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A climatic stability approach to prioritizing global conservation investments
Takuya Iwamura1, Kerrie A Wilson, Oscar Venter
1Ecology Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. t.iwamura@uq.edu.au
Plos One
|December 15, 2010
Summary
Conservation planning must account for climate change to protect biodiversity. This study developed a resource allocation algorithm that reduces biodiversity loss by 22%, prioritizing stable tropical and mid-elevation ecoregions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Climate Change Science
Background:
- Global biodiversity and ecosystems are increasingly impacted by climate change.
- Current conservation strategies often overlook future climate instability, potentially undermining investments.
- Unstable climatic conditions pose a significant threat to long-term conservation success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a resource allocation algorithm for conservation investments that integrates ecoregion stability under climate change.
- To assess the impact of climate-informed allocation on spatial and temporal investment schedules.
- To quantify the reduction in biodiversity loss achieved by incorporating climate change stability into conservation planning.
Main Methods:
- Developed a resource allocation algorithm for conservation investment.
- Incorporated the ecological stability of ecoregions under predicted climate change scenarios.
- Compared investment allocations with and without climate change considerations.
Main Results:
- Climate-informed resource allocation alters optimal global investment schedules spatially and temporally.
- This approach reduced biodiversity loss of terrestrial endemic species by 22% between 2002-2052 compared to non-climate-aware methods.
- Recommended increased funding for tropical and mid-elevation ecoregions due to predicted climatic stability.
Conclusions:
- Accounting for ecoregion stability is a realistic method for integrating climate change into global conservation planning.
- This approach can significantly reduce long-term biodiversity loss and save species from extinction.
- Prioritizing stable tropical and mid-elevation habitats enhances global biodiversity resilience to climate change.
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