it's getting hot out there: 10 places to save for endangered species in a warming world

8/8/2019 It's Getting Hot Out There: 10 Places to Save for Endangered Species in a Warming World

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Its GettingHot Out There:

Top 10 Placesto Save forEndangered Speciesin a Warming World


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Acknowledgements

Tis years report came about because o the tremendous

orts o our member organizations. Our member groups

ubmitted nominations or ecosystems to be considered ornclusion in the report and photos or the ecosystem pro-

les. We would like to thank each o these individuals or

heir submissions. Many thanks go to Nicole Cordan and

Gilly Lyons rom Save Our Wild Salmon, Mike Daulton

rom Audubon, Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb rom Oceana,

ylvia Fallon and Whitney Leonard rom NRDC, Laurie

Macdonald and Caitlin Leutwiler rom Deenders o Wild-

ie, Josh Pollock rom Center or Native Ecosystems, Mark

Rockwell rom N. Caliornia Federation o Fly Fishers, Ni-ole Rosmarino & Mark Salvo rom WildEarth Guardians,

ym St. Pierre rom Restore the North Woods, Shaye Wol,

ulie Miller and Anna Mirocha rom Center or Biological

Diversity, Liana Vitali rom ARKive and Marjorie Ziegler

rom the Conservation Council or Hawaii.

We were incredibly ortunate to have our board member,

an Randall, Proessor Emeritus o Biology at San Francisco

tate University, leading this eort. Jan created the Endan-gered Species Coalitions rst Scientic Advisory Commit-

ee. Te Scientic Advisory Committee played a large role

n shaping the reportarticulating the need to highlight

hose ecosystems or which we can signicantly improve

esiliency, selecting the criteria by which the nominated

cosystems would be judged, crating the rst drat o our

nomination orm, suggesting key ecosystems that should be

nominated or the report, and providing crucial supplemen-

al inormation or the ecosystems proles.

In addition to Jan, our Scientic Advisory Committee

includes: Jean Brennan, Ph.D., Appalachian LCC Coordina

U.S. Fish & Wildlie Service, Richard Buchholz, Ph.D.,

Associate Proessor o Biology, University o Mississippi,

Gregory S. Butcher, Ph.D., Director o Bird Conservatioor the National Audubon Society, Sylvia Fallon, Ph.D.,

Sta Scientist, Natural Resources Deense Council, Fran

esca Grio, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Director, Scienti

Integrity Program, Union o Concerned Scientists, Davi

Inouye, Ph.D., Proessor and Director, CONS program,

Department o Biology, University o Maryland, Gary M

e, Ph.D., ormer Editor o the scientic journal Conser

tion Biology and Proessor, Department o Wildlie Eco

and Conservation, University o Florida, Camille ParmePh.D., Associate Proessor o Integrative Biology, Univer

o exas and a lead author, on the Tird Assessment Rep

o the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Un

Nations, and Peter H. Raven, Ph.D., Director o the Mi

souri Botanic Garden.

Sta members Derek Goldman, Greg Kuether, Mitch

Merry, Mark Rockwell and ara Tornton put an incred

amount o work into getting this report o the ground acompleted.

Finally, we are able to share this report with you, becaus

our designer, Steven Skurski turned around a beautiul a

well-organized layout or us in record time!


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ntroduction

your house were on re, what would you save? Would it be

he precious items passed down in your amily rom genera-

ion to generation? Or would you choose the irreplaceable

hotos that would disappear orever? Where do you even

tart?

What i it wasnt just your house, but your whole planet that

was on re?

Tat is the scenario we ace today. Climate change has arrived.

No longer clouds gathering in the distance, the storm is here

nowmelting our titanic glaciers, drying our mighty rivers

nd setting our deserts ablaze.

What do we save? For the Endangered Species Coalition, thenswer is easy: we start with our endangered species. Tey are

lready on the brink o extinction, so vulnerable that a stressor

uch as climate change acts as a bulldozer, steaming ull orce

head with the potential to shove them right over the edge o

xtinction.

And where do we begin? We asked our member groups and

ur scientists, I we want to save endangered species rom cli-mate change, what habitats do we need to protect? ogether,

hey identied ten ecosystems that are critical to conserve i were to protect our nations endangered species rom the ravages

climate change.

Tis report highlights ecosystems that are hotspots or threat-

ned and endangered species, many o which are highly vul-nerable to climate change now. Each was chosen because we

have an opportunity to increase its resiliency, or the resiliency

their species, to climate change i we immediately imple-

ment needed conservation measures.

O course, aggressively reducing greenhouse gas pollution i

the most important step to guard against climate change.

we must take that action. But the impacts o climate chan

are already being elt across the country, and these ecosyste

highlight the need to exponentially increase additional con

vation measures now. Assisting species adaptation to the raidly changing world will be essential to ensuring their surv

Many o the conservation measures that we must take are

ones that weve already implemented on smaller scales, suc

eradicating invasive species, setting aside open space, creati

wildlie corridors, and restoring wild lands. Others require

that we head in new directions, such as preventing oshoreand gas drilling in the Arctic and transorming how we ma

age the water that ows through Caliornia. Whether draw

upon new or standard practice in our conservation toolkit,the urgency or all o these measures is higher than it has e

been. We must invest signicantly more in unding, politi

cal solutions and hands-on conservation in a massive eort

help ecosystems and species adapt.

