Endangered Species UPDATE Science, Policy & Emerging Issues

2008 Vol. 25 No. 4 Pages 101 - 136 Endangered Species UPDATE Science, Policy & Emerging Issues School of Natural Resources and Environment THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Endangered Species UPDATE Science, Policy & Emerging Issues Contents 2008 Vol. 25 No. 4 Protecting Climate Refugia Areas: The case of the Gaviota Megan Banka ................................................... Editor coast in southern California ..............................................103 David Faulkner................................Associate Editor Devan Rouse ...................................Associate Editor Michael Vincent McGinnis Johannes Foufopoulos ................... Faculty Advisor Bobbi Low ....................................... Faculty Advisor Population and Politics of a Plover ..................................104 Advisory Board Fritz L. Knopf Richard Block Santa Barbara Victoria J. Dreitz Zoological Gardens Susan Haig, PhD Spatial analysis of incidental mortality as a threat for Franciscana Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, USGS dolphins (Pontoporia blainville) ...........................................115 Oregon State University Marcelo H. Cassini Patrick O’Brien, PhD Observations on the reproductive seasonality of Atlantoraja ChevronTexaco Energy Research Company platana (Günther, 1880), an intensively fished skate endemic Jack Ward Thomas, PhD to the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean ...............................122 University of Montana Maria Cristina Oddone Gonzalo Velasco Subscription Information: The Endangered Species UPDATE is published four times per year by the School Focus on Nature: Bee Creek Cave Harvestman (Texella reddel- of Natural Resources and Environment at The University li)..............................................................................................130 of Michigan. Annual rates are: $78 institution, $33 indi- vidual, $25 student/senior, and $20 electronic. Add $5 for Rochelle Mason postage outside the US, and send check or money order (payable to The University of Michigan, Endangered Spe- cies UPDATE) to: Call for Submissions...........................................................131 Endangered Species UPDATE Instructions to Authors.......................................................132 School of Natural Resources and Environment The University of Michigan 440 Church Street Endangered Species Bulletin, September 2007..................Insert Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041 Provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (734) 763-3243; fax (734) 936-2195 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.umich.edu/~esupdate Cover: A swimming skate. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The views expressed in the Endangered Species UPDATE The Endangered Species UPDATE was made may not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Fish & Wild- life Service or The University of Michigan. possible in part by Chevron Corporation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Endangered Species. 102 Endangered Species UPDATE Vol. 25 No. 4 2008 Type Protecting Climate Refugia Areas:Title The case of the Gaviota coast in southern California Michael Vincent Abstract McGinnis The designation of “climate refuge areas” should be an important part of a more integrated, ecosystem-based approach to protect endangered species. Identifying “climate refugia” areas should be a priority as resource managers Senior Lecturer, Insitute of Policy Studies, Senior Lec- begin to develop adaptive policies. This article describes policy innovation turer, School of Government, in California that includes important strategic elements and goals that can Victoria University of Wel- support the identification and protection of climate refugia for special status lington, P.O. Box 600, Level 5, species, and offers a case study of the Gaviota coast in southern California. West Wing Railway Building, The essay concludes with general recommendations for planning and policy Bunny Street, Wellington, New Zealand, 6011 development to support better protection of endangered species, and emphasizes the importance of better local land-use planning. [email protected] The Importance of Climate Refugia This article describes recent policy innovation in California to develop an ecosystem-based approach to endangered species protection, with particular emphasis on the importance of identifying and protecting climate refugia in areas that are known as hot spots for threatened biodiversity. Climate refugia is a term that has emerged in the conservation biology literature that refers to an area that is inhabited by plants and animals during a period of continental climatic change (as a glaciation), and remains as an important area from which a new dispersion and speciation may take place after climatic disturbance (Klausmeyer and Shaw 2009). Scientists have begun to describe the cumulative impacts of the multiple-use of resources, and show that these impacts will likely exacerbate an ecosystem’s ability to adapt to climate disturbance (Worm et al. 2006; Halpern et al. 2009). Large-scale climate disturbance will interact with and accelerate the existing anthropogenic pressures to endangered species. Indeed, scientists show that there are syn- ergies among extinction drivers under global climate change that reflect the cumulative impacts of the multiple-use of resources and climate disturbance (Brook et al. 2008). Policy innovation is needed to begin to foster large-scale, ecosystem-based adaptive conservation strategies to better protect endangered species in an era of climate change. Scholarly literature has expressed concern over the lack of region- or ecosystem-specific adaptation policy that can enable ecological resilience of threatened biodiversity with respect to climate disturbance. Current strategies include prescriptions at the state and federal government levels that support principles of ecosystem-based planning, and the establishment of Vol. 25 No. 4 2008 Endangered Species UPDATE 103 habitat reserves that support connectiv- Case Study: California’s Mediterra- ity or migration corridors, habitat buffer nean-type Ecosystem zones, ecological core areas, the control Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) of non-native invasive species, and col- have a rich natural history that includes laboration across administrative, eco- long periods of ecosystem and climate- nomic and political jurisdictions (Yaffee related disturbance events, such as et al. 1996). Local land use planning and changes in oceanographic and climate policy can play a fundamental role in the regimes (Klausmeyer and Shaw 2009). protection of sensitive habitat areas and MTEs are far from homeostatic or stable ecosystems (Brody 2004). systems (Blondel and Aronson 1999). This article describes recent policy in- The MTEs of the world are unique novation in California that focuses on the biomes that share a common natural need to develop adaptive policy at the re- history – species of these areas have had gional and local levels to protect climate to adapt to major climate events such as refugia throughout the state. Resource flooding, earthquakes, fire, and changes managers increasingly recognize that in the available of water and food. Run- adaptive policy must occur at regional del et al. (1998) note that MTEs are not levels with local land use decisions and steady-state ecosystems. For example, management actions that can protect en- the Los Angeles River in southern Cali- dangered species dependent on climate fornia can increase its flow 3,000 fold in a refugia. Protecting endangered species 24-hour period (Davis 1998). California and their habitats on private and public has experienced significant long-term lands will become increasingly difficult droughts or extreme hydrological shifts: as plants, animals and insects adjust their 892-1112 (220 years) and 1209-1350 (141 ranges in response to climate change. years). The longest drought of the 20th More importantly, conservation effort is Century lasted 6 years during 1987-1992. needed to protect endangered species in Species adapt to these changing envi- parts of their habitat range that are rela- ronmental conditions often by relying tively stable “climate refugia” – areas on climate refugia areas. that function as important source areas Human impacts on California’s MTE from which species can expand given have led to the degradation of a range of climate disturbance. This article offers habitats that serve the needs of endan- a number of preliminary strategies that gered species: 55% of the State listed ani- should be developed at regional levels mals and 25% of the threatened plants to begin to protect endangered species depend on wetlands; 43% of the Feder- and climate refugia areas. Among the ally listed species rely directly on wet- most recent recommendations in the sci- lands for survival; estuarine wetlands entific literature is the need to identify have decline by 75-90%; riparian com- and protect climate refugia across a rap- munities have declined by 90-95%; and idly changing landscape and seascape vernal pools have declined by 90% (Noss (Barnosky 2007). Evidence is accumu- et al. 1995; McGinnis 2009). The multi- lating that emphasizes the importance ple impacts of human activities will like- of managing climate refugia that have ly exacerbate the ability of endangered historically supported ecological resil- species to adapt to climate change in ience during periods of dramatic climate California (California Resources Agency disturbance, such as long term changes 2009; Halpern et al. 2009;

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