Ways to help wildlife adapt to a warmer world
At least 18 strategies for adaptive wildlife management were put forward in a 2008 study by the Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment.
Among them:
鈥撀� Add more protected areas.
鈥撀� Conserve multiple examples of each ecosystem type.
鈥撀� Manage and restore existing protected areas for maximum resilience.
鈥撀� Design new natural areas and restoration sites to maximize resilience. For example, restore marsh communities behind gently sloped and undeveloped ocean shorelines (those most likely to be affected by sea-level rise) rather than fortify existing beaches. Preparing for the change in this way will mitigate the effects when they arrive.
鈥撀� Increase landscape 鈥渃onnectivity鈥� and permeability so animals can migrate more freely. Remove dams and fish ladders in rivers, for instance.
鈥撀� Protect wildlife corridors and 鈥渟tepping stone鈥� habitat islands to serve as stopovers for migratory waterfowl and for land-based species as they seek cooler climates.
鈥撀� Reduce nonclimate stressors such as invasive species, chemical contaminants, and catastrophic wildfires.
Editor鈥檚 note: See also Mark Clayton's main article, Saving wildlife in a warmer world.
For more articles about the environment, check out the Monitor鈥檚 main environment page. Also, visit our and our .
