Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
26 CLIMATE CHANGE ALBERTAS BIODIVERSITY American PikaA Detailed Examination of Climate Change Vulnerability Of the 37 species of mammals assessed for climate change vulnerability using the CCVI the American Pika ranked second only to Ords Kangaroo Rat in vulnerability. The CCVI score was largely based on species traits cited in the literature from research done in the US where temperatures are typically warmer snowfall shallower and mountain blocks more isolated than in Albertas Rocky Mountains. Using climate data specific to Pika locations in Alberta Chris Shank in press examined whether future climatic conditions are likely to put Alberta Pikas at risk. Future mean summer temperatures at almost all current Pika locations are not expected to exceed the threshold for endangerment set by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and most will remain cooler than the current warmest site in Alberta. Most current sites have sufficient elevation within 5 km to allow pika populations to migrate vertically to maintain mean summer temperatures below that of the currently warmest Alberta site. Climate change seems unlikely to place American Pikas at risk in Alberta by the end of this century. However this conclusion assumes sufficient future snow cover meadow habitat and talus availability and should be consistently assessed through a well-designed monitoring program. This more detailed analysis points to limitations in using research results from areas outside the species range of concern and suggests that the generality of the CCVI approach can result in uncertain outcomes for some species. Photo The solitary American Pika lives on rocky talus slopes near alpine meadows.