Given that climate change is emerging as a clear stressor both to biological and social systems and arguably more intensively impacting already stressed systems, we need to look to systems that may be robust given climate change. The Yellowstone to Yukon region is one of the better studied areas in the world and increasing climate science in the region is documenting climate influenced changes in the region ranging from increasing average temperatures, declining snow packs, the receding of mountain glaciers, earlier spring thaws, and decreased stream flows, and changes in species behaviors.  Species and ecosystem modeling suggest future potential changes ranging from large range shifts and to altered processes and composition of ecosystems.

Results/Conclusions

Now partners in the Y2Y region ranging from scientists, agencies, tribes, and NGOs are beginning to try to translate the meaning of new climate science findings into management and policies that may help ensure that ecosystems within the region may be most able to cope with or adapt to climate change.  This talk will provide a synthesis of the climate science relevant to the region and focus on the challenges and opportunities we face in using this increasing body of science to guide on-the-ground conservation.  Some players appear to be successfully incorporating adaptation principles into planning, while others are struggling to do so.  We will highlight several examples and lessons learned from these within the Y2Y region.  We also will outline priority science gaps from this perspective and review the adaptive conservation strategies emerging from the new climate focus and the new science on climate change.