Planning for Potential Change: Climate Vulnerability of Commonly Planted Restoration Species in the Willamette Valley Ecoregion
Start Date
3-16-2026 10:10 AM
End Date
3-16-2026 10:19 AM
Abstract
Climate change in the Willamette Valley ecoregion of western Oregon is expected to have a complex impact on native plant species. These potential changes could pose significant challenges for ecological restoration and highlight the need for evidence-based tools to identify species most vulnerable to future climate conditions. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, changing hydrologic and disturbance regimes, and increasing pressure from pests and pathogens are likely to have wide ranging impacts on our commonly planted restoration species. Understanding species-specific vulnerability to projected climate change is necessary for helping restoration practitioners allocate resources effectively and design management strategies for species and habitats that enhance the overall climate resilience of ecosystems.
To support restoration planning, we applied NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) to a selection of commonly planted species used in our regional restoration projects. Species-specific distribution maps were developed using occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), cleaned and processed in R, and clipped to the Willamette Valley ecoregion. The CCVI integrates projected climate exposure with species sensitivity and adaptive capacity to generate categorical vulnerability rankings under two future climate scenarios. Our results indicate a range of climate vulnerabilities among commonly planted restoration species. In general, species with specialized habitat requirements or limited dispersal capacity ranked as Highly or Extremely Vulnerable, while species exhibiting broader geographic ranges and ecological tolerances and higher plasticity were classified as Moderately Vulnerable or Less Vulnerable. These findings provide project managers with a research-based tool for proactively addressing the impacts of climate change in restored natural areas.
Subjects
Climate Change, Habitat assessment, Habitat restoration
Creative Commons License
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Planning for Potential Change: Climate Vulnerability of Commonly Planted Restoration Species in the Willamette Valley Ecoregion
Climate change in the Willamette Valley ecoregion of western Oregon is expected to have a complex impact on native plant species. These potential changes could pose significant challenges for ecological restoration and highlight the need for evidence-based tools to identify species most vulnerable to future climate conditions. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, changing hydrologic and disturbance regimes, and increasing pressure from pests and pathogens are likely to have wide ranging impacts on our commonly planted restoration species. Understanding species-specific vulnerability to projected climate change is necessary for helping restoration practitioners allocate resources effectively and design management strategies for species and habitats that enhance the overall climate resilience of ecosystems.
To support restoration planning, we applied NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) to a selection of commonly planted species used in our regional restoration projects. Species-specific distribution maps were developed using occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), cleaned and processed in R, and clipped to the Willamette Valley ecoregion. The CCVI integrates projected climate exposure with species sensitivity and adaptive capacity to generate categorical vulnerability rankings under two future climate scenarios. Our results indicate a range of climate vulnerabilities among commonly planted restoration species. In general, species with specialized habitat requirements or limited dispersal capacity ranked as Highly or Extremely Vulnerable, while species exhibiting broader geographic ranges and ecological tolerances and higher plasticity were classified as Moderately Vulnerable or Less Vulnerable. These findings provide project managers with a research-based tool for proactively addressing the impacts of climate change in restored natural areas.