Classification of Climate-Change-Induced Stresses on Biological Diversity

Abstract

Conservation actions need to account for and be adapted to address changes that will occur under global climate change. The identification of stresses on biological diversity (as defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity) is key in the process of adaptive conservation management. We considered any impact of climate change on biological diversity a stress because such an effect represents a change (negative or positive) in key ecological attributes of an ecosystem or parts of it. We applied a systemic approach and a hierarchical framework in a comprehensive classification of stresses to biological diversity that are caused directly by global climate change. Through analyses of 20 conservation sites in 7 countries and a review of the literature, we identified climate-change-induced stresses. We grouped the identified stresses according to 3 levels of biological diversity: stresses that affect individuals and populations, stresses that affect biological communities, and stresses that affect ecosystem structure and function. For each stress category, we differentiated 3 hierarchical levels of stress: stress class (thematic grouping with the coarsest resolution, 8); general stresses (thematic groups of specific stresses, 21); and specific stresses (most detailed definition of stresses, 90). We also compiled an overview of effects of climate change on ecosystem services using the categories of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and 2 additional categories. Our classification may be used to identify key climate-change-related stresses to biological diversity and may assist in the development of appropriate conservation strategies. The classification is in list format, but it accounts for relations among climate-change-induced stresses.

The relationship between physiological stress and wildlife disease: consequences for health and conservation

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Impacts of climate change on plant diseases—opinions and trends

“…Ensuring that landscape management incorporates the many insights from new studies on global change impacts on plant health will be important to improve the sustainability and security of food production, and to make biodiversity conservation more successful (Dale et al 2005;Fletcher et al 2009;Pautasso et al 2010;Geyer et al 2011). Assessing the ecological consequences of climate change requires an understanding of biotic interactions (Tylianakis et al 2008;Médiène et al 2011), including the evolution of plant pathogens and their hosts at the interface between fields and surrounding remnant semi-natural ecosystems (Burdon and Thrall 2008).…”

Plant community structure mediates potential methane production and potential iron reduction in wetland mesocosms

“…The structure and function of ecosystems are being greatly altered by human activities (Vitousek et al 1997), and the resulting loss of species worldwide has led to increasing concern for the consequences of reduced biodiversity across a wide range of ecosystems (Naeem et al 1994, Chapin et al 2000, Loreau et al 2001, Zedler et al 2001, Hooper et al 2005, Lovett et al 2009, Geyer et al 2011. Freshwater wetland ecosystems provide a number of valuable services, including biodiversity support, water quality maintenance and improvement, flood control, and carbon storage (Zedler and Kercher 2005).…”