Almost half of the world’s human population lives in coastal areas, and associated coastal development has significantly degraded or destroyed many coastal ecosystems. Burgeoning human populations and rising sea levels only further constrain the availability of habitat that coastal species depend on.
California’s 1,100 mile coast has more than 200 threatened, endangered or rare species living in coastal habitats. There are hundreds of coastal estuaries that provide critical rearing habitat for marine species, and are also important for recreation, water filtration, and carbon sequestration.
Only 10 percent of California’s historic coastal wetlands remain. Without intervention, we are at risk of losing 40 percent of our remaining coastal wetlands to sea level rise over the coming decades. Conservancy scientists are working to reverse these trends.
California is one of the most hydrologically altered landscapes in the world. As water becomes ever more scarce and… >>
In a normal year, groundwater accounts for 40 percent of California’s water supply. That number jumps to 60… >>
Californians have fundamentally altered many of the state’s rivers and streams with dams, pipes, and diversions, and the… >>
In California, a day’s drive can take a visitor from record-setting desert heat to glaciated peaks to temperate… >>
Nearly half of California is protected in some land status that prevents most kinds of intensive human land… >>
A third of California is privately-owned forestland, woodland or grassland. From redwood forests on the north coast to… >>
California is the leading agricultural state in the country and it’s agriculture generates more than $45 billion annually.… >>
With California’s population on track to reach 50 million people, the demand for energy, water, and land will… >>
Wild capture fisheries supply food and jobs for hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Yet an… >>
Almost half of the world’s human population lives in coastal areas, and associated coastal development has significantly degraded… >>
Jeanette K. Howard, Kirk R. Klausmeyer, Kurt A. Fesenmyer
California is one of the most productive agricultural and urban landscapes in the world with a growing population. These pressures have reduced aquatic and wetland habitats to a small fraction of their historic extent. Ecosystems dependent on freshwater have been degraded across the state, with…
Johnston, A., D. Fink, M. D. Reynolds, W. M. Hochachka, B. L. Sullivan, N. E. Bruns, E. Hallstein, M. S. Merrifield, S. Matsumoto, S. Kelling
Global declines in migratory species in response to accelerating habitat destruction and climate change challenge the scope and scale of conservation efforts. The ability to pinpoint where and when conservation interventions will have the greatest positive population impact is especially important for conservation of migratory…
Cause Hanna, Ida Naughton, Christina Boser, David Holway
Ecological invasions can shift species composition and even alter ecosystem function. Ant invasions generate a broad spectrum of ecological effects but there is controversy about the extent of these impacts, especially if and how other arthropods are affected. This uncertainly stems from the use of…
The Nature Conservancy, Jono Wilson
There are thousands of fisheries around the globe that lack the infrastructure, capacity, resources and management techniques to perform conventional assessments and management. We know that fisheries that get measured—that have stock assessments performed—are typically better managed, including increased regulation and enforcement. Conversely, when fisheries…
Daniel S. Karp, Sasha Gennet , Christopher Kilonzo, Melissa Partyka, Nicolas Chaumont, Edward R. Atwill, Claire Kremen
In 2006, a high profile outbreak of E. coli in spinach was traced to California’s Central Coast. After that outbreak, produce growers were pressured to minimize potential presence of wild animals by removing surrounding natural vegetation that provides habitat, among other practices. This study shows…
Derek Young
A century of fire suppression has dramatically altered the structure and composition of western U.S. forests. When dense, fire-suppressed forests experience wildfire, they often burn severely. To reduce the risk of these wildfires and reduce carbon release to the atmosphere, both critical for climate change…
The Coastal Resilience Network supports a community of practitioners who are applying nature-based solutions to coastal hazard and climate adaptation issues. As a member of this Network, the Conservancy is working with scientists, geomorphologists, urban and environmental economists, regional conservation partners, and local stakeholders…
