The Mediterranean ecosystems of southern California are some of the most ecologically diverse systems in the world. The diversity of plants and animals, as well as high rates of endemism, make the area a biodiversity hotspot. High diversity in plant and animal species contributes greatly to the health and productivity of ecosystems, and plays an important role in the local and state economy (e.g. tourism, food crops, etc.). San Diego County's complex topography, highly variable precipitation and climate play a large role in determining the biology of the region. Changing temperatures and precipitation patterns due to climate change would alter the region's climate and add to other stressors such as habitat fragmentation from roadways [...]
Summary
The Mediterranean ecosystems of southern California are some of the most ecologically diverse systems in the world. The diversity of plants and animals, as well as high rates of endemism, make the area a biodiversity hotspot. High diversity in plant and animal species contributes greatly to the health and productivity of ecosystems, and plays an important role in the local and state economy (e.g. tourism, food crops, etc.).
San Diego County's complex topography, highly variable precipitation and climate play a large role in determining the biology of the region. Changing temperatures and precipitation patterns due to climate change would alter the region's climate and add to other stressors such as habitat fragmentation from roadways and suburban-rural development. Natural resource management and conservation actions would be greatly enhanced by a better understanding of which natural resources are most at risk from climate change and increased climate variability in San Diego’s diverse terrestrial ecosystems.
This project aims to uncover and assess these risks to and implications for San Diego County’s biodiversity and important natural resources. The project team, which includes climatologists and ecologists, will assess the state of the science regarding the potential climate impacts to natural resources in the region and will bring to light knowledge gaps and science needs in order to further develop our scientific understanding. This assessment will include a review of efforts that have already been made to conserve open spaces and natural resources in the area. The team will also explore the most regionally-relevant climate adaptation strategies that can be applied to buffer the effects of climate variability and provide several case-study examples of adaptation projects that have been successfully implemented in San Diego. The final report from this effort will be presented as part of the 4th California Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment.
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MissionBayWetlands_SanDiego_CoastalSaltMarsh_JoannaGilkesonUSFWS.jpg “Mission Bay Wetlands, San Diego, CA; Joanna Gilkeson, USFWS”
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Purpose
The mediterranean ecosystems of southern California are some of the most ecologically diverse systems. The diversity of plants and animals, as well as high rates of endemism, make the area a biodiversity hotspot. San Diego County's complex topography and highly variable precipitation and other climatic factors play an important role in determining the resident biological palette. Climate change would aggravate parts of the region's already challenging climate and add to other stressors. San Diego has a major metropolitan area, and is burdened by extensive fragmentation from roadways and suburban-rural development. Within this complex, San Diego County still hosts expanses of native and preserved habitats where management and conservation action could be greatly enhanced through science-based assessments and planning for climate change and variability. The objective of this project is to assess the natural resources at risk from climate change and increased climate variability in San Diego’s diverse terrestrial ecosystems. To accomplish this, we have assembled a team of climatologists and ecologists in a unique collaboration. The team has outlined an approach to elucidate existing science and expose knowledge gaps for the San Diego region. Our collaborative group of ecologists and climatologists will describe the rich biodiversity of the region, the efforts that have been made to conserve open spaces and natural resources, and review the state of the science with respect to understanding potential climate impacts on the diverse environmental landscape in the San Diego region. The goal of this collaborative effort is to present a needed assessment of San Diego ecosystems and natural resources futures, which will take stock of the implications of climate change as well as other stressors. We aim to review how San Diego’s natural resources are at risk from climate change and co-occurring stressors. Our ultimate aim is to compile and present this assessment to help guide better stewardship and management of the unique ecosystems in the region. The final report from this effort will be presented as part of the 4th California Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment. In partnership with the Climate Science Alliance – South Coast, a unique collaboration of local ecologists and climatologists is conducting a review of the impacts of climate change on San Diego County’s terrestrial ecosystems. In this assessment, we will review the state of the science on the background natural climate variability and projected climatic changes, and describe the region’s unique diversity of ecosystems, habitats, plants, and animals. The assessment will include a review of the susceptibility of the region’s ecosystems to impacts from climate variability and relevant synergistic impacts of anthropogenic factors that may be exacerbated by a changing climate (e.g., urban growth, land use shifts, and fire regimes). We will explore the most regionally-relevant climate adaptation strategies that can be applied to buffer the effects of climate variability and provide several case-study examples of adaptation projects that have been successfully implemented in San Diego’s terrestrial ecosystems. We will also conduct a needs assessment to identify needed science efforts such as long-term monitoring, climate modeling and projections, and ecosystem modeling that may facilitate change detection, adaptive management, and risk planning for the region.
Project Extension
parts
type
Technical Summary
value
The mediterranean ecosystems of southern California are some of the most ecologically diverse systems. The diversity of plants and animals, as well as high rates of endemism, make the area a biodiversity hotspot. San Diego County's complex topography and highly variable precipitation and other climatic factors play an important role in determining the resident biological palette. Climate change would aggravate parts of the region's already challenging climate and add to other stressors. San Diego has a major metropolitan area, and is burdened by extensive fragmentation from roadways and suburban-rural development. Within this complex, San Diego County still hosts expanses of native and preserved habitats where management and conservation action could be greatly enhanced through science-based assessments and planning for climate change and variability. The objective of this project is to assess the natural resources at risk from climate change and increased climate variability in San Diego’s diverse terrestrial ecosystems. To accomplish this, we have assembled a team of climatologists and ecologists in a unique collaboration. The team has outlined an approach to elucidate existing science and expose knowledge gaps for the San Diego region. Our collaborative group of ecologists and climatologists will describe the rich biodiversity of the region, the efforts that have been made to conserve open spaces and natural resources, and review the state of the science with respect to understanding potential climate impacts on the diverse environmental landscape in the San Diego region. The goal of this collaborative effort is to present a needed assessment of San Diego ecosystems and natural resources futures, which will take stock of the implications of climate change as well as other stressors. We aim to review how San Diego’s natural resources are at risk from climate change and co-occurring stressors. Our ultimate aim is to compile and present this assessment to help guide better stewardship and management of the unique ecosystems in the region. The final report from this effort will be presented as part of the 4th California Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment. In partnership with the Climate Science Alliance – South Coast, a unique collaboration of local ecologists and climatologists is conducting a review of the impacts of climate change on San Diego County’s terrestrial ecosystems. In this assessment, we will review the state of the science on the background natural climate variability and projected climatic changes, and describe the region’s unique diversity of ecosystems, habitats, plants, and animals. The assessment will include a review of the susceptibility of the region’s ecosystems to impacts from climate variability and relevant synergistic impacts of anthropogenic factors that may be exacerbated by a changing climate (e.g., urban growth, land use shifts, and fire regimes). We will explore the most regionally-relevant climate adaptation strategies that can be applied to buffer the effects of climate variability and provide several case-study examples of adaptation projects that have been successfully implemented in San Diego’s terrestrial ecosystems. We will also conduct a needs assessment to identify needed science efforts such as long-term monitoring, climate modeling and projections, and ecosystem modeling that may facilitate change detection, adaptive management, and risk planning for the region.
projectStatus
Completed
Budget Extension
annualBudgets
year
2017
totalFunds
25225.0
parts
type
Award Type
value
Grant
type
Award Number
value
G17AP00097
totalFunds
25225.0
Preview Image
Mission Bay Wetlands, San Diego, CA; Joanna Gilkeson, USFWS