Climate, land management and future wildlife habitat in the Pacific Northwest
Final Report
Dates
Start Date
2012-09-15
End Date
2014-09-15
Summary
This study addressed the challenges faced by natural resource management planning in the context of climate change. We explored how future climate may interact with management alternatives to shape wildlife habitat across large landscapes. We studied habitat for the northern spotted owl in coastal Washington and southwestern Oregon, and habitat for the greater sage-grouse in southeastern Oregon. In coastal Washington, the primary threat to owl habitat is likely to be habitat loss as a result of increasing fire and shifts in vegetation with changing climate. These threats may not be fully mitigated with management. In southwest Oregon, increasing fire frequencies under climate change are also likely to pose the greatest threat to owl [...]
Summary
This study addressed the challenges faced by natural resource management planning in the context of climate change. We explored how future climate may interact with management alternatives to shape wildlife habitat across large landscapes. We studied habitat for the northern spotted owl in coastal Washington and southwestern Oregon, and habitat for the greater sage-grouse in southeastern Oregon.
In coastal Washington, the primary threat to owl habitat is likely to be habitat loss as a result of increasing fire and shifts in vegetation with changing climate. These threats may not be fully mitigated with management.
In southwest Oregon, increasing fire frequencies under climate change are also likely to pose the greatest threat to owl habitat. Management aimed at constraining fires is needed, but due to the scope of the problem, strategic fuel treatment management will be vital.
In southeast Oregon, some threats to sage-grouse habitat are more manageable than others. Wildfire increased under all climate scenarios. Climatic constraints to sage-grouse from hotter, drier summers cannot be managed, but some effects of climate change may aid the goals of management; for instance, increasing fire frequency can help control juniper expansion. Unfortunately, invasive annual grasses are poised to invade much of the landscape at a rate that could exceed the capacity of management.
While the task of maintaining and enhancing habitat across large, complicated landscapes in the face of climate change is daunting, this research yields information that is useful in setting management priorities and developing strategies for maintaining habitat and addressing other major goals in all three regions.
