Applying Local-Scale Knowledge to Solve Broad Global Environmental Change Problems: a Case Study for Climate Change Refugia Conservation

One of the ways that researchers and resource managers are working together to combat climate change is through climate adaptation. A primary focus of climate adaptation is the conservation of climate change refugia, areas that remain relatively buffered from contemporary climate change over time and enable persistence of valued physical, ecological, and socio-cultural resources. However, incorporating climate change considerations into day-to-day management is a challenge for many natural resource managers. To address this challenge, the project team aimed to integrate near-term research and conservation needs with long-term climate adaptation planning and broader scale climate data. Using the processes of translational ecology and knowledge coproduction, this project united resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion (California, USA) to identify refugia for key valued climate-vulnerable natural resources (e.g., meadows, giant sequoia, fisher). The project team synthesized existing research, mapping, modeling, management, and monitoring frameworks that can be leveraged for conserving refugia for valued species, habitats, and ecosystem processes in the Sierra Nevada. Ultimately, this project will help physical and biological scientists target research to better support natural resource decisions related to land protection, invasive species treatment, recreation management, and a host of other conservation challenges.