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54 CLIMATE CHANGE ALBERTAS BIODIVERSITY Through its coordinated research efforts the BMCCA project has created a large body of knowledge that contributes to a better understanding of the future of Albertas biodiversity and of the approaches that might be employed to manage the provinces living resources in the face of a changing climate. Albertas species and ecosystems will continue to shift and change. ProjectionsforthedistributionsofAlbertas regionalecosystemsindicatethepotentialfor dramaticecologicalchangeespeciallyinthe borealregionofnorthernAlberta.Similarly projectionsforavarietyofAlbertasspecies demonstratethattheclimatenichesofboreal speciesinAlbertaarehighlyvulnerabletoclimate changeanditislikelythatmanyborealspecies willshifttheirdistributionsoutoftheprovince. In contrast grassland species and ecosystems in the province have the potential to expand but these opportunities may be limited by current and potential future land-use. Differencesinthetransitionratesamongspecies andecosystemcomponentswilllikelyresultin novelcombinationsandnewecosystems. Not all Alberta species are equally vulnerable to climate change. Both broad and detailed assessments of species climate vulnerability highlight vulnerable groups or species that may require special attention. These include species already vulnerable because of land use change or other factors as well as some that are not currently at risk. Increasing inci- dence of extreme weather events exacerbates risk for many species particularly rare or at-risk species with small population sizes. However many other species especially those that are wide-ranging and adaptable will likely thrive as the climate changes. Incorporating climate change vulnerabilities into general and detailed species assessments and recovery plans will guide management actions necessary to conserve these species over the long term and respond to potential opportunities to recover species at risk. Many of these actions like habitat management and conservation are already being implemented to address non-climate risks but some novel approaches such as assisted migration may become necessary for some species.