Fortunately, one o the worlds most eective wildlie laws

the U.S. Endangered Species Acthas powerul tools to p

tect species and their habitats rom climate change that can

implemented today. We cannot let climate change deeat u

deeat the Endangered Species Act. Under the Acts umbre

we can protect critical habitats and habitat connectivity, redthreats, and put in motion on-the-ground recovery plans wconcrete actions needed to help species better survive clima

change. In doing so, we will pass on not only the incredibl

success o our endangered species program, but also the ver

existence o our endangered species to the next generation.

We still have time to save many o our ecosystems and end

gered species. Te American spirit is surely up to the task.Te ollowing pages outline where we can start. Please join

in this call to action.


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Needed Conservation MeasuresReducing greenhouse gas is the mostimportant step to slow and reverse the seaice melt. o avoid the most severe impactsto the planet, the Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC) states a need toreduce emissions rom 1990 levels 25 to 40percent by 2020. Other recommendationsgo urther and state that we should stabilizeglobal CO2 levels to 350 ppm, below ourpresent level o 389. o restore Arctic seaice, the well-known leading climate scien-tists including James Hansen estimate that

well need to lower CO2 levels to 300-325ppm. We must also increase habitat and spe-cies resilience by ending Arctic oil and gasdevelopment, prohibiting increased shippingas melting ice opens new routes, stopping

overhunting and trade in imperiled wild-lie, and reducing toxic contaminants. TeUnited States must proactively protect the

Arctic through multi-agency collaboration,domestic environmental law enorcement,and international mechanisms including theInternational Agreement or the Conserva-tion o Polar Bears, the Arctic Council, theUnited Nations Convention on the Law othe Sea, and the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change.

Te Arctics icy beauty sustains charismatic species rom the much-loved polar beato the mythical narwhal. Here, sea ice oats on the oceans surace. It changes sizseasonally, keeps the Arctic cool and moderates global climate. It is the platormwhere many species give birth, raise young, hunt, hide rom predators and movelong distances. Sea ice sustains a remote web o lie: it supports marine algae at th

base o the ood web, and its spring melt drives phytoplankton blooms that enricthe marine ecosystem. Te Bering Seas sea-ice bloom sustains a rich benthic community, providing ood or walruses, bearded seals, and seaducks. It is one o theworlds most endangered habitats due to climate change. Climate scientists haveprojected that summer sea ice will disappear in the 2030s. Winter sea ice will alsocontinue to decline.

A Home for Treatened and Endangered SpeciesSea-ice provides critical habitat or imperiled species. Te polar bear relies on sea to hunt, seek mates, move long distances and build dens to rear cubs. Polar bearshunt seals at ice openings and by breaking into seal snow caves. Other imperiledspecies that depend on sea ice or rearing young, resting, and/or molting includethe ringed, bearded, spotted, ribbon, harp, and hooded seals, Pacic walrus, andspectacled eider.

Climate Change TreatsTe Arctic has warmed at twice the rate o the rest o the planet, causing sea ice torapidly decline. In 2007, summer sea ice plummeted to a record low: ~1 millionsquare miles below the 1979-2000 averagea level that most climate models projected would not be reached until 2050. Te ice is also hal as thin as it was a ewdecades ago, and it is melting earlier in spring and orming later in autumn.

As sea ice hunting grounds shrink and break up early, polar bears in some regions

are starving, drowning and resorting to cannibalism. I current emission trendscontinue, scientists predict two-thirds o the worlds polar bears will be lost by 20As temperatures rise, the ringed seals snow dens are collapsing and killing theirpups. Te loss o sea ice over the Pacic walrus oraging grounds is orcing walruto come ashore to restwhere vulnerable calves are trampled to death in stampedTe spectacled eider aces shrinking sea ice over its winter eeding-grounds, whichreduces its prey and eliminates its resting areas. Te bowhead, beluga, and graywhale are threatened by the expansion o oil drilling and shipping trafc as sea icemelts.

Photo Credit: USGS

Photo Credit: NOArctic Sea Ice

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Needed Conservation MeasuresCoral rees are not only threatened by oceaacidication and climate change, but alsorom a number o local and regional threatthat are rapidly decreasing coral cover. Teinclude destructive shing practices suchas bottom trawling and dynamite shing,coastal development, depletion o graz-ers, and run-o pollution. Mitigation othese threats would boost the resiliency ocoral rees in the ace o rising acidity andtemperature. However, the removal o thesethreats will only begin to solve the problemo ree destruction and death. We must sta-bilize atmospheric CO2 i we want healthycoral rees and the animals that depend onthem or uture generations. (See the Arctiprole or more on stabilizing CO2 levels.)

Shallow water coral rees are ound throughout the tropics in waters generally shallowerthan 70 m depth. Te Department o Interior has jurisdiction over 24 dierent coralareas, including coral rees ound o the coasts o Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, andHawaii. Over 800 species o ree-building coral are known to exist worldwide and areoten described as the rainorests o the sea because they harbor such a great quantity

o biodiversity. Rees provide homes, nurseries, eeding grounds and spawning sites tomore than a quarter o lie in the oceana diversity o lie that is virtually unparalleledin the world. More than 100 million people depend economically on corals rees, andmany more rely on rees or protection rom storm surges, tsunamis and coastal erosion.Resources such as ood and recreation provide $30 to $172 billion annually to the globaleconomy. Unortunately, due to climate change, coral ree communities will becomemuch less common.

A Home for Treatened & Endangered SpeciesCoral rees are living habitats, and many species o coral are threatened by extinction.Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) are bothcritically endangered. Dozens more corals have been petitioned or listing as endangered

by the US Fish and Wildlie Service. Coral rees also provide important habitat or manyendangered marine species, including sea turtles and sh and ood or marine mammals.

