scholarly journals Climatic niche contraction, habitat restoration opportunities, and conservation biogeography in California's San Joaquin Desert

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph AE Stewart ◽  
H Scott Butterfield ◽  
Jonathan Q Richmond ◽  
David J Germano ◽  
Michael F Westphal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Vulnerable Species ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Exotic Grasses ◽  
Threatened And Endangered Species

Aim: Habitat loss has been the greatest historical driver of species extinctions. A recent global trend toward retirement of marginally productive agricultural lands presents opportunities to reclaim critical habitat for endangered species. We examine habitat restoration opportunities in the context of historical sources of habitat loss, including agriculture, development, habitat fragmentation, and invasive-species-mediated climatic niche contraction. Location: California’s San Joaquin Desert (SJD) is one of the world’s most agriculturally productive landscapes. Fragments of remnant habitat serve as habitat for 34 threatened and endangered species. Retirement of agricultural land in the SJD is being driven by climate change, groundwater salinization, and historical groundwater overdraft—even as unmitigated loss of virgin habitat continues. Methods: To promote efficient habitat protection and restoration, we conducted a quantitative assessment of habitat suitability, habitat loss, climatic niche stability, projected effects of climate change, and reintroduction opportunities for an umbrella species, the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila). Results: Analyses indicate that G. sila habitat overlaps with occurrence records for 128 vulnerable species and that its habitat is broadly representative of the habitat of other vulnerable species in the SJD. We document an apparent climatic niche contraction for G. sila and associated range contraction away from more mesic margins of the historical distribution, apparently driven by introduction of exotic grasses and forbs. We use habitat suitability models, in conjunction with modern and historical land use maps, to estimate historical and modern rate of habitat loss to development and fragmentation. We use NASA fallowed area maps to identify 610 km2 of fallowed or retired agricultural land with high potential to be restored as habitat. We discuss conservation strategies in light of anticipated climate change and potential for habitat restoration. Main Conclusions: In the midst of multiple sources of historical and ongoing habitat loss, farmland retirement presents an opportunity to recover large amounts of endangered species habitat.

scholarly journals Habitat restoration opportunities, climatic niche contraction, and conservation biogeography in California's San Joaquin Desert

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph AE Stewart ◽  
H Scott Butterfield ◽  
Jonathan Q Richmond ◽  
David J Germano ◽  
Michael F Westphal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Habitat Protection ◽  
Exotic Grasses ◽  
Threatened And Endangered Species ◽  
The Impact

A recent global trend toward retirement of farmland presents opportunities to reclaim habitat for threatened and endangered species. We examine habitat restoration opportunities in one of the world’s most converted landscapes, California’s San Joaquin Desert (SJD). Despite the presence of 35 threatened and endangered species, agricultural expansion continues to drive habitat loss in the SJD, even as marginal farmland is retired. Over the next decades a combination of factors, including salinization, climate change, and historical groundwater overdraft, are projected to lead to the retirement of more than 2,000 km2 of farmland in the SJD. To promote strategic habitat protection and restoration, we conducted a quantitative assessment of habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat suitability, climatic niche stability, climate change impacts, habitat protection, and reintroduction opportunities for an umbrella species of the SJD, the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila). We use our suitability models, in conjunction with modern and historical land use maps, to estimate the historical and modern rate of habitat loss to development. The estimated amount of habitat lost since the species became protected under endangered species law in 1967 is greater than the total amount of habitat currently protected through public ownership and conservation easement. We document climatic niche contraction and associated range contraction away from the more mesic margins of the species’ historical distribution, driven by the anthropogenic introduction of exotic grasses and forbs. The impact of exotic species on G. sila range dynamics appears to be still unfolding. Finally, we use NASA fallowed area maps to identify 610 km2 of fallowed or retired agricultural land with high potential to again serve as habitat. We discuss conservation strategies in light of the potential for habitat restoration and multiple drivers of ongoing and historical habitat loss.

scholarly journals Habitat restoration opportunities, climatic niche contraction, and conservation biogeography in California's San Joaquin Desert

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph AE Stewart ◽  
H Scott Butterfield ◽  
Jonathan Q Richmond ◽  
David J Germano ◽  
Michael F Westphal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Habitat Protection ◽  
Exotic Grasses ◽  
Threatened And Endangered Species ◽  
The Impact

A recent global trend toward retirement of farmland presents opportunities to reclaim habitat for threatened and endangered species. We examine habitat restoration opportunities in one of the world’s most converted landscapes, California’s San Joaquin Desert (SJD). Despite the presence of 35 threatened and endangered species, agricultural expansion continues to drive habitat loss in the SJD, even as marginal farmland is retired. Over the next decades a combination of factors, including salinization, climate change, and historical groundwater overdraft, are projected to lead to the retirement of more than 2,000 km2 of farmland in the SJD. To promote strategic habitat protection and restoration, we conducted a quantitative assessment of habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat suitability, climatic niche stability, climate change impacts, habitat protection, and reintroduction opportunities for an umbrella species of the SJD, the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila). We use our suitability models, in conjunction with modern and historical land use maps, to estimate the historical and modern rate of habitat loss to development. The estimated amount of habitat lost since the species became protected under endangered species law in 1967 is greater than the total amount of habitat currently protected through public ownership and conservation easement. We document climatic niche contraction and associated range contraction away from the more mesic margins of the species’ historical distribution, driven by the anthropogenic introduction of exotic grasses and forbs. The impact of exotic species on G. sila range dynamics appears to be still unfolding. Finally, we use NASA fallowed area maps to identify 610 km2 of fallowed or retired agricultural land with high potential to again serve as habitat. We discuss conservation strategies in light of the potential for habitat restoration and multiple drivers of ongoing and historical habitat loss.

scholarly journals Climatic niche divergence and habitat suitability of eight alien invasive weeds in China under climate change

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1541-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Zhong Wan ◽  
Chun-Jing Wang ◽  
Jing-Fang Tan ◽  
Fei-Hai Yu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Invasive Weeds ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Niche Divergence

scholarly journals What is sustainable agriculture?

