Earlier this month, Drs. Megan Jennings & Erin Conlisk shared methods and updates from their multispecies linkage network as part of the Climate Resilient Connectivity project. The final products will serve as tools for land managers to design resilient networks and inform decisions about acquisitions, restoration, and management. As a project partner, the Climate Science Alliance will support outreach and dissemination of research products.
On May 1st, Alliance partner, Dr. Megan Jennings (Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management, San Diego State University), convened land managers from across the region to share updates from the Climate Resilient Connectivity project. Dr. Jennings and her colleague, Dr. Erin Conlisk, started with an overview of the project goals and methods before diving into the results of population models designed to help understand the biological importance of landscape linkages under climate change for the project’s focal species. The workshop also included an overview of the prioritization of linkages based on a combination of climatic resilience value, connectivity and habitat metrics, and feasibility of implementation. The resulting focal species linkages highlighting priority corridors will be translated into a multispecies linkage network. By combining climate considerations with connectivity and landscape metrics, this framework can support efforts to preserve biodiversity and proactive planning to help keep common species common under climate change.
The final products will serve as tools to support land managers design resilient preserve networks and inform decisions about acquisitions, restoration, and management. The team also requested input on data delivery in preparation for the rollout of final products later this month.
As a project partner, the The Climate Science Alliance will support outreach and dissemination of research products. This Wildlife Conservation Board and CA Department of Fish and Wildlife funded project will be wrapping up at the end of the month.
Learn more about the Climate Resilient Connectivity project and how researchers are taking the next steps with the Connecting Wildlands and Communities project: