Science brief explains how disturbance refugia support ecosystem recovery and resilience across interacting disturbance events.
This FireEarth science brief introduces “disturbance refugia,” places that remain relatively buffered during disturbances and help ecosystems persist and recover. It explains how refugia can occur during events like wildfire, drought, insect outbreaks, and other stressors, and why these pockets of reduced impact matter for biodiversity, regeneration, and landscape-scale resilience. The brief emphasizes that refugia are shaped by local conditions such as topography, moisture, vegetation, and disturbance severity. It also highlights the management relevance of identifying and protecting refugia, especially as interacting disturbances become more common under changing climate conditions. The brief is designed to translate scientific findings into practical context for decision-making and broader wildfire resilience conversations. This publication was supported by the National Science Foundation through award DMS-1520873.
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Authors
Saari, B. and Hall, S. A.
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Suggested Citation
Saari, B., Hall, S. (Ed.). 2021. Disturbance refugia: Thinking broadly about resilience to interacting disturbances. FireEarth Science Brief 15. Washington State University.
Year Published
2021
Areas of Focus
Climate & Environment and Research Engagement & Communication
Topics
Climate Change, Community Engaged Research, and Natural Resources
