Warming temperatures and increased climate threats could affect half of the birds throughout all of the system’s refuges.
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“Our national refuges should be exactly that – places of safety
and conservation for our beloved wildlife. Instead, warming temperatures are
causing many birds to be pushed out of the places they call home regardless of
whether or not there is a more suitable habitat nearby,” said Brooke
Bateman, director of climate science at the National Audubon Society.
“Birds are telling us that the places that they need to survive are changing
quickly, and not all of them will be able to adapt.”
The findings show that climate change is accelerating habitat
changes at rates that may not be sustainable, so birds that move out of one
region may not be able to find the resources they need elsewhere, and the
system may not be able to accommodate any new species. The change is
particularly notable in northern latitudes and high altitudes, where birds
seeking cooler temperatures may run out of places to go.
The result will be a refuge system that looks very different
than it currently does, as emblematic species of some regions shift. Some
species, like the Tundra Swan, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow-billed Magpie, and
Blackburnian Warbler may fully disappear from the system.
“While it’s distressing enough to think that you may no longer see some of the same species you were used to seeing in certain regions, the larger issue is that some species will be gone from this vast system altogether,” said Bateman. “And because the wildlife refuge system covers a vast array of ecosystems across the country, the consequences for the birds in the refuges tell us a lot about what could be in store for humans if we fail to take action.”
The National Wildlife Refuge System spans 95 million acres on
land and also covers 760 million submerged lands and waters. National refuges
are found in all 50 states. The findings of the study have already affected how
refuge biologists approach their work, prompting them to adopt a method known
as Resist-Affect-Direct, or RAD.
“For years, the standard for refuge biologists has been to
assume that the conditions in their region would stay the same, and they
specialized their work to those climates. But now they have shifted to the
adaptive Resist-Affect-Direct approach, anticipating how to weather some
changes that may be inevitable, while trying to prevent the worst effects of
climate change,” said Bateman.
Audubon has made science briefs for all 525 refuges available that
detail what specific climate threats are affecting each refuge, what species
will be climate-vulnerable, and how precipitation and temperature may change in
the next 30 years absent any preventive action. Audubon is working with
decision-makers and land managers to ensure the National Wildlife Refuge System
has adequate funding, and to expand the System to meet the needs of birds and
people as they adapt to a changing climate. The FWS is also using the data to
support expansion and acquisition for the refuge system.
“As the Refuge System adapts to its new climate reality, every
level of the agency will need more resources and funding to achieve its
mission,” said Lander Karath, public lands policy manager at the
National Audubon Society. “Congress must significantly increase the Refuge
System's budget to meet current needs and to support future adaptations and
expansions for birds and other species.”
A 2019 Audubon report found that two-thirds
of bird species in all of North America may be vulnerable to extinction if
global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The survey can be found here: https://academic.oup.com/condor/article/124/3/duac016/6572070.