Science Theme 5: Ecological Vulnerability and Species Response to Climate Variability and Change
Biodiversity and ecosystem services are intrinsically linked, and climate change is expected to cause stressful environmental conditions for the majority of global biodiversity in the coming decades. There is concern that many species will not be able to keep pace with direct and indirect impacts.
The vulnerability of species and habitats to climate change is dependent on the degree of exposure to changing conditions, sensitivity to those changes, and inherent adaptive capacity to adjust to those changes.
One of the goals is to ultimately understand how the reshuffling of communities and declines of flora and fauna in northeast/midwest habitats have the potential to impact ecosystem structure, function, and productivity, and how that may threaten many goods and services that humans depend on.
Biological Responses to Climate Change
- selective adaptation in organism (e.g., physiology)
- altering geographical range
- shifts in phenology
Explore our Expertise
Toni Lyn Morelli Research Ecologist, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Expertise
Landscape and Species Conservation, Translational Ecology, Mammal Vulnerability, Climate Adaptation and Refugia
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Frank Thompson University of Missouri Columbia
Expertise
Landscape Conservation Design, Forest Management and Succession, Avian Demographics and Population Dynamics
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Science Researchers
Dave King Research Wildlife Biologist, USFS
Affiliated Investigator
Benjamin Letcher University of Massachusetts Amherst
Affiliated Investigator
