The American Pika will probably not go extinct because of the fairly varied locations of their habitat.Even if global warming did cause much of their current habitat to become unsuitable, causing a number of subspecies population to diminish but total extinction seems unlikely because the Pika might undergo a range shift and/or modify their behavior to persist in their current location. In addition, some Pikas have been spotted miles from rocky talus habitat and even have been seen in log fields (Hafner). The fallen logs might provide a habitat close enough to the rocky recesses of a talus that at the very least can provide a path to better suited environments..
One of the large issues facing the Pikas is the fact they are on a mountain. If a neighboring mountain was a suitable habitat, the fact that the Pika would have to go down their current mountain, and into the the warmer temperature, makes it very difficult or impossible to get to this other mountain.
Perhaps some artificial "Pika Dispersal System" might be advisable to encourage Pika populations. If the Pika population could be transplanted to suitable neighboring mountains that might be enough to encourage the colonization of a new habitat that the Pika might not be able to get to on their own.
The best solution would be to slow global warming through reduced carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Interesting management idea. Maybe you could add the implications of what transplanting Pika populations might do. Otherwise excellent blog! I can tell you put a lot of effort into it.
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