Measuring the success of climate change adaptation and mitigation in terrestrial ecosystems
Abstract
Natural and seminatural ecosystems must be at the forefront of efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In the urgency of current circumstances, ecosystem restoration represents a range of available, efficient, and effective solutions to cut net greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Although mitigation success can be measured by monitoring changing fluxes of greenhouse gases, adaptation is more complicated to measure, and reductions in a wide range of risks for biodiversity and people must be evaluated. Progress has been made in the monitoring and evaluation of adaptation and mitigation measures, but more emphasis on testing the effectiveness of proposed strategies is necessary. It is essential to take an integrated view of mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, and the needs of people, to realize potential synergies and avoid conflict between different objectives.
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The reduction of negative impacts, which reflects successful adaptation, could be quantified in terms of enhanced assets and livelihoods; resources (food, water) security, health, cultural, or spiritual well-being; or conservation and biodiversity.
“Likewise, the reduction of negative impacts, which reflects successful adaptation, could be quantified, e.g., in terms of enhanced assets and livelihoods; in resources (food, water) security, health, cultural, or spiritual well-being; or in conservation and biodiversity (101, 102).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
Restoration and management of restored ecosystems will need to be dynamically adopted in response to ongoing and unavoidable changes.
“There is also increasing recognition that restoration and management of restored ecosystems will need to be dynamically adopted in response to ongoing and unavoidable changes (101-103).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
The benefits to biodiversity or the avoided damage to human societies, especially from extreme weather events, will accrue only over a long-term time period.
“Likewise, the benefits to biodiversity or the avoided damage to human societies, especially from extreme weather events (101), will accrue only over a long-term time period.”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
Measuring and monitoring the success of combined mitigation-adaptation approaches is nontrivial.
“Measuring and monitoring the success of combined mitigation-adaptation approaches is nontrivial; multiple and very different indicators need to be used that are cognizant of the agreements made in international conventions as well as capturing local consequences (101).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
These categories are difficult to gauge and difficult to compare, which often prevents the assessment of co-benefits or trade-offs.
“These are difficult to gauge and difficult to compare, which often prevents the assessment of co-benefits or trade-offs (101, 103).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
Multiple and very different indicators need to be used that are cognizant of the agreements made in international conventions as well as capturing local consequences.
“Measuring and monitoring the success of combined mitigation-adaptation approaches is nontrivial; multiple and very different indicators need to be used that are cognizant of the agreements made in international conventions as well as capturing local consequences (101).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [101]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Arneth, A., Olsson, L., Cowie, A., Erb, K.-H., Hurlbert, M., Kurz, W. A., Mirzabaev, A., & Rounsevell, M. D. A. (2021) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-054809 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
“Likewise, the benefits to biodiversity or the avoided damage to human societies, especially from extreme weather events (101), will accrue only over a long-term time period.”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Morecroft, M. D., Duffield, S., Harley, M., Pearce-Higgins, J. W., Stevens, N., Watts, O., & Whitaker, J.
- Affiliations
- Natural England (GB)
- Climate Resource (Australia) (AU)
- British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK.
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (GB)
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Morecroft, Michael D.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2019-12-13
- Volume
- 366
- Issue
- 6471
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2996561682
- Cited by
- 208
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 11
- FWCI
- 1.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- NERC Open Research Archive (Natural Environment Research Council) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/S005137/2, NE/S005137/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Keywords
- climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, terrestrial ecosystems, ecological restoration, greenhouse gas fluxes, monitoring and evaluation, human well-being, trade-offs and synergies
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