Climate Change TreatsCoral rees are vulnerable to ocean acidication and rising sea surace temperatures. Asabsorbed CO2 increases the acidity o the oceans, coral rees nd it more difcult to se-crete their calcium carbonate skeletons. Te slowed growth rates coupled with warmingtemperatures, which causes tropical corals to bleach, can result in death. Coral rees arepredicted to become unctionally extinct i CO2 levels continue to rise: at CO2 levelso 450 ppm in the atmosphere calcareous corals will decline; above 500 ppm coral reesare likely to be crumbling habitats; at 560 ppm (expected to be reached by the middle othe century) rees will likely be eroding globally. Tese impacts may be especially severeor elkhorn and staghorn corals that are already critically endangered.

Endangered sh may already be negatively aected by rising temperatures and acidiy-ing waters. In the uture the sh may have to spend more energy on respiration versusgrowth or reproduction. Tese vulnerable sh will also lose the structural complexity othe ree that they use to hide, nd ood and raise young. Endangered ree sh include gi-ant sea bass, totoaba, plain goby, Warsaw grouper, and strawberry grouper. op predatorscapture prey rom the ree. Species that rely on ood rom rees include the Caribbeanmonk seal, Hawaiian monk seal, Borneo Shark, Pondicherry Shark, whiten topeshark,Maltese skate or ray, giant devilray, Caribbean electric ray, Queensland sawsh, commonguitarsh, scalloped hammerhead, and sawback angelshark.

Photo Credit: NOAA

Photo Credit: US FWS Coral ReefsShallow Water

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Needed Conservation MeasuresTe Hawaiian Island ecosystem is a popularvisitor destination. Te uniqueness o itsspecies makes Hawaii a desired destinationor birders and ecotourists. I species declineor become extinct, the inux o capital tothe region will decline with it. Habitatprotection, species recovery, and programsto help species adapt to climate changeare essential to continued environmental,cultural, and economic prosperity o theHawaiian Islands.

Te Northwestern Hawaiian Islands arepart o National Wildlie Reuge System,the Papahnaumokukea National MarineMonument (a UNESCO World HeritageSite), and the Hawaiian Humpback Whale

National Marine Sanctuary. Tese areamong the most protected marine areasin the nation. Yet, increased conservationactivities are greatly needed. Tese includehabitat management or native species, cap-tive breeding and release o birds, intensivemonk seal managementespecially o pupscareul management o appropriate publicaccess areas, shing, and gathering, theelimination o toxic pollution, and eradica-tion o invasive species.

Te main Hawaii islands also ace invasive

species problems that must be managed suchas mosquitoes and glory bush. Tese islandshave important habitat that has been cededland primarily within the States Conser-vation District. While uses o the landare managed in varying degrees, strongerpolicies and increased unding are neededto better protect native orests, watersheds,coastal lands, and nearshore waters or wild-lie in a time o climate change.

Te Hawaiian Islands are an extensive ecosystem with a broad range o habitats rcoastal beaches, atolls, and low-elevation areas to native orests on volcanic mountainsides to alpine summit peaks. Te ecosystem spans the northwestern boundao the Papahnaumokukea National Marine Monument to the southernmost BiIsland o Hawaii. Tousands o rare and endemic species are ound on the island

Te ecosystem provides habitat or millions o nesting seabirds. Hawaiian birds aparticularly vulnerable to the cascading impacts o climate change, but i the ecostem is conserved, this paradise can be an important reuge or unique species.

A Home for Treatened & Endangered SpeciesHawaii has the greatest number o threatened and endangered species in the UniStates. O the more than 100 birds unique to the Hawaiian Islands, it is likely thmore than 70 have become extinct since the arrival o humans. oday, the islandprovide habitat or a ew dozen remaining species o endemic landbirds, primarilyhoneycreepers, but due to continuing habitat changes, at least six o these speciesare probably extinct. Millions o nesting seabirds are ound in the NorthwesternHawaiian Islands, including the black-ooted and laysan albatrosses. Tese islandhave the largest breeding population o laysan albatrosses in the world. Hawaiihas 319 threatened and endangered plant species. Imperiled species in coastal areinclude the threatened green sea turtle and endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Tecritically endangered Hawaiian monk seal and imperiled coral rees are also oundthe coastal waters.

Climate Change TreatsWarming temperatures rom global climate change assault the ecosystem on mul-tiple ronts. First, as the sea levels rise with the increased melting o the arctic,low-elevation atolls will be inundated. Second, as oceans become more acidic, co

will bleach and die o more quickly, which will

reduce sand production or coastal beach ecosys-tems and healthy ree ecosystems essential or sand seabirds. Tird, as temperatures rise, intro-duced mosquitoes carrying avian malaria and avpox will breed at higher elevations, putting birdpopulations at increased risk o extinction. Becamosquitoes survive at specic temperature rangethe cooler temperatures o the higher elevationshave thus ar protected some bird populations rthe mosquitoes.

Photo CreRandolph FemmThe Hawaiian Islands

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Photo Credit: Jack Jerey

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Needed Conservation MeasuresTe Desert National Wildlie ReugeComplexincluding our wildlie reugesin southern Nevadais part o the U.S.Fish and Wildlie Services new LandscapeCooperative Conservation initiative. (Teinitiative orms management-science part-nerships to inorm resource managementor climate change and other stressors.)However, existing reuges are inadequateor this ecosystem. Ongoing threats comerom urban sprawl, cattle grazing, mining,dam building, and o-road vehicles. Andclimate change is worsening invasive specieimpacts. Highly combustible invasive planin the drier conditions are leading to greatere requency and severity, which harm theecosystem and its species, such as re-intol

erant native cacti. Furthermore, unsustainable water use rom explosive populationgrowth combined with the increasingdrought severity threatens to leave desertecosystems without enough water, making

water conservation measures an urgent neeo withstand the eects o climate change,these additional threats must be greatlyminimized and reuges established to proteunique, but threatened species throughoutthe desert regions.

