Climate change and adaptation

Climate change and adaptation

The climate change and adaptation research focuses on managing the risks of climate change through evidence-based policy development. It covers adaptation strategies, risk assessment, and sustainable management practices to support resilience in ecosystems, communities, and industries.

About

Reconstruction of historical patterns of species movement, colonisation, extinction and speciation and understanding the genomic basis of climate adaptation may help understand future dynamics and the potential of evolutionary processes to intensify or moderate the effects of global change.

Protecting landscapes that act as refugia from climate change, and protecting and rehabilitating habitat corridors to allow species to reach these areas will enable species to respond to rapid climate change.

For information on Australia's biodiversity policies see the Department of the Environment and Energy​:

See also:

Projects

The project investigates if adaptation in invasive plant species affects fire regimes. Researchers from ANU and CSIRO study traits promoting fire tolerance or flammability, using genomics and spatial genetic analyses. This work could influence policy on climate change adaptation and ecosystem management in Australia.

The project by McElroy and Warthmann explores landscape genomics using Red-browed finches to understand genetic variation across environmental gradients. By sequencing samples from the Australian National Wildlife Collection, the study aims to identify genes linked to climate adaptation, providing insights for conservation and future genomic research.

The project addresses the lack of understanding of New Guinea's biodiversity by leveraging phylogenetic and distributional data. It aims to map biodiversity, focusing on species and phylogenetic diversity, and identify diversity hotspots. This foundational work is crucial for informed conservation planning in the region.

The project proposes a macroevolutionary approach to predict plant species' tolerance to environmental changes using data from the Atlas of Living Australia. By integrating environmental niche modelling and phylogenetic analysis, it aims to identify adaptive species, focusing on Banksia and Hakea. Outcomes include a database, publications, and an R package.

Dr Janet Gardner and colleagues are investigating how climate change affects avian morphology, focusing on body and bill size variations in Australian passerines. Using museum specimens and climate data, they aim to understand the climatic factors influencing these changes, enhancing knowledge of species' evolutionary potential and climate adaptation.

Researchers investigated the distribution and diversity of Rhizobia bacteria associated with Acacia acuminata across Western Australia. They found larger Acacia trees host more diverse Rhizobia communities, unrelated to climate factors. This study aids understanding of microbial ecology and potential impacts of climate change on these important symbiotic relationships.

News

A major objective of the CBA is to exchange knowledge, perspectives and challenges amongst scientists and policy makers, and find ways to effectively engage, now and into the future.

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The draft of the Australia’s strategy for nature 2018-2030 is now open for public consultation and they'd like to hear from you. Please complete the survey or make a submission.

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We've mapped the hotspots of eucalypt diversity and our study shows that by 2085 the hotspots will be in different places. We need to plan now to conserve those future hotspots.

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Bill adaptation in parrots: finding the genes involved in surface area increases over time

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The Australian landscape presents many areas of extreme conditions for plant survival, such as drought, heat, or salt-affected soils. Are some lineages better able to adapt and diversify in these harsh conditions?

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Collecting seed, growing and re-planting is fundamental to restoration projects. However, little is known of the levels of genetic adaptability present in any key species, such as Yellow box, that frequently used for broad-scale restoration.

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