The Useful to Usable (U2U) project was a six-year research and extension funded by the United States Department of Agriculture provide both useful usable climate information for agricultural (corn) sector in Midwestern States. adopted an extensive co-production knowledge decision-making approach that involved intense iteration with potential end-users, including farmers variety professional advisors, through focus groups surveys, feedback at outreach events, frequent informal interactions...

Abstract Flash droughts, characterized by their unusually rapid intensification, have garnered increasing attention within the weather, climate, agriculture, and ecological communities in recent years due to large environmental socioeconomic impacts. Because flash droughts intensify quickly, they require different early warning capabilities management approaches than are typically used for slower-developing “conventional” droughts. In this essay, we describe an integrated...

The usefulness of climate information for agricultural risk management hinges on its availability and relevance to the producer when climate-sensitive decisions are being made. Climate providers challenged with task balancing forecast lead time acceptable skill, which requires an improved understanding timing decision making. Achieving a useful balance may also require expansion inquiry include use non-forecast (i.e. historical information) in Decision calendars have proven valuable...

Abstract As the climate in midwestern United States becomes increasingly variable because of global change, it is critical to provide tools agricultural community ensure adaptability and profitability cropping systems. When used by farmers their advisors, decision support can reduce uncertainty risks planning, operation, management decisions farm enterprise. Agricultural advisors have historically played a key role providing information guidance these decisions. However, little known about...

Collaborative, holistic, and proactive planning for basin-wide water management solutions addressing multiple water-related hazards is challenging. Shared vision (SVP) decision support systems (DSSs) are two approaches that have been used to address the challenges described. SVP a participatory process. DSSs can efficiently integration of vast amounts information interactively illustrate trade-offs between alternative mitigation plans. While DSS previously help stakeholders better understand...

Abstract Although agricultural production faces chronic stress associated with extreme precipitation events, high temperatures, drought, and shifts in climate conditions, adoption of information into decision making has been relatively limited. Agricultural advisors have shown to play important roles as intermediaries between scientists farmers, brokering, translating, adding value agronomic economic use management making. Yet little is known about the readiness different types weather help...

Abstract Social factors, such as farming methods, have an impact on farm vulnerability to drought, but received little research or policy attention. Some researchers and advocates argued that sustainable agriculture systems are less vulnerable climate risk than conventional because requires producers skills promoting adaptability. In this paper, we investigate producers’ perceptions the use of in reducing drought risk, what they believe would help them better adapt drought. We surveyed...

Water laws and drought plans are used to prioritize allocate scarce water resources. Both have historically been human-centric, failing account for non-human needs. In this paper, we examine the development of instream flow legislation evolution planning highlight growing concern impacts scarcity. Utilizing a new framework ecological drought, analyzed five watershed-scale in southwestern Montana, USA understand if, how, currently being assessed. We found that while these do some impacts, it...

This paper examines the role of crop advisors as brokers climate information to support US corn farmers adapt climatic change. It uses quantitative data collected from a broad survey in Corn Belt examine factors that shape advisors' use (and willingness provide) their clients. Building upon general model usability we argue provide advice is influenced by three main factors: seeking habits and behavior, experience with innovation past, how interplays other kinds they provide—especially...

Changes in temperature and precipitation can affect tourist experiences. This study examines how summer park visitation has changed response to extremes. The goals were two-fold. first is introduce a framework the second test it pilot region with four mountainous National Parks. designed compare vulnerability of seasonal shifts combined indicator precipitation. It uniquely considers needed measurements, data required conduct an analysis. goal destinations U.S. Northern Rockies, including...

Abstract The pathways between climate information producers and agricultural decision-makers are evolving becoming more complex, with increasingly flowing through both public for-profit intermediaries organizations. This study characterizes the various channels of flow, as well needs preferences end users. We use data from a 2016 survey farmers advisors in 12 U.S. Corn Belt states to evaluate perceptions its usability. Our findings reinforce view that much weather is not reaching explicitly...

Abstract The evolution of a flash drought event, characterized by period rapid intensification, is assessed using standard monitoring datasets and on-the-ground reports obtained via written survey agricultural stakeholders after the occurred. impacted production across five-state region centered on Black Hills South Dakota during summer 2016. asked producers to estimate when certain impacts, ranging from decreased soil moisture plant stress diminished water resources, first occurred their...

Drought is an inescapable reality in many regions, including much of the western United States. With climate change, droughts are predicted to intensify and occur more frequently, making imperative for drought management even greater. Many diverse actors – private landowners, business owners, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), managers policymakers within tribal, local, state, federal government agencies play multiple, often overlapping roles preparing responding drought....

The connection between drought early warning information and the timing of rangeland managers’ response actions is not well understood. This study investigates U.S. Northern Plains range livestock decision-making in to 2016 flash drought, by means a postdrought survey agricultural landowners using Protective Action Decision Model theoretical framework. found that managers acted environmental cues, but their responses were significantly delayed compared when conditions emerged. External...

The Midwestern United States experienced a devastating drought in 2012, leading to reduced corn and soybean yields increased instances of pests disease. Climate change induced weather variability extremes are expected increase the future, have will continue impact agricultural sector. This study investigated how trade publications portrayed 2012 U.S. drought, whether climate was associated with these laid out transformative adaptation measures farmers could undertake order their adaptive...

Abstract The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), a weekly map depicting severity and spatial extent of drought, is used to communicate about drought in state federal decision-making, as trigger response policies, including the distribution hundreds millions dollars for agricultural financial relief United States annually. An accompanying classification table helps interpret includes column possible impacts associated with each level severity. However, describing potential generalized entire States....

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Tsegaye Tadesse, NDMC, UNL, 816 Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, P.O. Box 830988, Lincoln, NE 68583-0988, E-mail: ttadesse2@unl.edu

Abstract Sustainable management is a complex process that involves balancing the competing interests of human, plant, and animal communities depend on watershed resources. It developing implementing plans, programs, projects sustain enhance functions while taking into account natural, social, political, economic, institutional factors operating within other relevant regions. Examples such include crosscutting mandates by different levels government, conflicting objectives across sectors,...

Ranchers and other land managers of central northern Great Plains rangelands face recurrent droughts that negatively influence economic returns environmental resources for ranching enterprises. Accurately estimating annual forage production initiating drought decision-making actions proactively early in the growing season are both critical to minimize financial losses degradation rangeland soil plant resources. Long-term data sets from Alberta, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South...