Although the Southwest Deserts are characterized by severe conditions o low rainall,periodic drought, high winds and daily uctuations o extreme cold and heat, they alsocontain rich biodiversity and species uniquely adapted to deserts. Four unique desertcommunitiesthe Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin desertsspan Ne-vada, Arizona, New Mexico and southern Caliornia. Te Sonoran Desert alone contains

approximately 5,000 plant species, 600 species o vertebrates and thousands o inver-tebrates, including 1000 native bee species. More than 500 o the worlds 1,500 cactispecies are in the Chihuahuan desert. In North America, the regions threat rom globalwarming is second only to the Arctic, and the ecosystems ast growing urban areas andincreased use o severely limited water are orcing many species to the brink o extinc-tion.

A Home for Treatened and Endangered SpeciesTe Southwest deserts are a hotspot or endemism (species ound nowhere else) and arehome to an incredible diversity o threatened and endangered plants and animals23species in just one Sonoran desert county alone. Because many species are adaptedto very specialized niches, their survival is ragile. Te Desert tortoise and Sonoran

pronghorn antelope depend on this ecosystem. Declines in endangered long-nosed andlong-tongued bats, essential or pollination o the agaves, may put the long-term survivalo the agaves at risk. Arid-adapted rodents, kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice and pocketmice, ound in all our deserts, are threatened or endangered. One endangered plant, sixthreatened plants, our species o endangered pupsh and one threatened aquatic beetlelive in the Great Basin deserts Ash Meadows National Wildlie Reuge.

Aquatic species inhabit marshes and pools, ed by rainall and springs, that dot the land-scape. Forty-two imperiled reshwater mollusks called springsnails, which are key to oodproduction, water chemistry, and nutrient cycling, live in the Great Basin and Mojavedeserts. I these small species were to disappear, the eect would be catastrophic or theood chain.

Climate Change TreatsTe temperature increase and precipitation changes in Southwest deserts is the mostsevere in the United States. Te increase in duration and severity o droughts threaten tomake the Dustbowl and 1950s drought climates the new norm, threatening both terres-trial and aquatic species. For instance, the Quitobaquito pupsh, ound only in a 1/2-acre Arizona pond, could see its home heat up or dry up. Desert pupsh can survivein 110-degree, saline water, but their eggs may not survive the increased temperatures.Desert tortoises already ace numerous threats, and they cannot tolerate the additionalstressors o droughts, heat waves and changing vegetation brought about by climatechange. With a wild population that has uctuated around 100 in Arizona, the Sonoranpronghorn antelope is threatened by the increased droughts, which limit surace waterand eliminate ood resources.

Southwest Deserts

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Photo Credit: USFWS

Photo Credit: USGS


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Needed Conservation MeasuresTis ecosystems endangered species wontsurvive climate change without a shit inCaliornias water management. Currently,massive dams, canals and pumps move waternorth to south or Caliornias explodingpopulationexpected to exceed 50 millionby 2050. Unrealistic human demands on

water must be addressed. Water manage-ment must ocus on efciency, conservation,run-o recovery, ground water management,storage and other innovative strategies.Conservation easements, land acquisitionsand corridor protections or streams are alsokey strategies. Te current Sierra Mountainmeadow restoration is one exampleim-proving water storage in upper elevations toincrease ows later in the season. (o learn

more about upstream conservation measuresthat inuence Bay Delta health, see theSierra Nevada prole.) Without substantivechange, species already endangered are likelyto go extinct, and many, which are now sae,

will not be in the uture.

San Franciscos iconic Golden Gate Bridge overlooks the ocean edge o the Bay-DeltaEcosystema complex system o rivers, riparian habitats (where land and rivers meet) andinland and coastal estuaries. It is the heart o Caliornias water system. Te area encompathe west slope o the Sierra Nevada Mountains, south slope o the Siskiyou Mountains, easlope o the Northern Coastal Range, and the San Francisco Bay-Delta. Te Delta providehabitat or hundreds o species o sh, birds and other wildlie and protects one o naturemost miraculous migrationsthe run o Pacic salmon rom spawning grounds in theupper reaches o cold-water rivers to the saline oceans and back again. Climate change issignicantly shiting the hydrology o this region, tremendously impacting both humans a

wildlie.

A Home for Treatened & Endangered SpeciesPacic salmon migrate between resh and salt water every season. Fish that migrate togetherbased on latitude and genetic characteristicsare called runs and oten behave dier-ently. Te threatened spring-run and endangered winter-run Chinook salmon primarily exin only two locations. Te species o concern all-run Chinook are ound in multiple riv

welve o the original 29 indigenous Delta sh species are either extinct or endangered. T

Delta smelt, once an extremely abundant species, is now endangered. Its decline is viewedan indicator o the deteriorating condition o the region.

All ten Caliornia Wild and Heritage trout are in the territory. Te threatened Central Vasteelhead is a unique rainbow trout that migrates to the ocean. Te threatened green stur-geon orages along estuaries and bays and returns to reshwater pools to spawn. Additionathreatened and endangered species that use this habitat include Swainsons Hawk, Caliornleast tern, Caliornia black rail and clapper rail, Smiths blue buttery, salt marsh harvestmouse, northwestern pond turtle, tiger salamander, tidewater goby, Caliornia reshwatershrimp, and imperiled vernal pool species.