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Leslie Firbank
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Water Quantity ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
The Many

We all want to eat food that is produced sustainably. But it's not at all clear what that means in practice. Fundamentally, agriculture can be regarded as sustainable if it can continue to meet human needs whilst avoiding irreversible harm to the planet. The human needs are not just food, but include employment, leisure, social cohesion and the many ecosystem services provided by agricultural land that benefit people, including regulating water quantity and quality, carbon storage, maintaining landscapes of cultural and spiritual value, and providing homes for wildlife. Agriculture causes harm to the planet from habitat loss, carbon emissions, and pollution of air and water. Meeting these challenges is tough now, but it will only become more difficult as the human population rises and climate change becomes more difficult to cope with.

Climate Change and Land Use Change of Rural Households in The Red River Delta, Vietnam

2013 ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Ngoc Luu Bich
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Red River ◽  
Red River Delta ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Main Production ◽  
Farming Households

Climate change (CC) and its impacts on the socio-economy and the development of communities has become an issue causing very special concern. The rise in global temperatures, in sea levels, extreme weather phenomena, and salinization have occurred more and more and have directly influenced the livelihoods of rural households in the Red River Delta – one of the two regions projected to suffer strongly from climate change in Vietnam. For farming households in this region, the major and traditional livelihoods are based on main production materials as agricultural land, or aquacultural water surface Changes in the land use of rural households in the Red River Delta during recent times was influenced strongly by the Renovation policy in agriculture as well as the process of industrialization and modernization in the country. Climate change over the past 5 years (2005-2011) has started influencing household land use with the concrete manifestations being the reduction of the area cultivated and the changing of the purpose of land use.

The Biology of Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Esler ◽  
Anna L. Jacobsen ◽  
R. Brandon Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Invasive Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Endemic Species ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Type Ecosystems

The world’s mediterranean-type climate regions (including areas within the Mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, California, and Chile) have long been of interest to biologists by virtue of their extraordinary biodiversity and the appearance of evolutionary convergence between these disparate regions. Comparisons between mediterranean-type climate regions have provided important insights into questions at the cutting edge of ecological, ecophysiological and evolutionary research. These regions, dominated by evergreen shrubland communities, contain many rare and endemic species. Their mild climate makes them appealing places to live and visit and this has resulted in numerous threats to the species and communities that occupy them. Threats include a wide range of factors such as habitat loss due to development and agriculture, disturbance, invasive species, and climate change. As a result, they continue to attract far more attention than their limited geographic area might suggest. This book provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to mediterranean-type ecosystems. As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate these regions although their management, conservation, and restoration are also considered.

scholarly journals Mapping current and potential future distributions of the oak tree (Quercus aegilops) in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabaz R. Khwarahm
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Oak Tree

Abstract Background The oak tree (Quercus aegilops) comprises ~ 70% of the oak forests in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Besides its ecological importance as the residence for various endemic and migratory species, Q. aegilops forest also has socio-economic values—for example, as fodder for livestock, building material, medicine, charcoal, and firewood. In the KRI, Q. aegilops has been degrading due to anthropogenic threats (e.g., shifting cultivation, land use/land cover changes, civil war, and inadequate forest management policy) and these threats could increase as climate changes. In the KRI and Iraq as a whole, information on current and potential future geographical distributions of Q. aegilops is minimal or not existent. The objectives of this study were to (i) predict the current and future habitat suitability distributions of the species in relation to environmental variables and future climate change scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 2070 and RCP8.5 2070); and (ii) determine the most important environmental variables controlling the distribution of the species in the KRI. The objectives were achieved by using the MaxEnt (maximum entropy) algorithm, available records of Q. aegilops, and environmental variables. Results The model demonstrated that, under the RCP2.6 2070 and RCP8.5 2070 climate change scenarios, the distribution ranges of Q. aegilops would be reduced by 3.6% (1849.7 km2) and 3.16% (1627.1 km2), respectively. By contrast, the species ranges would expand by 1.5% (777.0 km2) and 1.7% (848.0 km2), respectively. The distribution of the species was mainly controlled by annual precipitation. Under future climate change scenarios, the centroid of the distribution would shift toward higher altitudes. Conclusions The results suggest (i) a significant suitable habitat range of the species will be lost in the KRI due to climate change by 2070 and (ii) the preference of the species for cooler areas (high altitude) with high annual precipitation. Conservation actions should focus on the mountainous areas (e.g., by establishment of national parks and protected areas) of the KRI as climate changes. These findings provide useful benchmarking guidance for the future investigation of the ecology of the oak forest, and the categorical current and potential habitat suitability maps can effectively be used to improve biodiversity conservation plans and management actions in the KRI and Iraq as a whole.

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