Geography
How Climate Refugia Sustain Biodiversity During Glacial–Interglacial Cycles
Quick fact
During the Last Glacial Maximum, forests survived in small patches of favorable microclimate, such as deep valleys and sheltered slopes, that were sometimes only a few square kilometers. These refugia were crucial sources for the massive northward recolonization of trees that followed the retreating ice.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a species surviving the ice age, not by migrating south, but by hiding in a tiny pocket of warmth. How do these hidden havens—climate refugia—become lifelines that sustain biodiversity?