refugium
/rɪˈfjuːdʒiəm/
noun
- A place where a population of organisms can survive during a period of unfavorable environmental conditions, such as an ice age or drought.
- The deep canyon served as a refugium for fish when the river dried up.
- This forest acted as a refugium for many plant species during the last ice age.
- Scientists identified a refugium where rare butterflies survived the wildfire.