Climate Change TreatsIn the past, a heavy winter snowpack in the mountains slowly melted through the spring

and was coupled with healthy spring rain to ensure that a steady supply o resh cold watecoursed through the ecosystem. oday with climate change, there is less snow and morerain in the winter, and less rainall later in the season, when it is needed most. Tis changeprecipitation pattern, combined with more droughts, creates dry, low-ow, and warmerconditions in Caliornias rivers. Without healthy, cold-water rivers, habitat that is critical the survival o the Central Valley Steelhead, spring-run and winter-run salmon has greatlydeclined.

In addition, climate change has impacted the political climate in the region. Reduced watavailability due to climate change has been misleadingly blamed on water restrictions orEndangered Species Act protections. Scientic studies have exposed the truth, but the meand common knowledge remain mired in myth rather than science.

Photo Credit: Dan BlanBay-Delta

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Photo Credit: NOAA


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Needed Conservation MeasuresTis ecosystem is heavily impacted byclimate change, but also population growthrecreation, and changing land use. Mosto its mountain meadowsthe keystoneso the ecosystemhave been altered bygrazing, mining, logging, re suppression,

water uses (e.g. dams) and invasive species.Reducing these impacts is essential to buildecosystem resiliency. An under-utilized conservation measure, restoration o mountainmeadows, will help species adapt and willprovide Caliornians with water when theyneed it most. Scientists and nonprots areexploring comprehensive mountain meadorestoration, reducing pollutants, and increaing orest cover to help combat climatechange.

In addition to landscape eorts, thereare important opportunities to minimizethreats to individual species, or example,the removal o nonnative trout rom highSierra lakes and reduction o transmission ochytrid ungus to protect the yellow-leggedrog, limitation o introduced sh, pesticidand cattle grazing to protect the Yosemitetoad, and reduction o the threat o diseasetransmission rom domestic sheep to protecthe Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.

Famously hiked by John Muir and a avorite place o eddy Roosevelt, the SierraNevada mountain range is a birthplace o Americas modern conservation move-ment. Sculpted by glaciers, the Caliornia Sierra Nevada Mountains topography(rom upper montane to alpine orests), climatic zones, geology and soils are highlyvariable. It is also an area where requent wildres are natural. Tis variability has

led to many endemic species (ound nowhere else) and a great diversity o plants andthousands o mountain meadows that support a rich diversity o birds and amphib-ians. Te ecosystems high-mountain snow pack melt regulates the regions watercycle. But higher temperatures are reducing snowpack and shiting snowmelt earlier,putting species at risk in this global biodiversity hotspot.

A Home for Treatened and Endangered SpeciesCaliornias Sierra Nevada Ecosystem is home to 570 vertebrate wildlie species: 290birds, 135 mammals, 46 reptiles, 37 amphibians, and 60 sh. O these, 80 birds, 40mammals, 10 reptiles, 20 amphibians, and 30 sh are on Caliornias Special Ani-mals List. wenty-six are endemic to the Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada mid and highelevations provide the only habitat or the Sierra Nevada mountain yellow-leggedrog, the Yosemite toad, and the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. Te headwaters o therivers that start in the Sierra Nevada sustain threatened and endangered sh.

Climate Change TreatsTe ecosystem is rapidly warming, having more winter rains instead o snowand experiencing an earlier snowmelt with less snowpack. Tis is disastrous oramphibiansmore than hal o Sierra Nevadas 30 native species have declined.Yellow-legged rogs (reduced to 7 percent o their range), which are tadpoles or 3-4years, require the snowpack to provide enough water to keep ponds rom dryingin summer or reezing in winter. Yosemite toadswith crashing populations evenin Yosemite National Parkrely on spring snowmelts or pools to lay eggs and or

survival.

Te Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is losing mountain meadows where it browses astree lines move higher and seasonal droughts increase. Te American pika, adaptedto cold alpine conditions, is intolerant o high temperatures and is disappearingrom lower elevation sites in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Climate change exposes pi-kas to heat stress in the summer as they try to orage and disperse, and to cold stressin winter as they lose the insulating snowpack that protects them rom cold snaps.As temperatures warm, pikas will be pushed urther upslope until they have nowherelet to go. Te reduced snowpack impacts threatened and endangered sh that relyon downstream cold-water ow. (See Caliornia Bay Delta prole.) Photo Credit: Adam Backlin, USGS

Nevada MountainsCalifornia Sierra

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Needed Conservation MeasuresTe potential or the Snake River Basinecosystem to serve as a climate change havenhighlights the need to remove our ederaldams on the lower Snake River to ensure thesurvival o the basins imperiled salmon andsteelhead. Removal o these dams wouldrestore more than 140 miles o ree-owinghabitat that are spawning grounds orthreatened Snake River all Chinook salmonand would open up the remaining 70%o potential habitat that scientists describeas a Noahs Ark or salmon. Fishermen,outdoor retailers, scientists, conservation-ists, clean energy advocates, taxpayer groups,eastern Washington armers, the State oOregon, Members o Congress, and Native

American Indian tribes support the protec-

tion and restoration o the Snake RiverBasin habitat. Restoring access to thishabitat would also create jobs and economicprosperity. Moreover, it would leverage ex-isting ederal resources or already protectedareas that are in generally excellent condi-tion. Tereore, ater the initial investmentto remove the dams, the sh will return tohabitats that require little investment inrestoration.

