@article {1753, title = {Improving Conservation Outcomes with a New Paradigm for Understanding Species{\textquoteright} Fundamental and Realized Adaptive Capacity}, journal = {Conservation Letters}, volume = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {19-Jun-2015}, pages = {131-137}, abstract = {

Worldwide, many species are responding to ongoing climate change with shifts in distribution, abundance, phenology, or behavior. Consequently, natural-resource managers face increasingly urgent conservation questions related to biodiversity loss, expansion of invasive species, and deteriorating ecosystem services. We argue that our ability to address these questions is hampered by the lack of explicit consideration of species{\textquoteright}\ adaptive capacity\ (AC). AC is the ability of a species or population to cope with climatic changes and is characterized by three fundamental components: phenotypic plasticity, dispersal ability, and genetic diversity. However, few studies simultaneously address all elements; often, AC is confused with sensitivity or omitted altogether from climate-change vulnerability assessments. Improved understanding, consistent definition, and comprehensive evaluations of AC are needed. Using classic ecological-niche theory as an analogy, we propose a new paradigm that considers fundamental and realized AC: the former reflects aspects inherent to species, whereas the latter denotes how extrinsic factors constrain AC to what is actually expressed or observed. Through this conceptualization, we identify ecological attributes contributing to AC, outline areas of research necessary to advance understanding of AC, and provide examples demonstrating how the inclusion of AC can better inform conservation and natural-resource management.

}, keywords = {climate adaptation, climate change, conservation management, fundamental adaptive capacity, policy-relevant research questions, realized adaptive capacity, vulnerability assessment}, doi = {10.1111/conl.12190}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/conl.12190}, author = {Beever, Erik A and O{\textquoteright}Leary, John and Mengelt, Claudia and West, Jordan M and Julius, Susan and Green, Nancy and Magness, Dawn and Petes, Laura and Stein, Bruce and Nicotra, Adrienne B and Hellmann, Jessica J and Robertson, Amanda L and Staudinger, Michelle D. and Rosenberg, Andrew A and Babij, Eleanora and Brennan, Jean and Schuurman, Gregor W and Hofmann, Gretchen E} } @article {1035, title = {Biodiversity in a changing climate: a synthesis of current and projected trends in the US}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment}, volume = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {11/2013}, pages = {465 - 473}, abstract = {This paper provides a synthesis of the recent literature describing how global biodiversity is being affected by climate change and is projected to respond in the future. Current studies reinforce earlier findings of major climate-change-related impacts on biological systems and document new, more subtle after-effects. For example, many species are shifting their distributions and phenologies at faster rates than were recorded just a few years ago; however, responses are not uniform across species. Shifts have been idiosyncratic and in some cases counterintuitive, promoting new community compositions and altering biotic interactions. Although genetic diversity enhances species{\textquoteright} potential to respond to variable conditions, climate change may outpace intrinsic adaptive capacities and increase the relative vulnerabilities of many organisms. Developing effective adaptation strategies for biodiversity conservation will not only require flexible decision-making and management approaches that account for uncertainties in climate projections and ecological responses but will also necessitate coordinated monitoring efforts.}, keywords = {adaptation strategies, Biodiversity Conservation, climate projections}, issn = {1540-9295}, doi = {10.1890/120272}, author = {Staudinger, Michelle D. and Carter, Shawn L and Cross, Molly S and Dubois, Natalie S and Duffy, J Emmett and Carolyn AF Enquist and Griffis, Roger and Hellmann, Jessica J and Lawler, Joshua J and O{\textquoteright}Leary, John and Morrison, Scott A and Sneddon, Lesley and Stein, Bruce A and Thompson, Laura M and Turner, Woody} }