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Establishing a Refugia Research Coalition (RRC) for Collaborative Refugia-Related Research and Management in the Pacific Northwest

Completed
By Climate Adaptation Science Centers December 31, 2015

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As temperature and precipitation patterns change, different species in different areas will be affected in different ways. Some places may serve as refuges for wildlife—places where animals can remain or to which they can easily move to escape the worst impacts of climate change. This project will establish a Refugia Research Coalition to leverage recently funded Northwest CASC research projects on the topic of ecological refugia. The goal of this collaborative effort will be to synthesize our understanding of ecological refugia in the Pacific Northwest and how best to use refugia-related research products as tools for adaptive management planning in the region. Ecological refugia will be an important means of protecting biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, there are many different types of refugia--e.g., climatic, fire, and drought--as well as, different ways to identify and preserve refugia. The RRC will attempt to address multiple questions, including: How are the different types of refugia related? Which deserve the highest management priority? Where do they overlap, where do they not, why? Which are most effective at conserving nature's stage? What are the best tools for identifying and preserving refugia? The Refugia Research Coalition (RRC) will address these important questions through a collaborative process that includes top refugia experts from government agencies (USGS, USFS, NPS), NGOs (TNC, Conservation Northwest), and universities (U. Washington, U. Montana).

As temperature and precipitation patterns change, different species in different areas will be affected in different ways. Some places may serve as refuges for wildlife—places where animals can remain or to which they can easily move to escape the worst impacts of climate change. This project will establish a Refugia Research Coalition to leverage recently funded Northwest CASC research projects on the topic of ecological refugia. The goal of this collaborative effort will be to synthesize our understanding of ecological refugia in the Pacific Northwest and how best to use refugia-related research products as tools for adaptive management planning in the region. Ecological refugia will be an important means of protecting biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, there are many different types of refugia--e.g., climatic, fire, and drought--as well as, different ways to identify and preserve refugia. The RRC will attempt to address multiple questions, including: How are the different types of refugia related? Which deserve the highest management priority? Where do they overlap, where do they not, why? Which are most effective at conserving nature's stage? What are the best tools for identifying and preserving refugia? The Refugia Research Coalition (RRC) will address these important questions through a collaborative process that includes top refugia experts from government agencies (USGS, USFS, NPS), NGOs (TNC, Conservation Northwest), and universities (U. Washington, U. Montana).