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April Craighead
Practitioner Fellow at World Wildlife Fund
Location:
United States
Project Title: Utilizing Habitat-Suitability Models of Alpine Lagomorphs to Predict the Effects of Global Climate Change on Alpine Ecosystems and Prioritize Conservation Efforts.
Publications and Presentations: Utilizing Habitat Suitability Models to Predict the Effects of Global Climate Change on Three Different Species of Pika (Family Ochotonidae)
Project Description
Scientific data indicate that as a climate warms, animal species generally move up in elevation or shift northward geographically to meet their thresholds for daily and seasonal physiological and ecological needs. A habitat-suitability model for a specific species can provide an effective tool for both identifying and prioritizing their habitats and predicting habitat shifts as the climate changes.
April Craighead is conducting a 12-month study to identify, characterize, and conserve diverse alpine ecosystems in four ecoregions—United States, Mexico, China, and Russia. Her focus will be on lagomorphs—rabbits, hares, and pikas—and she will develop habitat-suitability models for four lagomorph species.
"Alpine lagomorphs are tightly linked to cool, moist microclimates and are physiologically unable to survive or reproduce in locales where those conditions are not met," said Craighead. "Current research implicates climate change in the decline of pika populations in both the western United States and China."
Craighead will use current geographic information system (GIS) data, population data, the expertise of scientists working with the four lagomorph species, and fieldwork to develop models that incorporate this expert knowledge to identify locations of suitable habitat under current and future climatic conditions.
"These models can be used by land-management professionals, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders to predict where species and habitat may shift under differing climate change scenarios and determine the best course of action to maintain the species," said Craighead.
She adds, "For this project to be effective, an interdisciplinary approach like that nurtured by the Alcoa Foundation fellowship is necessary. Many important issues, such as climate change, will not be solved by science or research alone. Effective solutions will come about from a variety of interested parties, including researchers, governments, politicians, and the general public."
Biographical Information
April Craighead has a B.A. in ecology, evolution, and behavior from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. in biology from Montana State University.
She is currently a wildlife biologist and fundraising event coordinator for the Craighead Environmental Research Institute (CERI). Her duties include working on research to mitigate the effects of highways on wildlife populations in Montana, as well as grant writing.
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