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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Predicted Changes In Climatic Niche And Climate Refugia Of Conservation Priority Salamander Species In The Northeastern United States, William B. Sutton, Kyle Barrett, Allison T. Moody, Cynthia S. Loftin, Phillip G. Demaynadier, Priya Nanjappa
Predicted Changes In Climatic Niche And Climate Refugia Of Conservation Priority Salamander Species In The Northeastern United States, William B. Sutton, Kyle Barrett, Allison T. Moody, Cynthia S. Loftin, Phillip G. Demaynadier, Priya Nanjappa
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research
Global climate change represents one of the most extensive and pervasive threats to wildlife populations. Amphibians, specifically salamanders, are particularly susceptible to the effects of changing climates due to their restrictive physiological requirements and low vagility; however, little is known about which landscapes and species are vulnerable to climate change. Our study objectives included, (1) evaluating species-specific predictions (based on 2050 climate projections) and vulnerabilities to climate change and (2) using collective species responses to identify areas of climate refugia for conservation priority salamanders in the northeastern United States. All evaluated salamander species were projected to lose a portion of …
Identifying Priority Species And Conservation Opportunities Under Future Climate Scenarios: Amphibians In A Biodiversity Hotspot, Kyle Barrett, Nathan P. Nibbelink, John C. Maerz
Identifying Priority Species And Conservation Opportunities Under Future Climate Scenarios: Amphibians In A Biodiversity Hotspot, Kyle Barrett, Nathan P. Nibbelink, John C. Maerz
All Publications
Climate change is driving shifts in the distribution of plants and animals, and prioritizing management actions for such shifts is a necessary but technically difficult challenge. We worked with state agencies in the southeastern United States to identify high-priority amphibian species, to model the vulnerabilities of those species to regional climate change, and to identify long-term climatic refugia within the context of existing conservation lands. Directly interfacing with state natural resource experts ensured that 1) species prioritization schemes extend beyond political boundaries and 2) our models resulted in conservation-relevant applications. We used a correlative model to project midcentury distributions of …