13 it is invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed, encroaching
development on wetlands, or non-point source pollution, non- climate stressors affect our critical resources and the services they
provide. Non-climate stressors may reveal key factors for understanding habitat resilience as well as options for
management under changing climate conditions. Refer to Appendix 1 for a brief summary of non-climate stressors
of habitats and landscapes. For an in depth analysis of the non-
climate stressors faced by Rhode Island wildlife, see the Rhode
Island 2005 Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy .
3. What is the sensitivity of valued environmental and
economic assets to climate change?
Some habitats are more susceptible to the effects of climate change. For instance, cold water stream habitats are more likely
to be impacted by rising temperatures than warm water streams. Appendix 2
o tai s a des iptio of ‘hode Isla d s ha itats a d their sensitivities to climate change. These analyses were
interpolated from expert-driven work sessions in Connecticut and Massachusetts, which share many similar habitats with Rhode
Island. Sensitivities are rated as low, medium or high based on both the likelihood and severity of impacts.
Acknowledging the sensitivities of different habitats can help organizations understand how ecosystems are likely to respond,
thereby informing their management strategies for the short and long term.
4. Ca ou use ELU’s to dete i e the esilie e of ou
habitats?
Conservation ecologists have coined the term Ecological Land Unit
ELU to describe and map the physical properties of landscapes. The Nature Conservancy and the URI-EDC have mapped ELUs for
the entire state and identified which ELUs are well protected and which are most important for ensuring future biodiversity. These
areas are likely to be more resilient, or less vulnerable, to climate change Ruddock et al, 2013.
Each ELU is defined by its unique combination of soils, geology, landform, and elevation. ELUs are often associated with specific
plant communities and the diversity of ELUs may be used to estimate habitat diversity and resilience. Key landscape
characteristics such as soil type, slope, and drainage are related to the number and type of species the area can support. Thus,
Habitat Type Climate Change Sensitivity Values
- Low Sensitivity Habitats Warm Water Streams Associated
Riparian Zones Bogs and Fens
Coastal Uplands Early Successional Shrublands and
Forests - Medium Sensitivity Habitats
Lakes, Ponds, Impoundments Shorelines
Upland Forest Complex - High Sensitivity Habitats
Cold Water Streams Associated Riparian Zones
Major Rivers Associated Riparian Zones
Forested Swamps Herbaceous Freshwater Wetlands
Open Water Marine Intertidal Flats and Shores
Subtidal Aquatic Beds Beaches and Dunes
Offshore Islands Tidal Marsh
Subcommittee to the Governor’s Steering Committee on Climate Change. 2010.
See Appendix for more details.
14 habitats with great diversity of ELU types are also likely to support more diverse plant communities, positively
impacting the overall resilience of the habitat. Presumably, a conservation area with many different types of ELUs will have many different types of plant communities, thus high biodiversity. The project team tested this
hypothesis by counting the different kinds of ELUs on 24 Audubon Society of Rhode Island refuges, finding a
positive relationship between the number of ELUs on a refuge and species diversity. This is consistent with results observed in other studies, thus, we are confident that areas with a variety of ELUs will typically support large
numbers of plant and animal species. See Appendix 3 for a more detailed description of ELUs or refer to the resources listed at the end of this section.
5. What other issues and opportunities are revealed through mapping?
