Morelli added that the squirrels are thriving in areas that have been modified by humans. For example, irrigated Mono Lake County Park serves as an artificial oasis that sustains squirrel populations despite otherwise hot and dry conditions in eastern California.
“As predictions indicate that the range of the Belding’s ground squirrel could disappear out of California by the end of the century, these areas might be particularly important for this and other climate-impacted species,” said Morelli, who is now a technical advisor for the U.S. Forest Service’s International Programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Although the Belding’s ground squirrel is wide-spread, the rapid decline in its distribution is of concern because it is an important source of food for raptors and carnivores. However, the paper suggests that even when climate change causes large range declines, some species can persist in human-modified areas.
“Taken together, these two studies indicate that many species have been responding to recent climate change, yet the complexities of a species’ ecological needs and their responses to habitat modification by humans can result in unanticipated responses,” saidSteven Beissinger, Professor at UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and the senior author on both studies. “This makes it very challenging for scientists to project how species will respond to future climate change.”
Funding from the National Science Foundation, National Park Service, and California Landscape Conservation Cooperative helped support this research.
Click the links to read/download the two studies:
- “The Push and Pull of Climate Change Causes Heterogeneous Shifts in Avian Elevational Ranges”
- “Anthropogenic Refugia Ameliorate the Severe Climate-Related Decline of a Montane Mammal Along its Trailing Edge”
Source: UC Berkeley.
