rapidly growing, with better understanding of impacts and management options coming every day. Research focusing on the effective dissemination and application of this science is one degree removed from the original research needed to support decisions but is critical to efficient application of the rapidly emerging body of knowledge. EFETAC researchers and Southern Region planners developed the Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO), a web-based technology uniquely designed to address this need.
Through technological advancements made this year, users can more quickly and efficiently capture customized and location specific climate change science to support analysis and expert consultation during resource stewardship. TACCIMO is based on custom software, developed with user consultation. The web-based interface connects users with a database of climate change science (text and geospatial) derived from peer-reviewed scientific literature. Significant advances in the last year include: (1) climate report generator capable of identifying the range of projected future climate from multiple climate models at multiple scales; (2) simplified and enhanced reporting of text based resources; and (3) implementation of a content production system designed to ensure the currency and credibility of the tool.
Contact: Steve McNulty, research ecologist, steve.mcnulty@usda.gov
