Assessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and biological invasions on the spatial redistribution of biodiv in cold environments

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2021

End date

12/31/2024

Budget

225,951 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

ASICS (ASsessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and biological Invasions on the spatial redistribution of biodiversity in Cold environmentS) is a global network of ecologists working on biodiversity in polar and alpine areas. We bring together expertise on species, field observations, experiments, and ecological modelling to answer how global changes are affecting species redistributions in cold environments, and how this knowledge can help us halt the deterioration of these precious ecosystems. With unprecedented levels of global connectivity, the movement of species around the world has never been greater. And combined with a warming climate, alien invasive species threaten biodiversity in even the coldest environments. We evaluate the state of polar regions under these forces and improve our understanding of the factors setting the current distribution of species. Many species have limited abilities to respond to climate change, but by examining physiological limits to changes in cold climates, we can understand which species may ultimately prevail. This mechanistic understanding of species physiology provides the key to better predictions of biodiversity redistributions under different scenarios of future climate change. This will help us to prepare future management strategies and policy contents to tackle emerging threats for cold-climate biodiversity. We will also assess the effects of species movements on interactions between species and on community and ecosystem functioning. This will test the stability and/or vulnerability of cold-climate ecosystems towards global change-driven species redistributions. In 2022, we have contributed with more data from Norway to the project databases on alien species in cold environments. The consortium has met physically for the first time, and we have coordinated and developed our plans ahead. We have finished the field work in Svalbard collecting data on alien species and also data from reference areas without alien species in Isfjorden. We are developing models for regional risk assessments and planning how we best can offer advice on protection and conservation of these fragile polar and alpine environments to appropriate committees, managers and policy makers.