Despite the well-recognized threat of climate warming, impacts on native plant species are understudied. With over 6,000 plant taxa, predicting the consequences of climate change on the California flora is a significant challenge. There is a strong need for empirical data on plant heat tolerance across the state’s diverse ecosystems to develop and implement strategies for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in a warmer world. This project will fill this research gap by addressing four key questions:
1. What are the limits of heat tolerance in California’s plant species?
2. Which species and ecosystems are the most at-risk under rising temperatures?
3. Do populations of widespread plant species exhibit varying degrees of heat tolerance?
4. Can we identify key predictors of heat tolerance in the California flora?
Report Information
CCCA5-CNRA-CCRP-P17
Lead Principal Investigator: Justin Valliere
Lead Organization: The Regents of the University of California, Davis
The full report will be available soon.