Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP)

Station 2Ashland’s Climate Vulnerability City of Ashland Climate and Energy Action Plan Open HouseAshland’s climate vulnerability A series of community workshops revealed the following natural systems vulnerabilities in Ashland to climate change impacts: • High elevation plants and wildlife unable to shift in range yet intolerant of warming conditions, loss of snow. • Wolverine, Brewer spruce, Northern spotted owl, and other sensitive species at risk from changing conditions. • Intermittent springs and wetlands at risk from changes in precipitation and snowmelt. • Intact habitats and ecosystems at lower elevations at risk from climate change, invasive species, and development for housing, agriculture, and renewable energy . • Connectivity of habitat that allows species to shift with climate change is at risk. • Migratory birds affected by changes in seasonality and timing for food and migration. • Amphibians exposed to drought stress and an inability to disperse to new areas • Anadromous fish populations affected by warmer water, more sediment and erosion, lower flows, loss of food, ongoing pollution and dams. • Biodiversity is expected to decline as climate change accelerates. Some species will benefit, but far more will decline and even go extinct. • Mid-elevation coniferous forests to suffer from disease, pests, and overall change. • Mid-elevation coniferous forests at risk from additional stress and loss of moist micro-climate from large-scale thinning. • Oak woodlands, grasslands at risk from overall change and stressors such as agriculture, development, and renewable energy.• Generalist species such as raccoons, black bears, black-tailed deer, American robins, and others expected to be more able to adapt to changing conditions. • Chaparral, grasslands, and shrublands could increase as coniferous forests contract while also being at risk from development at lower elevations.• Invasive and non-native species benefit from declines in native species and warmer water and air.Sensitivity and Exposure HIGH MEDIUM LOWAdaptive Capacity LOW MEDIUM HIGH