Climate Change and Biodiversity: Perspectives and Mitigation Strategies

Every year 22nd May is celebrated as International Day for Biological Diversity. The theme of this day in 2007 was "Biodiversity and climate change." Global climate change is the most severe environmental threat in the 21st century. The effects of climate change on biodiversity are far-reaching. Biodiversity is the foundation for the goods and services provided by ecosystems that are crucial to human survival and well-being. Forest diversity is threatened by climate change. Animals are migrating to new areas; coral reefs are threatened by global warming. The livelihoods of communities are affected by climate change impacts on biodiversity. This book focuses on these issues. It assesses the existing and rapidly worsening impact of climate change on biodiversity and examines the challenges posed by climate change for the conservation of biodiversity. It outlines the management strategies to preserve habitats and protect forests to facilitate adaptation of biodiversity to climate change. The book contains 15 articles presented in two sections: Perspectives and Impact and Mitigation Policies. The articles deal with the climate change impacts on East Africa, climate change and biodiversity in Europe, wilderness conservation in Canada, climate change and upland biodiversity, effects of global warming on invasion of alien plants and mammals, endangered species recovery plan, good practice examples for the integration of climate change activities in various ecosystems and biodiversity areas. How we can avert dangerous climate change and the efforts made by the Smithsonian’s Global Earth Observing Network for protecting forest biodiversity are also included.