Clara Rubin, Don Robadue, Pam Rubinoff, URI Coastal Resources Center/RI Sea Grant

1. Conservation in the Era of Climate
Change: South Kingstown Case Study
Clara Rubin, Don Robadue, Pam Rubinoff
URI Coastal Resources Center/RI Sea Grant
Steve Wood
S. Wood Pam Rubinoff
C. Ansel

2. Changing Climate: Here and Now
Pawcatuck River in Westerly, March 2010
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, 2012
http://www.ctcameraeye.com/?p=2555
USDA, 2012

3. Understanding Vulnerability
• Exposure
• Sensitivity
• Capacity
• Habitats

4. Building on Existing Resources
CLIMATE CHANGE
AND MASSACHUSETTS
FISH AND WILDLIFE:
• Climate Change and Volume 2
HABITAT AND SPECIES
Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife VULNERABILITY
• Connecticut Climate Change
Adaptation Report
• RI State Wildlife Action Plan,
2005
• RI Low Impact Design Manual

5. Non-climate Stressors
Climate change heightens
importance of addressing
these problems:
• Colonizing invasive species
Common reed, Phragmites australis
• Expanding development http://swamp.osu.edu/flora_fauna/ORWplants.html
• Habitat fragmentation and loss
• Water quality and quantity
issues
• Decreasing riparian buffers
• Loss of wetlands
Maine Sea Grant

6. What is Important to the Land Trust?
• Different areas/goals:
origin of “focal areas”
• Property-by-property
management may be
limiting
• Adaptation strategies
may need to be larger-
scale landscapes

7. Habitats
• Freshwater aquatic
• Forested swamps &
wetlands
• Beaches & tidal
marshes
• Terrestrial uplands
• Upland forests
• Agricultural lands

8. Cold Water Streams
• Key drivers
– Increasing temperatures
– Changing precipitation
patterns
• Sensitivity: High
– Endangers cold-water
dependent species http://www.asergeev.com/pictures/k/Rhode_Island_Parks.html
– Vulnerable to invasive species
• Management & protection actions

9. Agricultural Lands
• Key drivers
– Increased temperatures
– Shifting weather patterns,
more extreme weather
• Sensitivity: Medium
– Vulnerable to pressure from
invasive species and pests
– Precipitation variability leads
to droughts and flooding
• Management & protection actions

10. Upland Forests
• Key drivers
– Increasing temperatures
– Variations in precipitation
• Sensitivity
– Vulnerable to invasive species,
pests, diseases
– Drought leading to increased
frequency and intensity of forest
fires
• Management and protection Browning Woods Farm,
actions SKLT parcel

11. Tools for you to use
• SKLT Pilot example and application
• Habitat sensitivity summary
• Maps on ArcGIS viewer
• List of Management/protection actions
• Resource links
• Climate change summary
• Webpage: RI Sea Grant Climate
•

12. http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/Climate
http://www.facebook.com/rhodeislandseagrant
Clara Rubin crubincr@gmail.com
Pam Rubinoff rubi@crc.uri.edu