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Climate Change: A Major Challenge to Biodiversity Conservation, Ecological Services, and Sustainable Development

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The Palgrave Handbook of Socio-ecological Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

Abstract

The biodiversity of a region is determined by the species composition, morphology, reproduction, and development influenced by geographic and climatic conditions. The sustainability of the environment is threatened and challenged substantially by climate change, which impacts the health of ecosystems, food security, natural resources, productivity, and economic stability. The damage causes to biodiversity, ecological services, and sustainable development by climate change is worse than habitat loss in many aspects. Climate change is the primary factor impacting the terrestrial ecosystem, which alters species distributions and composition and imposes significant abiotic stresses on biotic interactions, growth, and development. It has directly influenced biodiversity and various ecosystem services by changing climatic components, shifting latitudes, altitudes, and phenology, and reducing species resilience and fitness. Adaptations and mitigation measures are essential to promote long-term sustainability and sustainable development that offers new possibilities, paths, and action capacities for reducing the impacts of climate change. In addition, conservation and finding solutions are crucial for lowering carbon emissions, switching to renewable energy sources, enhancing nutrient efficiency, lowering GHG emissions, increasing the production of organic foods and perennial crops, and making the best use of water resources. Ecosystem-based adaptations are practical and affordable nature-based solutions that can be applied globally to improve resilience, reduce damage, and adapt to climate change. The implications of climate change on biodiversity were highlighted in this chapter, along with potential adaptation and mitigation measures that may be taken to promote ecosystem services and sustainable development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835205, India

    Shilky, Subhashree Patra, Pawan Ekka & Purabi Saikia

  2. Department of Geoinformatics, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835205, India

    Amit Kumar

  3. Department of Botany, Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar, 470003, India

    M. L. Khan

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Correspondence to Purabi Saikia .

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  1. Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, India

    Sunil Nautiyal

  2. National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Delhi, India

    Anil Kumar Gupta

  3. Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, India

    Mrinalini Goswami

  4. Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, India

    Y. D. Imran Khan

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Shilky, Patra, S., Ekka, P., Kumar, A., Saikia, P., Khan, M.L. (2023). Climate Change: A Major Challenge to Biodiversity Conservation, Ecological Services, and Sustainable Development. In: Nautiyal, S., Gupta, A.K., Goswami, M., Imran Khan, Y.D. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Socio-ecological Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2206-2_33

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