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56 CLIMATE CHANGE ALBERTAS BIODIVERSITY Ecosystem-based adaptation can increase climate resiliency for local communities Although most climate change adaptation planning at the local level emphasizes engi- neered infrastructure that addresses specific climate risks ecosystem-based adaptation approaches may provide opportunities to increase climate resiliency of local communi- ties. These approaches which increase climate resiliency by identifying and managing natural infrastructure like wetlands are well-suited to municipal needs and mandates. The benefits of ecosystem-based adap- tation for local governments include 1 the co-benefits including their additional support of agriculture biodiversity conser- vation human health protection recreation planning and economic sustainability objectives 2 cost-effectiveness through harnessing existing natural infrastructure and 3 improved risk management through a proactive systems-based approach that addresses a broader range of potential impacts. Ecosystem-based adaptation approaches could complement rather than replace municipalities hard infrastructure approaches. Uncertainty in prediction and planning can be accommodated. Multiple lines of evidence detailed statistical analysis and new modeling tools allow a better assessment of the level of uncertainty associated with changes in biodiversity in response to climatic changes. Despite some lack of precision in predicting the future state of Albertas biodiversity we are now in a much better position to forecast broad patterns of future change.Avarietyofpracticalapproaches such as no-regrets or bet-hedging approaches can be employed to address future uncertainties in planning for landscape and species conservation and to incorporate uncer- tainty into management decision-making. Formunicipalitieswantingtoaddress climate-relatedriskstotheirsocialeconomic orenvironmentalwell-beingecosystem-based adaptation strategies such as wetland conservationandrestorationarelower-risk thanmanyotheradaptationstrategiesinlightof theuncertaintyassociatedwithclimatechange. Thislowerimplementationriskisaresultofthe potentialofthesestrategiestoachievemultiple communityobjectivesandaddressmorethan oneclimateriskthroughasingleaction. Continued and expanded biodiversity monitoring is required. High-quality spatially explicit observational data obtained through monitoring including species presence species abundance and ecosystem data underpin the majority of research developed through the BMCCA project. Biodiversity data can provide an early warning system for detecting the effects of climate change on species and ecosystems. These data also contribute to construction and validation of future projections of species and ecosystem distributions development of biodiversity indicators to support decision-making and evaluation of adaptive management actions. SeveralBMCCAprojectswerebasedonspecies observationdatacollectedbycitizenscientists andcontributedtolong-termdatasetssuchas theBreedingBirdSurvey41 andACIMS.42 With thecurrentandimprovingabilitytoaccurately andeasilygeo-referenceobservationsthegrowth ofthesedatasetswillbecomeanincreasingly valuablesourceofinformationforscientists investigatingtheimpactsofclimatechange onbiodiversity. 41 Breeding Bird Survey httpswww.pwrc.usgs.govbbs 42 ACIMS Alberta Conservation Information Management System. For more information httpwww.albertaparks.caalbertaparksca management-land-usealberta-conservation-information-management-system-acims.aspx