Te mighty Snake River ows through diverse habitats in Wyoming, Central IdahSoutheast Washington, and Northeast Oregon. Powerul orces o naturevolca-noes, ooding episodes and glaciersshaped the basin. Te Snake River has overtwenty major tributaries, most o them in mountains o the basin. Its best-knowneature is Hells CanyonNorth Americas deepest river gorge. Its iconic species is

the salmon. Key portions o the basin provide the largest, highest, and most intactsalmon habitat o the lower 48 states, and it also supports other imperiled species. conservation measures are implemented, this ecosystem could be an important reuor endangered species in a time o climate change.

A Home for Treatened & Endangered SpeciesTe Snake River is home to our imperiled runs o anadromous shsteelhead,spring/summer Chinook, all Chinook, and sockeye salmon (the most endangeredsalmon on earth). Snake River salmon and steelhead climb 7,000 eet and swimalmost 1,000 miles rom the Pacic Ocean to their natal streams. (No other salmoor steelhead goes as high and as ar, making them truly unique in the world.) Tethreatened bull trout overwinters in the Snake River, while native and resident sh

species o concern also live in the Snake and its tributaries. Te river is also hometo dozens o rare and endemic mollusks, with at least 21 snail and clam species ospecial concern.

Snake River salmon also carry nutrients rom the oceans to inland rivers, orests another species. Tey and their Columbia River cousins are the primary ood sourceor the endangered and distinct Southern resident killer whales. Some o Americagreat carnivoresthe grizzly bear, gray wol, wolverine, and Canada lynxrely onthis ecosystem and its salmon. Te basins salmon-enriched habitat is home to mothan 200 bird species, including whooping cranes, bald eagles, peregrine alcons,greater sage-grouse, and yellow-billed cuckoos.

Climate Change TreatsRecent analyses indicate that rivers are warming aster than surrounding air tem-peratures. Tese warmer waters, as well as the scouring o salmon nests and otherchanges in habitat, are putting threatened and endangered sh on the ront lines oclimate change, particularly in the Pacic Northwest. Since salmon and steelheadrequire clear, cold water, ensuring that salmon can migrate to the coolest tributariein the basin is vital to their survival and reproduction. Fortunately, the mountainoareas o the Snake River Basin are projected to remain airly cool in a warming woso they could be reuges or salmon and steelhead in the whole Columbia River Basin. Since their survival is vital to the ecosystem and its species, the basin could alsbe a highly valued reuge or dozens o other threatened and endangered species.

Photo CreSOS/Neil Osborne/ILSnake-River Basin

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Photo Credit:SOS/Neil Osborne/ILCP

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Needed Conservation MeasuresNonprots, ederal and state agencies areexploring uture orest management optionTe Greater Yellowstone CoordinatingCommittees whitebark pine subcommit-tee has mapped the priority whitebark pineconservation and restoration areas or the

Yellowstone ecosystem. Continued monitoring and eorts to search or beetle-resistant

whitebark pine trees will be critical. TeU.S. Forest Service and other agencies arealready collecting blister-rust-resistant seedand raising seedlings or replanting. Whilestill small in scale compared with the exteno beetle-impacted whitebark, restorationprojects have the potential to expand andtarget critical habitat areas throughout thetrees range. At the same time, adaptation

programs and strong protections or grizzlybears can be part o a program to respond tthe eects o declining whitebark in Greate

Yellowstone.

Te Yellowstone ecosystem is home to the iconic and historical Yellowstone National Park,the rst U.S. national park created in 1872. Its high-elevation mountains o alpine andsub-alpine orests, are a UNESCO World Heritage site, spanning the rugged region whereIdaho, Wyoming and Montana meet. Whitebark pine is the ecosystems oundation tree,living in the highest and harshest parts o the region, where ew other trees survive. More-

over, whitebark orests stabilize and shade the snowpack, reducing avalanches and extend-ing precious snowmelt ows into the summer months. Te slow melt keeps rivers cool ortrout and other wildlie and helps maintain water resources or people in the arid Ameri-can West. But warming temperatures are threatening these majestic pines by allowing themountain pine beetle to move into higher elevations, where it is decimating the deenselesswhitebark orests on an unprecedented scale.

A Home for Treatened and Endangered SpeciesTe whitebark pine is an imperiled oundation species o the Yellowstone ecosystem thatprovides critical ood and essential habitat to many species at higher elevations. Elk usethese orests as shelter. Small mammals and birds, such as the red squirrel, chipmunk andClarks nutcracker, rely on whitebark pine seeds as a primary ood. Perhaps most impor-tantly, pine seeds play a key role in the survival o Yellowstones threatened grizzly bears.

Te pine seeds are a high-calorie, high-at ood source that the grizzly eats to build atstores essential or surviving winter hibernation. Whitebark pine is the engine that drivesthe health o the Yellowstone grizzly bear population: because o its remoteness, whitebarkpine helps keep grizzly bears up high and out o harms way during their all eeding renzy.Moreover, when whitebark pine seeds are abundant, more cubs are produced, whereaswhen whitebark pine ood crops are poor, bear reproduction suers.

Climate Change TreatsAs global warming progresses, increased temperatures at higher elevations allow themountain pine beetleonce conned by cooler temperatures to lower elevationstomove up the mountains. Whitebark pines have no signicant deenses, causing yearlydie-os. As the beetles attack the adult tree, an invasive pathogen called blister rust is at-

tacking the smaller trees, creating a perect storm where whitebark pines are being wipedout. A recent study by the NRDC and the U.S. Forest Service revealed that 82 percento the whitebark pine orests in the Yellowstone ecosystem showed either high or mediummortality; only 18 percent o the ecosystems whitebark pine orests are healthy. Based onthis study and current changes, experts predict that whitebark pine will be unctionallyextinct in the ecosystemailing to provide ood, shelter and hydrological unctionsinve to seven years.

