SPARC: Trait-based Assessment of Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change: Impacts of human responses to climate change on biodiversity

The impact of climate change on biodiversity is undoubted and likely to be profound. Globally, it has already led to increases in the magnitude of temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, increase in the frequency of extreme events, with direct impact on species distribution, populations, and ecosystems. Climate changes are also affecting human’s communities, whose responses will indirectly impact biodiversity. Examples are altering the agricultural activities, shifting fishing efforts, and human migration. We know that failing to account for the human responses to climate change will compromise the effectiveness conservation plans. As such, several works have already studied the human responses to climate change, by focusing on the human component and how to incorporate it in the vulnerability assessment framework. This project aims to assess species vulnerabilities human responses to climate change. We will use species' life history traits to link the spatial data on threats to the particular species likely to be most affected. We will identify hotspots of vulnerability, and if they are cover by the current protected areas network. Finally, we will provide countries Afrotropical biogeographic realm with the assessments and data needed to improve planning, design and management of terrestrial protected areas for climate change resilience