Climate shelters for habitats of community and regional interest of the CAPV.

The project is part of the Basque Government's Energy Transition and Climate Change Plan 2021-2024 (Basque Government, 2021), which includes among its 15 flagship initiatives promoting a "resilient Basque Natura 2000 Network that favors climate neutrality", helping to increase the resilience of the territory while facilitating the path to territorial neutrality. The present analysis focuses on determining the areas in which the ideal climatic conditions for certain terrestrial habitats are maintained in a climate change scenario, both those that coincide with their Current Surface (SA) and those that extend in other areas. Eight terrestrial habitats were assessed: 3 forests (9120-Acidophilous beech forests, 9340-Oak and carrascale forests, G1.86-Acidophilous forest dominated by Quercus robur), 2 scrublands (4030-Acidophilous dry heathlands, 4040*-Coastal dry heathlands) and 3 grassland-grasslands (6210*-Mesophilous grasslands with Brachypodium pinnatum, 6220*-Brachypodium retusum xerophilic grasslands, 6510-Atlantic mowing grasslands). The analysis was carried out based on the calculation of the exposure to climate change carried out within the framework of the project "Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change of the Natura 2000 Network in the Basque Country" initiated in 2017 within the KLIMATEK R&D program (innovation and demonstration projects in adaptation to climate change) promoted by the Basque Government.The definition of "Reseach Coallition Refuge" was used as a reference where, climate refuges are those areas that remain relatively protected against climate change over time. so that they present or may present in the future climatic conditions equivalent to those of today to host a specific habitat or species, thus enabling the persistence and potential expansion of biodiversity. Thus, three different typologies of climate shelters were defined: - Nucleus shelter (RN): areas of the current distribution of a habitat that maintain optimal climatic conditions in a scenario of future climate change, enabling its conservation. - Persistence zone (ZP): areas of the current potential distribution of a habitat in which it is currently absent, which maintain optimal climatic conditions in a scenario of future climate change, enabling its persistence. - Neo-habitat (NH): areas outside the current potential distribution of a habitat, but which in a scenario of future climate change may present climatic conditions equivalent to those optimal for hosting it, and where its potential expansion could be possible.The detailed definition of the different types of shelters, the calculations made and a discussion of the results obtained can be found in the specific document associated with this data mapping "Climate shelters for habitats of community and regional interest of the CAPV. Preliminary analysis for terrestrial habitats" (Ihobe, 2021).The calculation of exposure in a quantitative manner using Potential Distribution Models was carried out based on the most up-to-date cartographic information of the distribution of terrestrial habitats of interest (community and regional), as well as regionalized climate data of temperature and precipitation for the CPR 8.5 climate scenario in the 2071-2100 time period (Ihobe, 2019). The reference cartography as well as the base maps are nourished by the existing information in GeoEuskadi (Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Basque Country). Exposure is considered to exist when the Current Area (SA) of a habitat does not coincide geographically with its potential distribution in the climate change scenario (Future Potential Area, SPF). The detailed description of obtaining the potential surfaces can be found in the specific document "Methodology for calculating the climate risk of terrestrial habitats in the Basque Country.