Integrating climate‐change exposure and refugia into landscape planning: A practical guide
Abstract Climate change is reshaping landscapes in ways that challenge conventional approaches to conservation and resource planning. The concept of climate‐change refugia—areas with the potential to buffer species and ecosystems from the effects of climate change—offers a valuable lens for identifying strategic opportunities for long‐term stewardship. Building on this foundation, we present a flexible, climate‐informed approach to landscape planning that integrates climate‐change exposure and refugia information into a five‐step process: (1) define core ecological, cultural, and land resource values and identify those most at risk; (2) assess landscape capacity as a function of climate‐change exposure and conservation capacity (i.e., landscape condition); (3) develop place‐based strategies and identify relevant spatial data products; (4) incorporate macrorefugia, microrefugia, and corridors to align land‐use designations with strategies; and (5) implement, monitor, and adaptively refine refugia‐based planning over time. Recognizing variation in planning needs and contexts, our guidance supports the practical use of spatial refugia metrics to inform land‐use, conservation, and resource management decisions.
Authors
- Diana Stralberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4900-024X)
- Jessica Stolar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4636-2747)
- Sara Grace Howard
- Scott E. Nielsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9754-0630)
- Gregory Kehm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9856-6325)
- César A. Estevo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6898-3678)
- Cameron F. Cosgrove (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6790-638X)
- Elizabeth M. Campbell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3365-1526)
- Douglas W. Lewis
- Leonardo Viliani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1868-9064)
- Michelle Meier
- Ilona Naujokaitis‐Lewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-4484)
- Ángeles Raymundo Sánchez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3418-4840)
- Zihaohan Sang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4149-7271)
- Carlos Carroll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7697-8721)
- Elizabeth A. Nelson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1274-444X)
- Donald G. Morgan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1998-4478)
- Christine E. Kuntzemann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6541-6282)
- Chelsea Enslow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3980-3324)
- Jennifer Grant
- Erin C. Fraser‐Reid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4366-7231)
- Zaid Jumean
Institutions
- Parks Canada (CA)
- Canadian Forest Service (CA)
- Natural Resources Canada (CA)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Klamath Community College (US)
- Telus (Canada) (CA)
- Alberta Energy (CA)
- Geoscience BC (CA)
- Government of British Columbia (CA)
- Université Laval (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Conservation Science and Practice
- Published
- 2025-12-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70171
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.68