Climate Change Adaptation
Climate change is impacting species and ecosystems globally. Many approaches to identify the most important areas to conserve neglect the future impacts of climate change.
We have developed prioritisation approaches at global and local scales that account for the impacts of climate change. For example, sea level rise poses a substantial threat to coastal wetlands due to their low elevation and flat topography. Incorporating these expected impacts within prioritisation approaches is important for identifying what risks and opportunities may exist for conservation in the future.
Mangroves in Moreton Bay. Photo: Johan Emilson
We are investigating a range of biodiversity conservation issues associated with sea level rise: including the effect of wetland changes on the viability of threatened species; where and when to cost-effectively establish habitat corridors to facilitate wetland migration; and the trade-offs between wetland conservation measures, urban expansion and human adaptation measures to climate change.
Projects
Collaborators
Cath Lovelock, Jonathan Rhodes,Niels Strange, CSIRO Climate Change Adaptation Flagship
People
Lochran Traill, Tak Iwamura, Laura Canevari Luzardo, Kerrie Wilson
Key references
Traill, L.W., K. Perhans, C.E. Lovelock, A. Prohaska, J.R. Rhodes and K.A. Wilson. In review. Managing for global change: wetland transitions under sea level rise and outcomes for threatened species. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Iwamura, T., K.A. Wilson, O. Venter and H.P. Possingham. In Press. A climatic stability approach to prioritizing global conservation investments. PLoS One.
Next theme: Employing socio-economic information to maximise the success of conservation investments
