Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

The Golden Gate Biosphere Network, in partnership with EcoAdapt, has created the first climate vulnerability assessment for 21 key plant and animal species, communities, and habitats within the Biosphere.

Each was analyzed using the best available science and expert guidance to understand how vulnerable it is to the effects of climate change; where its greatest sensitivities lie; its ability to adapt; and how managers, community groups, and others can help restore and protect them.

Where Land and Sea Meet

The Golden Gate Biosphere spans five Bay Area counties and extends 200 miles out into the Pacific Ocean. This climate vulnerability assessment focuses on land and coastal resources to complement the assessment of marine and coastal resources done by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Although the projects were initially completed and published at different times and are from different networks, they were both led by EcoAdapt using the same methodology and they have very similar goals and objectives. 

Because what happens on land and at sea are inexorably linked, these reports are being presented together to better represent the entire connected system, and to help managers make more informed decisions and identify critical partnerships and research objectives.

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Executive Summary

Golden Gate Biosphere Vulnerability Assessment Final Report

Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries 2015 and 2024 reports. 

All spatial datasets resulting from these analyses are posted in a Data Basin gallery and can also be found at ArcGIS Online

Distilled summaries of the threats and opportunities for many species and ecosystems are included below.

Ecosystems:

Coastal dunes:     Summary     Brief

Coastal prairie:     Summary     Brief

Coastal redwood forests:      Summary     Brief

Coastal scrub:      Summary     Brief

Freshwater marshes:      Summary     Brief

Maritime chaparral:      Summary     Brief

Mixed evergreen forests:      Summary     Brief

Open oak woodlands and savannas:      Summary     Brief

Riparian forests and woodlands:      Summary     Brief

Tidal marshes:      Summary     Brief

Species:

Belted kingfisher:      Summary     Brief

California black oak:      Summary     Brief

California red-legged frog:      Summary     Brief

Coho and steelhead:      Summary     Brief

Mission blue butterfly:      Summary     Brief

Mountain lion:      Summary     Brief

San Bruno elfin butterfly:      Summary     Brief

San Francisco common yellowthroat:      Summary     Brief

Sanderling:      Summary     Brief

Serpentine endemic rare plants:      Summary     Brief

Western leatherwood:      Summary     Brief