Southwest
— Refugia In the SOUTHWEST —
The Sierra Nevada and Mojave are two eco-regions of the Southwest that showcase different extremes. The Sierra Nevada is known for snowy mountains and rugged topography, whereas the Mojave is an arid desert home to the iconic Joshua tree.
The goal of this project is to gather resource managers and researchers through a climate change refugia conservation approach to improve conservation in the face of global change. Mapping out areas to determine where prioritized resources (i.e. flora and fauna, ecological habitats, hydrological processes, etc.) might persist under future climate change can help inform management actions and climate adaptation planning across these landscapes.
To gain more insight into these ecoregions and what areas are being investigated by the team of scientists of the SW RRC, click on one of the priority ecosystems located below.