Transcript:
To protect endangered species, it is crucial to understand the specific habitats they need.
For example, desert turtles require hot dry conditions – but that's not the case Hot and dry, its flowers wither and die.
So when federal agencies list a species as threatened or endangered, it maps areas that provide what are called critical habitats. The name helps guide conservation efforts.
Weber: “But most of the critical habitats are developed without taking into account climate change.”
Ted Weber, a nonprofit defender of wildlife, said drought, heat and sea level rise are changing many areas.
Weber: “It may have been the right habitat in the past, but it may not be the right habitat in the future.”
His research shows that the key habitats designated by many species have little overlap with the map of climate refuges – places that are less susceptible to climate impacts. And they mostly lack protected corridors that will help species move with the warm climate.
Weber: “This means that unless changes are made, for example, incorporating more climate refuges and corridors…these species may not survive the next century.”
Report Credit: Sarah Kennedy/Chavobart Digital Media
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