I the grizzlies do not have pine seeds, they migrate to lower elevations searching or otherood, where conicts with humans occur. Over the past ew years, bears have wanderedarther rom high-altitude havens where they would normally be easting on whitebarkpine seeds, resulting in more conicts with hunters, campers, and residents and oten thebears lethal removal.

Greater Yellowstone

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Photo Credit: Macarlane, et al.

Photo Credit: Erwin and Peggy Bauer


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Needed Conservation MeasuresTe region has had ongoing eorts to pre-vent nitrication (dead zones), restorationo endangered species, restoration o marshbuers, and protection o sea turtles romsheries. Expanding these types o conser-vation measures, creating a comprehensiveplan to protect the regions biodiversity andecosystem services (particularly mitigat-ing climate change threats such as sea rise),and addressing non-climate change threatsto specic species (such as closing sectionso beaches with the highest concentrationso nesting plovers to development andrecreational use) would build the regionsresiliency. Te ormer U.S. Fish & WildlieService Director called or the BP liabilityunds to be spent on acquiring lands and

expanding the wildlie reuge system on theGul. Money or these activities will likelybecome available when BP pays its ederalpenalties rom the Deepwater Horizoncatastrophe.

From southern exas to the Florida panhandle, this ecosystems coastal marshes,beaches, barrier islands, inland streams, rich deltas, interior coastal wet prairies,longlea pine savannahs and grasslands unction as a diverse ecosystem. Te area ia center o plant endemism in the Southeast, and abounds with threatened animaand plants. Migratory birds use it to reuel beore ying non-stop over the Gul to

Central America. Te wetlands provide breeding sites and nursery areas or com-mercially shed species, serve as nesting sites or sea turtles and protect coastalcommunities rom storm surge. Unortunately intense developmentagriculturaand industrial production, casinos, marine recreation, shipbuilding, internationalshipping, and oil explorationhave damaged and ragmented the region. With thpublic attention brought by Hurricane Katrina and the Deep Horizon catastrophthe time is ripe to restore and protect the ecosystem, or man and nature, particu-larly in light o orecasted climate change conditions.

A Home for Treatened & Endangered SpeciesTe threatened Piping plover winters in the Gul beaches and the Snowy plovernests here. Te only remaining historical ock o the critically endangered Whooing Crane overwinters in coastal exas Aransas National Wildlie Reuge. Rein-troduction o a ock on Louisiana marshes planned. Te remnant prairies are theonly habitat o the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane. exas coastal grasslandsare managed to expand the endangered Attwaters prairie chicken populations. Tnorthern Aplomado Falcon has been restored to coastal atlands and barrier islanTe Gul s ve endangered whales and manatee rely on wetlands and marshes toprotect water quality. Te endangered Mississippi Gopher rog relies on the Gulupland and seasonally ooded lowlands. Endangered and threatened sea turtlesthe Green, Hawksbill, Kemps ridley, Leatherback and Loggerheadeed and/orbreed here. Coastal Mississippi streams are occupied by the endangered AlabamaRed-bellied urtle. Coastal longlea pine savannahs have snakes and lizards that ta

advantage o the burrowing habits o the threatened Gopher tortoise. Gul Sturgmove rom marine waters into reshwater to spawn.

Climate Change TreatsIn the near uture, the region is predicted to see increases in the number and intensity o storms, including Category 5 hurricanes. Greater storm damage to oshordrilling platorms is likely to occur, raising the possibility o more oil spills. Testorms will erode the coastsby destroying marshes and sinking barrier islandscausing even small sea level rise to ampliy storm surge and habitat destruction. Isea levels rise 1 meter, as predicted by some models, inland habitats will be threatened by storm damage, inundation, salinization, and destruction by humans as wmove back rom the ooding land areas nearest the Gul o Mexico.

Flatlands & Wetlands

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The Gulf CoastPhoto Credit: USFW

Photo Credit: NOAA


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Needed Conservation MeasuresMuch has been invested in the conservationo this ecosystem, perhaps more than anyother restoration eort in the world. However, continued development coupled withclimate change requires that these eorts beexpanded to buer the ecosystem and itsspecies.

A landmark visionary program or SouthFlorida ecosystem recovery is CERP, theComprehensive Everglades RestorationPlan. Several additional landscape initia-tives are now underway including the U.S.Fish & Wildlie Services Peninsular FloridaLandscape Cooperative Conservation plan,the Florida Fish and Wildlie Conserva-tion Commission State Wildlie Action

Plan Cooperative Conservation Blueprintpilot project, the Babcock Ranch WildlieCorridor, the Northern Everglades Nationa

Wildlie Reuge proposal and expansiono the Florida Panther National WildlieReuge. Tese will help to guide conserva-tion measures, such as preserving landscapecorridors and core habitat, and coordinatioo state-o-the-art natural resource identi-cation.

Key strategies must include traditional ap-proaches such as land acquisition and ease-

ments, Farm bill and other innovative con-servation incentive programs and pioneerincredit transer programs or development,agriculture and conservation. Tis ecosys-tem is particularly vulnerable to invasivespecies rom plants to pythons that must bcontrolled. Furthermore, continued eec-tive transportation planning is necessary toavoid habitat ragmentation and ensure sae

wildlie passage.

