STEWARDSHIP OF THE WEST Training a New Kind of Climate Scientist Like our understanding of climate change, climate science and its practice are evolving. Today, climate science is not only about scientific research or making projections, but also requires translating research findings into information, tools, and techniques that can be used by on-the-ground managers. Christine M. Albano is one of a new breed of climate scientists doing just this. Albano joined the SW CSC in January 2012 as a research associate with the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis, which is a key SW CSC partner. She was selected because, in addition to her competency as a biologist, Albano was interested in the social aspects of translating conservation science into policy. “I want to make a difference, and I believe this involves first understanding the management challenges and questions and drawing on these to develop practical science questions,” Albano said. “Like many other early career scientists in this field, I am more interested in the nexus of climate science and application than traditional academic research.” CHRISTINE M. ALBANO, WATERPOCKET FOLD, CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH. PHOTO CREDIT: BRETT DICKSON.
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Albano’s SW CSC research has examined empirical issues such as the degradation of rangelands, post-fire grazing, and conservation priority areas in addition to conceptual and methodological issues. This position also has afforded Albano the opportunity to work with stakeholders, particularly natural resource managers. She was instrumental in the development of SW CSC’s stakeholder consultative groups, which are helping to focus the center’s efforts in decision support and information transfer. Albano is involved in helping managers develop climate-adaptation strategies; recent work includes producing a new approach that uses geophysical diversity, including topography and soils, to identify lands in the Southwest that offer the best opportunity to protect biodiversity in the face of climate change.
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