Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Shift climate change discussion to how ecosystems adapt, say IU scientist and co-authors

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IUB Newsroom »Shift climate change discussion to how ecosystems adapt, say IU scientist and co-authorsShift climate change discussion to how ecosystems adapt, say IU scientist and co-authorsFeb. 10, 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Scientists and policymakers should draw on experience from the distant past to develop a new paradigm for protecting ecosystems at a time of accelerating global change, an Indiana University paleontologist and co-authors write in a paper published today.
The article in the journal Science calls for merging conservation biology with evidence from paleobiology -- the study of the fossil record of the history of life -- and the Earth sciences. P. David Polly, professor of geological sciences in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences, is one of the authors.
The authors say factors such as climate change, resource overconsumption and pollution are reaching a point where it is no longer realistic to focus only on protecting ecosystems from change. Instead, they argue, we need an approach that conserves the ability of ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions.
"It's a way of working with ecosystems that we know we’re going to lose," Polly said. "Instead of trying to maintain them in past optimal states, we would try to maintain productivity in the face of change."
Environmental change has sped up dramatically over the past 50 years, the authors write, overwhelming ecosystems that have existed for millennia. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has surpassed 400 ppm for the first time since more than 15 million years ago, which scientists say signals irreversible climate change. Human population is projected to grow by 3 billion by 2050.
Until recently, the dominant conservation paradigm has been to protect ecosystems from being altered. But scientists believe that is no longer possible, in many cases.
Going forward, maintaining vibrant ecosystems will require finding ways to manage for their "functional integrity" -- the ability to withstand or adapt to changes ...

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