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Biodiversity and Wildlife: Adaptation to Climate Change

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Adapting to Climate Change

Abstract

Human-induced climate change is expected to have far-reaching implications for the conservation of biological diversity; under even the least dramatic global warming scenarios, ecological impacts are anticipated. Because of the certainty of ecological change during the next decades, plus the unpredictable responses of species to change and the consequent alteration of ecosystems, adaptive strategies must be developed. Some potential consequences of climate change on biodiversity are outlined. The study then identifies the most sensitive ecosystems and reviews potential strategies to minimize negative ecological impacts. Conclusions show that maintaining ecological complexity and ecosystem resilience are the most important factors in decreasing the impacts of climate change.

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

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Markham, A., Malcolm, J. (1996). Biodiversity and Wildlife: Adaptation to Climate Change. In: Smith, J.B., et al. Adapting to Climate Change. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8471-7_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8471-7_33

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8473-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8471-7

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