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Plenary: Yvonne Buckley: Biodiversity conservation in a warming world: integrating biodiversity and climate action
Time:
Tuesday, 18/June/2024:
9:00am - 10:00am
Session Chair: Anne Magurran
Location:Room B - Belmeloro Complex
Via Beniamino Andreatta, 8, 40126 Bologna
Session Abstract
Climate is a critical determinant of the diversity and types of species of plants that can persist and human land use is the major driver of biodiversity change and loss. We have shown that the effects of land use are in fact equivalent to a biome-level differences in climate in terms of the life-forms of plants that occur and their abundance in ecosystems. We have developed models for how the traits of plants, together with the climate context, determine plant life-history. Actions that are being taken and being proposed to mitigate and adapt to climate change will drive land use change over the coming decades. Renewable energy installations, afforestation, reforestation, peatland restoration, deployment of nature-based solutions and changes in agricultural systems and practises all have implications for biodiversity, particularly as they could happen quickly and over large areas in the landscape. I will discuss the need to bring together an understanding of how climate and land use jointly determine plant diversity and population functioning to better project biodiversity impacts of climate change and the land use change resulting from climate mitigation and adaptation actions.
