refugia

noun, plural re·fu·gi·a [ri-fyoo-jee-uh] /rɪˈfyu dʒi ə/.

1. an area where special environmental circumstances have enabled a species or a community of species to survive after extinction in surrounding areas.

noun plural -gia (-dʒɪə)

1. a geographical region that has remained unaltered by a climatic change affecting surrounding regions and that therefore forms a haven for relict fauna and flora