Hastings Natural History Reservation

23 Jul, 03 AM - 25 Jul, 03 AM

It has been documented that many species would have gone extinct during past climate changes if it were not for their persistence in climate refugia, areas of unusual climate compared to that of the surrounding landscape. Once a favorable climate has been re-established in the surrounding area, species have expanded their range out of the refugia to recolonize areas that were previously unsuitable. With the climate change that is currently modifying the face of California, many species will move their range away from their current location to maintain their desirable habitat conditions. Some species, however, will favor the changing climate around their immediate habitat and will expand -- not shift -- their range as new areas are becoming available to them. One such possible species is Pinus coulteri, whose northern most range limit is in the Bay Area (Black Diamond Mining Reserve and Mt Diablo). As most of its range is in Central and Southern California, the areas it occupies in the Bay Area could have been climate refugia until now. With a warmer climate expected in the future (as projected by climate models), the range of P. coulteri could expand out of these locations to greatly increase its range in the Bay Area. To test this hypothesis, the micro-habitats of P. coulteri within half of its range (Santa Barbara to Pittsburgh) are being studied to conduct an analysis of their similarities and differences. By coupling patterns within studied micro-habitats with climate change projections, the new range of P. coulteri in the Bay Area will be estimated. Although the extent of range expansion will not be understood until the end of this research project, it is expected that this pine could become one of the new characteristic species of the Bay Area.

Visit #21840 @Hastings Natural History Reservation

Approved

Under Project # 21958 | Research

Pinus coulteri micro-habitats and climate change induced range expansion in Bay Area

undergraduate_student - University of California, Berkeley

Reservation Members(s)

Nathalie Chardon Jul 23 - 25, 2010 (3 days)
Nathalie Chardon Jul 23 - 25, 2010 (3 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Bunk House Cottage 2 Jul 23 - 25, 2010