Validating climate‐change refugia: empirical bottom‐up approaches to support management actions

Barrows, Cameron W.; Ramirez, Alexander; Sweet, Lynn C.; Morelli, Toni Lyn; Millar, Constance I.; Frakes, Neil; Rodgers, Jane; Mahalovich, Mary F.

doi:10.1002/fee.2205

Cited by 51 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(126 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…; Barrows et al . ). For example, combining satellite‐based mapping or intensive field sampling with climate projections can provide the basis for in situ assessments of climate exposure to identify areas of persistence for vegetation (“vegetative refugia”; Schut et al .…”

Section: Incorporating Ecological Complexitymentioning

confidence: 97%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Climate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane

Morelli

Barrows

Ramirez

et al. 2020

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

Self Cite

195

191

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate‐change adaptation focuses on conducting and translating research to minimize the dire impacts of anthropogenic climate change, including threats to biodiversity and human welfare. One adaptation strategy is to focus conservation on climate‐change refugia (that is, areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change over time that enable persistence of valued physical, ecological, and sociocultural resources). In this Special Issue, recent methodological and conceptual advances in refugia science will be highlighted. Advances in this emerging subdiscipline are improving scientific understanding and conservation in the face of climate change by considering scale and ecosystem dynamics, and looking beyond climate exposure to sensitivity and adaptive capacity. We propose considering refugia in the context of a multifaceted, long‐term, network‐based approach, as temporal and spatial gradients of ecological persistence that can act as “slow lanes” rather than areas of stasis. After years of discussion confined primarily to the scientific literature, researchers and resource managers are now working together to put refugia conservation into practice.

show abstract

Section: Incorporating Ecological Complexitymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Alternatively, efforts that harness unconventional sources of personnel, such as citizen scientists (eg Barrows et al . ), may provide additional means of conducting standardized, large‐scale monitoring when funding is scarce.…”

Section: From Management Implications To Management Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane

Morelli

Barrows

Ramirez

et al. 2020

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

Self Cite

195

191

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In BC, public support for assisted migration within species range is considerably higher than support for movements outside the current range [67]. In addition, opportunities to conserve this species and genetic diversity in climatic refugia within the existing species range should be acted upon [68]. Palmer and Larson [69] analyzed the ethics of Pinus albicaulis assisted migration and concluded that, on balance, there appear to be good reasons to justify moving this species.…”

Section: Canada Pinus Albicaulismentioning

confidence: 99%

Assisted Migration Field Tests in Canada and Mexico: Lessons, Limitations, and Challenges

Sáenz‐Romero

O’Neill

Aitken

et al. 2020

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Assisted migration of forest tree populations through reforestation and restoration is a climate change adaptation strategy under consideration in many jurisdictions. Matching climates in which seed sources evolved with near future climates projected for plantation sites should help reduce maladaptation and increase plantation health and productivity. For threatened tree species, assisted migration outside of the species range could help avert extinction. Here, we examine lessons, limitations, and challenges of assisted migration through the lens of three assisted migration field trials of conifers in Canada and Mexico: Pinus albicaulis Engelm., an endangered subalpine tree species in the mountains of western North America; the Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm hybrid complex, of great economic and ecological importance in western Canada, and Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham., a tree species that provides overwintering sites for the monarch butterfly. We conclude that: (a) negative impacts of climate change on productivity of Picea glauca × P. engelmannii may be mitigated by planting seed sources from locations that are 3 °C mean coldest month temperature warmer than the plantation; (b) it is possible to establish Pinus albicaulis outside of its current natural distribution at sites that have climates that are within the species’ modelled historic climatic niche, although developing disease-resistant trees through selective breeding is a higher priority in the short term; (c) Abies religiosa performs well when moved 400 m upward in elevation and local shrubs (such as Baccharis conferta Kunth) are used as nurse plants; (d) new assisted migration field trials that contain populations from a wide range of climates tested in multiple disparate climates are needed, despite the costs; and (e) where naturalization of a migrated tree species in recipient ecosystem is viewed as undesirable, the invasive potential of the tree species should be assessed prior to large scale establishment, and stands should be monitored regularly following establishment.

show abstract

“…While protected areas like parks and nature reserves might provide sanctuaries, which are temporarily suitable habitats for species e.g. under current climatic conditions, these might not be persistent over time and new protected areas might be necessary (D'Amen et al 2011;Hannah et al 2014a;Barrows et al 2020;Morelli et al 2020). Therefore, more riparian species have to be investigated to adjust conservation goals (Pullin et al 2009;Driscoll et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing climate requires shift from refugia to sanctuaries for floodplain forests

Fink

Scheidegger

2021

Landscape Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context Riparian areas are considered to undergo major alterations under changing climate, making floodplain habitats targets for conservation and landscape planning. Protected areas might provide sanctuaries especially for sessile riparian plant species, but these niches are not always persistent over time. Objectives We investigate if plant species of floodplain forests are provided with suitable habitat within currently protected areas and if these refugia persist. A coupled-modelling approach is used to gain spatially explicit information on new areas for sanctuaries. Methods We use species distribution models to predict the niche of 12 Salicion albae and 7 Fraxinion floodplain forest species along rivers in Switzerland, under current, moderate and extreme climate change scenarios up to 80 years to the future (2100). The spread of plant species from current habitat to suitable future habitat is simulated using dispersal vectors and life history traits. Results Salicion albae species are more flexible under both climate change scenarios than Fraxinion species. The main limitation for the spread of species is their dispersal ability, as only a minority of the suitable cells is colonized during the simulation process. The predicted future presence within currently protected areas decreases under both climate change scenarios in the model. Conclusions Current protected floodplains do not provide persistent refugia for the plants studied, but might still be of importance to other organisms. Planning of sanctuaries for riparian plant species and communities need to focus on connectivity along rivers to maintain viable source populations in dynamic riverine landscapes under changing climate.

show abstract

Validating climate‐change refugia: empirical bottom‐up approaches to support management actions

Cited by 51 publications

References 53 publications

Climate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane

Climate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane

Assisted Migration Field Tests in Canada and Mexico: Lessons, Limitations, and Challenges

Changing climate requires shift from refugia to sanctuaries for floodplain forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About