a small, isolated area that has escaped the extreme changes undergone by the surrounding area, as during a period of glaciation, allowing the survival of plants and animals from an earlier period
See refugium in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(rĭ-fyo͞oˈjē-əm)
nounpl.re·fu·gi·a(-jē-ə)
An area that has escaped ecological changes occurring elsewhere and so provides a suitable habitat for relict species.