As a member of the Coastal Resilience Network, the Conservancy is leading Coastal Resilience Ventura. Coast Resilience Ventura is a partnership that provides science and decision-support tools to help conservation practitioners, planners and policymakers address the impact of climate change. Through this effort, the…
Juliano Calil, Michael W. Beck, Mary Gleason, Matthew Merrifield, Kirk Klausmeyer, Sarah Newkirk
The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program has paid out more than $38 billion in claims since its inception in 1968, more than a third of which has gone to the 1% of policies that experienced multiple, repetitive losses. During the same period, the loss of…
Jeanette Howard, Kirk Klausmeyer, Kurt Fesenmyer
The California Freshwater Species Database is the first comprehensive geospatial database of California’s freshwater species compiled and standardized into single format from nearly 500 sources. It provides a single source for geodata covering the plants and animals that rely on California’s freshwater resources to survive.…
Vickers, T.W., J. N. Sanchez, C. Johnson, S.A. Morrison, R. Botta, T. Smith, B.S. Cohen, P. Huber, W.M. Boyce
Conservation of wide-ranging species like mountain lions is especially difficult in highly fragmented landscapes, such as coastal southern California. Research into their populations can provide important insights into what is needed to protect them, such as where to prioritize habitat conservation or restoration. This paper…
Jeanette K. Howard, Kirk R. Klausmeyer, Kurt A. Fesenmyer, Joseph Furnish, Thomas Gardali, Ted Grantham, Jacob V. E. Katz, Sarah Kupferberg, Patrick McIntyre, Peter B. Moyle, Peter R. Ode, Ryan Peek, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Andrew C. Rehn, Nick Santos, Steve Schoenig, Larry Serpa, Jackson D. Shedd, Joe Slusark, Joshua H. Viers, Amber Wright, Scott A. Morrison
The California Freshwater Species Database is the first comprehensive geospatial database of California’s freshwater species compiled and standardized into single format from nearly 500 sources. It provides a single source for geodata covering the plants and animals that rely on California’s freshwater resources to…
Brent B. Hughes, Matthew D. Levey, Monique C. Fountain, Aaron B. Carlisle, Francisco P. Chavez, Mary G. Gleason
This comprehensive study of a major California estuary documents the links between nutrient runoff from coastal land use, the health of the estuary as a nursery for young fish, and the abundance of fish in an offshore commercial fishery. The researchers assembled long-term data sets…
Jennifer K. Carah, Jeanette K. Howard, Sally E. Thompson, Anne G. Short Gianotti, Scott D. Bauer, Stephanie M. Carlson, David N. Dralle, Mourad W. Gabriel, Lisa L. Hulette, Brian J. Johnson, Curtis A. Knight, Sarah J. Kupferberg, Stefanie L. Martin, Rosamond L. Naylor, Mary E. Power
Marijuana cultivation can have significant negative collateral effects on the environment that are often unknown or overlooked. This study focuses on California, where by some estimates, 60–70% of the marijuana consumed in the United States is grown. The study adds the environment to the debate…
The Nature Conservancy: Erica Brand, Laura Crane, Dick Cameron, Energy and Environmental Economics: Grace C. Wu, Nick Schlag
Integrating ecological data into long-term energy planning is critical to meet both California’s long term energy and conservation goals. This report assesses the potential trade-offs associated with renewable energy build-out by evaluating the land and water use implications and cost of a range of potential…
M.G. Anderson, P.J. Comer, P. Beier, J.J. Lawler, C.A. Schloss, S. Buttrick, C. M. Albano, D. P. Faith
Incorporating geodiversity into conservation plans to ensure conservation actions are more resilient to climate change is appealing because it addresses the threat of climate change while avoiding the uncertainties associated with climate model projections. However, there are no standards for how to do so. This…
Patrick J. Comer, Robert L. Pressey, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Carrie A. Schloss, Steven C. Buttrick, Nicole E. Heller, John M. Tirpak, Daniel P. Faith, Molly S. Cross, Mark L. Shaffer
The protection of biodiversity in a changing climate is a key challenge for conservation planners. Conserving a diversity of geophysical settings makes species and systems more resilient to climate change by providing a diversity of niche options that enable species to adapt to changing conditions.…
