A System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) to Climate Change

Abstract

Sustained conservation of species requires integration of future climate change effects, but few tools exist to assist managers. The System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) identifies the relative vulnerability or resilience of vertebrate species to climate change. Designed for managers, the SAVS is an easily applied tool that uses a questionnaire of 22 predictive criteria to create vulnerability scores. The user scores species' attributes relating to potential vulnerability or resilience associated with projections for their region. Six scores are produced: an overall score denoting level of vulnerability or resilience, four categorical scores (habitat, physiology, phenology, and biotic interactions) indicating source of vulnerability, and an uncertainty score, which reflects user confidence in the predicted response. The SAVS provides a framework for integrating new information into the climate change assessment process.

Effects of climatic variability and change on forest ecosystems: a comprehensive science synthesis for the U.S

“…Figure A2-5-Risk of the effects of climate change on the northern cardinal and mourning warbler, expressed as a combination of likelihood of habitat change (x-axis) and magnitude of adaptability (y-axis). Values are rescaled from calculations that used the approach in the System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (Bagne et al 2011, Davison et al 2011 In this case study, we focused on two species with contrasting responses to climate change, but the general approach can be applied to a wide range of species, using either quantitative information or qualitative logic. The empirical statistical models used here provide insights on the broad-scale determinants of species distributions, but with some limiting assumptions.…”

“…A2-5), we used the System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) (Bagne et al 2011, Davison et al 2011) to estimate species adaptability to future changes, including disturbances. The SAVS tool is based on 22 traits that represent potential areas of vulnerability or resilience with respect to future climate change.…”

Development of risk matrices for evaluating climatic change responses of forested habitats

“…Though we focus on data from our 134 tree species, other data sources could be used to generate the risk matrices. For example, efforts are underway to combine potential changes in suitable habitat for selected birds (again, from our website, Matthews et al 2011a), with vulnerability assessments from the System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) system of Bagne et al (2011), to derive a similar matrix. Similarly, elsewhere in the forestry sector, efforts are underway to construct such matrices for fire, carbon, and water.…”

Review of science-based assessments of species vulnerability: Contributions to decision-making for assisted migration

“…The USDA Forest Service developed SAVS to assess the relative vulnerability of terrestrial vertebrate species to climate change (Bagne et al 2011). This tool was developed to assist in identifying species requiring conservation and aid in prioritizing conservation efforts to increase the efficiency of management actions.…”

“…These assessments can be used to identify which species or systems are likely to be significantly impacted by the projected climate changes, and to assist in understanding why they may be vulnerable. A number of vulnerability assessment tools have recently been developed to assist land managers in their efforts to evaluate and prioritize actions taken in response to climate change, including mitigation strategies such as assisted migration (Potter and Crane 2010, Young et al 2010, Bagne et al 2011. This paper will review a selection of tools that have been developed for species-specific assessment of vulnerability to climate change.…”