TY - JOUR
T1 - A framework for assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change
T2 - a case study of the Australian elapid snakes
AU - Cabrelli, Abigail L.
AU - Stow, Adam J.
AU - Hughes, Lesley
PY - 2014/11
Y1 - 2014/11
N2 - Frameworks that provide a system for assessing species according to their vulnerability to climate change can offer considerable guidance to conservation managers who need to allocate limited resources among a large number of taxa. To date, climate change vulnerability assessments have largely been based on projected changes in range size derived from the output of species distribution models (SDMs). A criticism of risk assessments based solely on these models is that information on species ecological and life history traits is lacking. Accordingly, we developed a points-based framework for assessing species vulnerability to climate change that considered species traits together with the projections of SDMs. Applying this method to the Australian elapid snakes (family Elapidae), we determined which species may be particularly susceptible in the future and assessed broad-scale biogeographic patterns in species vulnerability. By offering a more comprehensive and rigorous method for assessing vulnerability than those based solely on SDMs, this framework provides greater justification for resource allocation, and can help guide decisions regarding the most appropriate adaptation strategies.
AB - Frameworks that provide a system for assessing species according to their vulnerability to climate change can offer considerable guidance to conservation managers who need to allocate limited resources among a large number of taxa. To date, climate change vulnerability assessments have largely been based on projected changes in range size derived from the output of species distribution models (SDMs). A criticism of risk assessments based solely on these models is that information on species ecological and life history traits is lacking. Accordingly, we developed a points-based framework for assessing species vulnerability to climate change that considered species traits together with the projections of SDMs. Applying this method to the Australian elapid snakes (family Elapidae), we determined which species may be particularly susceptible in the future and assessed broad-scale biogeographic patterns in species vulnerability. By offering a more comprehensive and rigorous method for assessing vulnerability than those based solely on SDMs, this framework provides greater justification for resource allocation, and can help guide decisions regarding the most appropriate adaptation strategies.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84912027028&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10531-014-0760-0
DO - 10.1007/s10531-014-0760-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84912027028
SN - 0960-3115
VL - 23
SP - 3019
EP - 3034
JO - Biodiversity and Conservation
JF - Biodiversity and Conservation
IS - 12
ER -