Americas Greater Everglades Ecosystem is a beautiully rich mosaic o habitats, romsawgrass prairies and reshwater marshes to upland pinelands and cypress orests. Itis an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site in Danger. A penin-sula surrounded by three seas (Atlantic, Gul and Caribbean), the region is a key areaor wildlie, providing stopover sites or neotropical migrants, hawks, hummingbirds

and monarch butteries. Unortunately, this ecosystem is also on the ront lines oclimate change and considered one o the most vulnerable regions o the world tosea level rise.

A Home for Treatened and Endangered SpeciesTe Greater Everglades contains 67 ederally listed threatened or endangeredspecies8 mammals, 12 birds, 10 reptiles, 2 invertebrates and 35 plants. Tese in-clude: the Everglades snail kite, red cockaded woodpecker, manatee, American croc-odile, Schaus swallowtail buttery, and ragrant prickly apple. It provides globallysignicant nesting sites or ve endangered and threatened sea turtles and is the onlyplace in the world where both alligators and crocodiles reside. Over 600 species areconsidered rare or imperiled in south Florida, including state listed species, such asthe Florida black bear, Everglades mink, gopher tortoise and numerous orchids. Oall the imperiled species in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, none is more iconicthan the critically endangered Florida panther. Te only breeding population o thiswide-ranging, top-o-the-ood-chain carnivore is ound here.

Climate Change TreatsWith projected rises in sea level o three eet or more over the next century, much othe low-lying Everglades ecosystem is at risk o being submerged under water. Cli-mate change will very likely bring stronger storms, higher water temperatures, salt-water intrusion, beach erosion, changing species ranges, and new invasive species. Asa result, species with very specic niches, including the Cape Sable seaside sparrow,

will be particularly vulnerable. Te Florida pantherand black bear are likely to lose habitat rom sea levelrise within the next hal-century. Saltwater intrusionmay change the ecosystems plantlie, with secondaryimpacts such as a diminishing prey base or panthers(deer). Endangered species in the southernmostreaches are at high risk o habitat inundation: Keydeer, Key Largo cotton mouse and woodrat, and theLower Keys marsh rabbit.

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Greater EvergladesThe

Photo Credit: USGS

Photo Credit: NPS


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Additional Ecosystems

Not all o the ecosystems nominated are in the nal selection,et they are nonetheless important (the scores were close)nd are included below. As science and conservation ocus on

cosystem protection in a time o climate change these willundoubtedly receive attention and concern.

Glacier National Park: Scientists predict that Glacier Na-ional Park will lose all o its glaciers by 2030. Tis ecosystemrovides a home or the mist oresty, bull trout, and grizzlyear. Tough it is unlikely that the mist oresty will survive,onservation measures to protect the oresty, bull trout, andrizzly bear must be undertaken. (WildEarth Guardians)

emez Mountains: Mixed conier orests and riparian areas

n New Mexicos Jemez Mountains are afected by climatehange: warmer temperatures, less precipitation, susceptibil-ty to orest res, and insect outbreaks. Te Jemez Mountainsalamander and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse aremperiled in part due to climate change. Other ESA-listed spe-ies that will sufer rom climate change include the Canadaynx and Mexican spotted owl. River and stream restorationnd beaver reintroduction can increase this ecosystems resil-ence. (WildEarth Guardians)

agebrush steppe: Te sagebrush steppe covers more than 100million acres in the West, but less than 5% receives ederal

rotection. It is among the most imperiled landscapes inNorth America acing numerous threats that will be exacer-

ated by climate change. Greater sage-grouse are an umbrellapecies or scores o sensitive sagebrush ora and auna and

will experience severe negative impacts rom climate change.Te government agencies should designate additional sage-

rush reserves to protect important habitat cores and corridorsor sage-grouse and other species. (WildEarth Guardians)

U.S. Western Coast: Te entire population o the Westernnowy Plover winters rom Southern Washington to the

Mexican border. Te main climate change threat to beaches

and their wildlie is sea level rise. Beaches see heavy humanuse; and as their total area decreases with climate change,recreational and commercial use will encroach upon animahabitat. (Audubon)

Te Maine Woods: Te Maine Woods encompass an undeveloped expanse o orestland o more than 17 million acrestretching rom the New Hampshire border on the west tothe New Brunswick border on the east and north to QuebTis is the last U.S. stronghold o native brook trout, a primary breeding area or neotropical migratory songbirds, anhome to several endangered and threatened species, includCanada lynx, Atlantic salmon, wood turtle, Bicknells thruyellow lampmussel, and omah mayy. I permanently protected, it could provide habitat or species adaptation andcarbon storage in a naturally reproducing orest. (RESOR

Te North Woods)

Grasslands: National Grasslands comprise 4 million acres olarge, rolling terrains o grasses, owers and herbs that extedown the midsection o the continental United States. Tare home to a variety o threatened and/or endangered spe-cies including a number o prairie wildowl, the black-ooterret, and the Wyoming oad. Grasslands in the Great Plare predicted to get warmer, while Southwestern grasslandsexpected to become drier. Grassland restoration, invasive scies eradication and other conservation measures can protethis ecosystem. (ARKive)

Southern Rockies: Canada lynx and wolverines use this motainous ecosystem because o its prey base, persistent snowcoverage, and cold temperatures. Given its higher elevatiohabitat, the Southern Rockies could provide an important uge or endangered species pressured by climate change. Tecosystem and wildlie corridors connecting its core habitacan be preserved or wide-ranging species through protectisuch as wilderness designation and by limiting the numberroads and developments within important wildlie areas inSouthern Rockies. (Center or Native Ecosystems)


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it's getting hot out there: 10 places to save for endangered species in a warming world

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