Author Description

Much of the early discussion around the impacts of climate change on biodiversity was either theoretical or global in scope and offered little in the way of practical information for managers. [...] In other words, existing ecosystems will experi- ence the loss of some species, changes in the dominance of others, and the arrival of new species. [...] The ipcc has recognized that "climate is the major factor controlling the global patterns of vegetation structure, productivity and plant and animal species composition" and that changes in climate averages, climate variability, and climate extremes all affect biodiversity (Gitay et al. [...] Extinction: In temperate regions, the biodiversity of terrestrial organisms tends to be higher in warmer areas and lower in cooler ones (Currie 2001), and increases in species richness could be a long-term outcome of climate change in BC. [...] The degree of threat depends on the magnitude and the rate of climate change, the sensitivity of each species to climate change itself, plus the climate-related changes to its habitat.