Chapter 20
Conclusions and Recommendations
for Adapting Conservation Management
in the Face of Climate Change
Sven Rannow, Christian Wilke, Moritz Gies, and Marco Neubert
20.1 Introduction
Climate is changing and nature is responding at increasing speed. Many protected
areas are already noticing the first consequences for biodiversity. The timing of
seasonal events like the first flowering date for plants and the breeding dates of birds
have advanced as spring is taking place earlier in the year. Species are changing
their geographic distribution northwards or to higher altitudes. Consequentially,
typical ecological interactions like hatching of offspring and availability of food
sources are disrupted in time or in space. In addition, extreme events like floods and
heavy rain but also heat waves and dry seasons are changing their pattern and
intensity. This has severe impacts on individual species and habitats. Altered water
regimes or other abiotic conditions are likely to change the character of habitats and
ecosystems. Projected future climate trends will further accelerate changes in
distribution and abundance of endangered species and ecosystems, and intensify
overall biodiversity loss.
Even though mitigation of climate change is of utmost importance, conservation
management must also be adapted to climate change. Otherwise climate change
impacts will result in the degradation of habitats, the extinction of species and the
loss of ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being.
Adaptation to climate change is defined as the adjustment in ecological, social or
economic systems to prevent or reduce harm or benefit from potential opportunities
S. Rannow • M. Gies • M. Neubert (*)
Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development,
Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
e-mail: sven.rannow@gmx.de; m.gies@ioer.de; m.neubert@ioer.de
C. Wilke
Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Landscape
Planning and Development, Technische Universita ¨t Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni,
10623 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: christian.wilke@alumni.tu-berlin.de
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_20, © The Author(s) 2014
291
Conclusions and Recommendations
for Adapting Conservation Management
in the Face of Climate Change
Sven Rannow, Christian Wilke, Moritz Gies, and Marco Neubert
20.1 Introduction
Climate is changing and nature is responding at increasing speed. Many protected
areas are already noticing the first consequences for biodiversity. The timing of
seasonal events like the first flowering date for plants and the breeding dates of birds
have advanced as spring is taking place earlier in the year. Species are changing
their geographic distribution northwards or to higher altitudes. Consequentially,
typical ecological interactions like hatching of offspring and availability of food
sources are disrupted in time or in space. In addition, extreme events like floods and
heavy rain but also heat waves and dry seasons are changing their pattern and
intensity. This has severe impacts on individual species and habitats. Altered water
regimes or other abiotic conditions are likely to change the character of habitats and
ecosystems. Projected future climate trends will further accelerate changes in
distribution and abundance of endangered species and ecosystems, and intensify
overall biodiversity loss.
Even though mitigation of climate change is of utmost importance, conservation
management must also be adapted to climate change. Otherwise climate change
impacts will result in the degradation of habitats, the extinction of species and the
loss of ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being.
Adaptation to climate change is defined as the adjustment in ecological, social or
economic systems to prevent or reduce harm or benefit from potential opportunities
S. Rannow • M. Gies • M. Neubert (*)
Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development,
Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
e-mail: sven.rannow@gmx.de; m.gies@ioer.de; m.neubert@ioer.de
C. Wilke
Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Landscape
Planning and Development, Technische Universita ¨t Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni,
10623 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: christian.wilke@alumni.tu-berlin.de
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_20, © The Author(s) 2014
291