Climate relict vulnerable to extinction from multiple climate‐driven threats

Abstract

Aim: Over the gradually warming Holocene, many species' range limits shifted poleward. However, some populations persisted in climate refugia, such as mountain tops. These climate relict populations are critical components of regional biodiversity, but their isolation renders them vulnerable to other threats, including changes in environmental conditions indirectly related to a warming global climate. We aimed to quantify the role of these indirect climate effects on Florida saltmarsh vole (Microtus pennsylvannicus dukecampbelli; hereafter: "vole"), a poorly understood, endangered climate relict.