Groundwater discharge often shields sensitive species and habitats from climate change. For example, seeps (i.e., areas of groundwater discharge) can serve as critical refugia for at-risk species and often provide the only reliable form of surface water during increasingly hot summers and severe droughts. Seeps can vary widely in their biodiversity, environmental properties and resulting importance as stable habitats under climate change, though it is unclear which factors best predict their importance as refugia. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to manage seeps in a way that safeguards temperature-sensitive and moisture-dependent species under climate change, putting many of these species at risk. Unfortunately, the small areas occupied by seeps can also make them difficult to locate and study. Through this research, Sky will model and map the distributions of two dominant seep types in the Cascades and Northern Rockies and then evaluate how their biodiversity and habitat stability are related to climate and landscape variables.

The purpose of this project is to allow managers to achieve high-priority goals for improving identification and management of seeps and their associated at-risk species under climate change. In addition, this research will improve knowledge about the distributions, habitat needs and vulnerability of several understudied organisms, helping guide proactive management and future surveys for these species. Specifically, this work will be conducted in conjunction with the National Park Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service. It will help all three agencies assign priority areas for managing seeps and seep-associated species on their lands, including several State Wildlife Action Plan species that remain understudied. For example, more than 20 species of amphibians and mollusks use headwall and side-slope seeps within the Pacific Northwest, yet many have been subjects of few, if any, conservation-oriented studies.