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A landscape‐scale framework to identify refugia from multiple stressors
Author(s) -
Rojas Isabel M.,
Jennings Megan K.,
Conlisk Erin,
Syphard Alexandra D.,
Mikesell Jack,
Kinoshita Alicia M.,
West Krista,
Stow Doug,
Storey Emanuel,
De Guzman Mark E.,
Foote Diane,
Warneke Alexandria,
Pairis Amber,
Ryan Sherry,
Flint Lorraine E.,
Flint Alan L.,
Lewison Rebecca L.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13834
Subject(s) - riparian zone , climate change , biodiversity , geography , stressor , habitat , ecology , habitat fragmentation , environmental resource management , cumulative effects , ecosystem , environmental science , biology , neuroscience
From a conservation perspective, quantifying potential refugial capacity has been predominantly focused on climate refugia, which is critical for maintaining the persistence of species and ecosystems. However, protection from other stressors, such as human‐induced changes in fire and hydrology, that cause habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation is also necessary to ensure that conservation efforts focused on climate are not undermined by other threats. Thus, conceptual and methodological advances for quantifying potential refugia from multiple anthropogenic stressors are important to support conservation efforts. We devised a new conceptual approach, the domains of refugia, for assessing refugial capacity that identifies areas where exposure to multiple stressors is low. In our framework, patterns of environmental variability (e.g., increased frequency of warm summers), thresholds of resilience, and extent and intensity of stressors are used to identify areas of potential refugia from a suite of ongoing anthropogenic stressors (e.g., changes in fire regime). To demonstrate its utility, we applied the framework to a Southern California landscape. Sites with high refugial capacity (super‐refugia sites) had on average 30% fewer extremely warm summers, 20% fewer fire events, 10% less exposure to altered river channels and riparian areas, and 50% fewer recreational trails than the surrounding landscape. Our results suggest that super‐refugia sites (∼8200 km 2 ) for some natural communities are underrepresented in the existing protected area network, a finding that can inform efforts to expand protected areas. Our case study highlights how considering exposure to multiple stressors can inform planning and practice to conserve biodiversity in a changing world.