Climate Change

Populations may respond to environmental changes through phenotypic plasticity, adaptation, or migration, or suffer demographic declines if they are unable to respond. Climate change is already causing shifts in species ranges, changes in phenotypes, and altered interspecific interactions. The capacity for a population to adapt to new conditions is a function of the amount of phenotypic variation for traits under selection, fecundity, and the rate of environmental change per generation. Several genomic approaches are available for predicting the extent of maladaptation of populations resulting from climate change based on the mismatch between genotypes and new climates. The conservation of populations that are threatened by rapid climate change may in some cases require management tools including assisted gene flow to facilitate adaptation, and greater connectivity of habitats to facilitate migration.