Alberta’s climate is becoming warmer, drier and more variable. Our goal is to develop essential knowledge and tools to support the management of Alberta’s biodiversity, our species and ecosystems, in a changing climate. Identifying the potential impacts of climate change on Alberta’s species, ecosystems and human communities and incorporating that knowledge into today’s decisions about land use, natural resource and species management can help avoid the need for ineffective, and potentially costly, actions in the future.
We’re identifying the potential impacts of climate change on Alberta’s species and ecosystems through a variety of mapping and analysis methods. We’re predicting the consequences of climate change on our biodiversity is the first step towards integrating climate change into planning and decision-making in the province.
Our field projects are directed towards developing a better understanding of the relationships between today’s climate and Alberta’s biodiversity, including the ongoing survival of sensitive species like Burrowing Owls, Ferruginous Hawks and rare plants. Field experiments are also examining potential conservation actions that could support these species as climate change progresses.
We’re building on our understanding of the climate change impacts on Alberta’s biodiversity to outline and demonstrate relevant, scientifically-based ways of incorporating climate change into biodiversity-related planning and decision-making in the province.
We’re developing a web-based tool to connect Alberta’s municipalities to the implications of climate change for their community and to effective adaptation strategies that support climate resilience.
The final synthesis report provides a comprehensive overview of the Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation project, including highlights of research outcomes and key conclusions.
Stories on ABMI's blog It's Our Nature to Know