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Climate change alters the functions of ecological systems. As a result, the provision of ecosystem services and the well-being of people that rely on these services are being modified. Climate models portend continued warming and more frequent extreme weather events across the US. Such weather-related disturbances will place a premium on the ecosystem services that people rely on. We discuss some of the observed and anticipated impacts of climate change on ecosystem service provision and livelihoods in the US. We also highlight promis-ing adaptive measures. The challenge will be choosing which adaptive strategies to implement, given limited resources and time. We suggest using dynamic balance sheets or accounts of natural capital and natural assets to prioritize and evaluate national and regional adaptation strategies that involve ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the 2014 US National Climate Assessment, over 60 subject-matter experts from government agen-cies, academia, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector assessed the current and projected impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Here, we introduce and pro-vide context for the papers included in this Special Issue, drawing upon the key findings from separate assess-ments of biodiversity, ecosystem structure and function, ecosystem services, climate-change impacts in the context of other stressors, and societal responses to change (ie climate adaptation). We also explain the assess-ment process and show how the current state of knowledge can be used to identify risks and guide future research and management initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is altering ecological systems throughout the world. Managing these systems in a way that ignores climate change will likely fail to meet management objectives. The uncertainty in projected climate- change impacts is one of the greatest challenges facing managers attempting to address global change. In order to select successful management strategies, managers need to understand the uncertainty inherent in projected climate impacts and how these uncertainties affect the outcomes of management activities. Perhaps the most important tool for managing ecological systems in the face of climate change is active adaptive management, in which systems are closely monitored and management strategies are altered to address expected and ongoing changes. Here, we discuss the uncertainty inherent in different types of data on potential climate impacts and explore climate projections and potential management responses at three sites in North America. The Central Valley of California, the headwaters of the Klamath River in Oregon, and the barrier islands and sounds of North Carolina each face a different set of challenges with respect to climate change. Using these three sites, we provide specific examples of how managers are already beginning to address the threat of climate change in the face of varying levels of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nature provides a wide range of benefits to people. There is increasing consensus about the importance of incorporating these "ecosystem services" into resource management decisions, but quantifying the levels and values of these services has proven difficult. We use a spatially explicit modeling tool, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), to predict changes in ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and commodity production levels. We apply InVEST to stakeholder-defined scenarios of land-use/land-cover change in the Willamette Basin, Oregon. We found that scenarios that received high scores for a variety of ecosystem services also had high scores for biodiversity, suggesting there is little tradeoff between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Scenarios involving more development had higher commodity production values, but lower levels of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. However, including payments for carbon sequestration alleviates this tradeoff. Quantifying ecosystem services in a spatially explicit manner, and analyzing tradeoffs between them, can help to make natural resource decisions more effective, efficient, and defensible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, efforts to value and protect ecosystem services have been promoted by many as the last, best hope for making conservation mainstream - attractive and commonplace worldwide. In theory, if we can help individuals and institutions to recognize the value of nature, then this should greatly increase investments in conservation, while at the same time fostering human well-being. In practice, however, we have not yet developed the scientific basis, nor the policy and finance mechanisms, for incorporating natural capital into resource- and land-use decisions on a large scale. Here, we propose a conceptual framework and sketch out a strategic plan for delivering on the promise of ecosystem services, drawing on emerging examples from Hawai'i. We describe key advances in the science and practice of accounting for natural capital in the decisions of individuals, communities, corporations, and governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation easements have become the principal tool used by land trusts to preserve habitat and open space. However, anecdotal evidence has led some to question whether easements actually deliver conservation value. Our analysis of data from 119 easements held by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), spanning eight states and 20 years (1984-2004), is the first study to examine temporal patterns in the stated goals of, and activities allowed under, conservation easements. We found that these easements operate in accordance with conservation principles: 96% of sampled easements have identified biological targets, 84% are within TNC priority sites, and 79% are adjacent to protected areas. Easement usage has also become more strategic; recently established easements are more likely than older easements to be large and to include a management plan that focuses on biological targets. The one shortcoming we uncovered is a lack of biological monitoring. Although 92% of sampled easements have been monitored for legal compliance in the past 3 years, only 19.8% of biological targets have been monitored quantitatively. It is clear that we cannot draw conclusions regarding easement effectiveness unless we implement more systematic monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an intensive review of conservation science to find out whether the field has tracked priorities over the past 20 years. A total of 628 papers from the literature, for the years 1984, 1994, and 2004, were surveyed. For each paper, we recorded where conservation research was done and what was studied. We found geographic gaps in conservation research, with marine, tundra, and desert biomes being studied less than other systems. We also found taxonomic gaps, with amphibians being understudied as compared to other, less threatened, taxonomic groups. Finally, we discovered that studies of invasive species are still lacking, despite the magnitude of the threat they pose to global biodiversity. Although there was a weak trend towards filling these gaps between 1984 and 2004, progress has been slow. To be more effective, the research community must quickly redirect research to better match conservation priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues. Division of opinion during the 2004 presidential election in the U.S.; "Numbers and Context," which focused on the international flow of conservation dollars; "Don't Shoot the Messenger," which discussed the link between conservation needs and funding levels.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on ecosystem services, and another on environmental protection.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the recovery planning for threatened and endangered species, the application of ecological science for recovery plans, and species conservation.