Establishing a refugia research coalition (RRC) for collaborative refugia-related research and management in the Pacific Northwest

Mountain pine beetle damage

    Principal Investigator

  • Aaron Ramirez, NW CASC, Reed College, ramireza@reed.edu
  • CMS Group

  • Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Program
  • NW CASC, NCASC
Completed

This project will establish a Refugia Research Coalition to leverage recently funded NW CSC research projects on the topic of ecological refugia. The goal of this collaborative effort will be to synthesize our understanding of ecological refugia in the Pacific Northwest and how best to use refugia-related research products as tools for adaptive management planning in the region. Ecological refugia will be an important means of protecting biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, there are many different types of refugia–e.g., climatic, fire, and drought–as well as, different ways to identify and preserve refugia. How are the different types of refugia related? Which deserve the highest management priority? Where do they overlap, where do they not, why? Which are most effective at conserving nature’s stage? What are the best tools for identifying and preserving refugia? The Refugia Research Coalition (RRC) will address these important questions through a collaborative process that includes top refugia experts from government agencies (USGS, USFS, NPS), NGOs (TNC, Conservation Northwest), and universities (U. Washington, U. Montana).

Data and Products