DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d7wm37q1m
title: Connectivity for climate change adaptation in California

description: This spatial data identifies connectivity potential between natural lands
 in the present climate and natural lands with future analogous climate
 following topo-climatically diverse routes. Present-day land use,
 topographic diversity, and projections of shifting climate regimes were
 combined into a single connectivity modeling approach to identify pathways
 for mid-century shifts in species ranges. Climate linkages, or areas
 important for climate change-driven movement, were identified as the areas
 where the Omniscape model indicated more current flow than would be
 expected in the absence of climate considerations. The model was run for
 two different projections of future climate (CNRM_CM5 and HADGEM2-ES).
 Climate linkages from both models were overlaid with a strategic
 present-day connectivity framework to improve interpretation and to
 facilitate a more direct connection with conservation action. This
 connectivity model is a structural, coarse filter approach that explicitly
 incorporates human modification as a factor that will limit movement for
 species moving in response to climate change as that has been shown to
 pose an additional threat to climate-driven movement. This approach also
 addresses the multiple scales at which suitable climates may drive species
 distributions by modeling connectivity between the broad shifts in
 coarsely-defined climate “space” along routes with finer-scale topoclimate
 diversity. Finally, it accounts for the longer timeframes and incremental
 movements necessary for multi-generational range shifts by incorporating
 the likelihood of climate-driven movement across microclimate
 stepping-stones. This approach includes the following assumptions: Species
 will move towards locations where the future climate is analogous to the
 present-day climate they are experiencing. Species range shifts often
 require multi-generational movements over a longer temporal period, and
 therefore, routes that provide microclimate stepping stones with habitat
 suitable for all phases of a species’ life-cycle are needed. Topoclimate
 diversity confers microclimate diversity and therefore is more likely to
 provide suitable climate options, facilitating dispersal for species
 tracking suitable climate.
description: Data are shared both as a
 Layer Package and as a TIF file. Raster values and associated
 classes 0     – Limited regional connectivity potential / No Data 100 – Intact landscape (present-day <em>Diffuse</em> connectivity) 101 – Climate linkage (HADGEM2-ES) through an intact landscape (present-day <i>Diffuse</i> connectivity class) 102 – Climate linkage (CNRM_CM5) through an intact landscape (present-day <i>Diffuse</i> connectivity class) 103 – Climate linkage (both climate models) through an intact landscape (present-day <i>Diffuse</i> connectivity class) 200 – Multiple present-day linkage options (present-day <i>Intensified </i>connectivity class) 201 – Climate linkage (HADGEM2-ES) among multiple present-day linkage options (present-day <i>Intensified</i> connectivity class) 202 – Climate linkage (CNRM_CM5) among multiple present-day linkage options (present-day <i>Intensified </i>connectivity class) 203 – Climate linkage (both climate models) among multiple present-day linkage options (present-day <i>Intensified </i>connectivity class) 300 – Present-day linkage (present-day <i>Channelized </i>connectivity class) 301 – Climate linkage (HADGEM2-ES) within a present-day linkage (present-day <i>Channelized </i>connectivity class) 302 – Climate linkage (CNRM_CM5) within a present-day linkage (present-day <i>Channelized </i>connectivity class) 303 – Climate linkage (both climate models) within a present-day linkage (present-day <i>Channelized </i>connectivity class)