Climate change has been in the news in recent weeks. In November, the provincial Climate Change Advisory Panel released their policy advice to the government in the form of the Climate Leadership Plan. And, this week marks the start of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, where leaders from across the world are convening to review the implementation of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Their goal is to achieve a universal agreement on climate to keep global warming below a 2°C rise from preindustrial levels (check out this infographic for the history of this benchmark).
The ABMI is working to understand climate change impacts on Alberta’s species and ecosystems and identify potential responses through our collaborative Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation project. In Alberta, we’ve experienced about 1.4°C of warming in Alberta over the last century, so we’re already living with climate change. Planning for continued climate change now (called adaptation) can help to avoid costly reactionary responses to climate change impacts in the future.
Our project was featured by CBC reporter Briar Stewart on the November 29th, 2015 edition of the radio news program The World This Weekend. Listen to hear our University of Alberta collaborators Dr. Scott Nielsen and Dr. Erin Bayne discuss what climate change might mean for the management of biodiversity in Alberta.
To learn more about their projects, check out our recent blog posts on assisted migration of Northern Blazing Star and on adaptation options for the management of Burrowing Owls in Alberta’s grasslands.
The Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation project received core funding from the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation.