Grass Valley, Calif. March 28, 2019 – The Sierra Science Series will welcome Dr. Jeremy James, Director of the University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, in a discussion on the impact of a warmer and drier future on rangeland ecosystems and ecosystem services.
The presentation will be held on Tuesday evening, April 9 from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm, in the Multipurpose Center, building N12-103, at the Nevada County Campus. Come early and enjoy a meet-and-greet and refreshments at 6:00 pm.
Between 2012 and 2014, California experienced conditions that were warmer and drier than any period over the last 1,200 years. Evidence indicates that these co-occurring periods of precipitation deficit and warm temperatures are human caused, likely to increase over the next century, and result in levels of drought intensity and duration rivaling those documented in the paleoclimate records. Understanding how these anthropogenic stressors will impact flows of ecosystem services in California is one of the most important research challenges of our time.
Rangelands are the largest land use type in California, providing vast flows of critical ecosystem services to the state, including forage production for livestock, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. However, the ability to forecast how warming and precipitation deficit will impact these key ecosystem services is limited.
Dr. James will discuss drought impacts on ranching and California grassland net primary productivity, and look at how we can use downscaled climate models to create forecasts of how the future climate may impact the ecological function of California grassland and oak woodlands in the decades to come.
About our Speaker:
Dr. Jeremy James has served as the Director of the University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center since 2012. His research program centers on understanding climate change impacts on California grasslands and how ranchers that use these systems for livestock production can adapt to the impacts. He also is involved in several national and international projects that are focused on understanding how to restore arid land systems following catastrophic fire or disturbance. Dr. James completed his doctoral work at the University of California, Davis in 2004. Following this program and prior to his current position, he served as a research scientist in eastern Oregon for the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
The Sierra Science Lecture Series is presented by Sierra College Nevada County Campus and Sierra Streams Institute.
Location and Parking
The Nevada County Campus is located at 250 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Talks are in the Multipurpose Center Building N-12. Parking is $3; permits are available at the kiosk machine at the main entrance to the campus. For more information, contact the series coordinator, Jason Giuliani,
at jgiuliani@sierracollege.edu.
About Sierra College
Sierra College District is rising to meet the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3200 square miles of Northern CA with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at https://www.sierracollege.edu/.