학술논문

Biodiversity, climate change, and adaptation in the Mediterranean
Document Type
article
Source
Ecosphere, Vol 13, Iss 4, Pp n/a-n/a (2022)
Subject
adaptive management
biodiversity
biological adaptation
climate change
marine ecosystems
Mediterranean
Ecology
QH540-549.5
Language
English
ISSN
2150-8925
Abstract
Abstract Potential for, and limits to, adaptation to environmental changes are critical for resilience and risk mitigation. The Mediterranean basin is a mosaic of biodiversity‐rich ecosystems long affected by human influence, whose resilience is now questioned by climate change. After reviewing the different components of biological adaptation, we present the main characteristics of marine and terrestrial biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin and of the pressures they face. Taking climatic trends into consideration, we discuss the adaptive potential of a range of ecosystems dominated by species without active dispersal. We argue that the high heterogeneity of Mediterranean landscapes and seascapes constitutes a laboratory for the study of adaptation when environmental conditions change rapidly and may provide opportunities for adaptation and adaptability of species and ecosystems. Adaptive management in the Mediterranean can and should harness the nature‐based solutions offered by both ecological and evolutionary processes for increasing the resilience of ecosystems to climate change.