Spatial Planning of Climate Adaptation Zone in response to projected climate change: Promoting climate adaptation of endangered species (Prionailurus bengalensis) habitat

Background/Question/Methods

 The threat that climate change poses to biodiversity is well studied. The most of the research have already found that species response to climate change. With biodiversity issue, fragmentation of habitat is causing more problems to species responsiveness. A key question is how the species would response to fragmented habitat due to climate change and how are they going to survive without extinction? In this paper it is examine climate adaptation zone of Prionailurus bengalensis. By using Maxent model, the suitability of Prionailurus bengalensis’s habitat is predicted in current and future climate. And landscape resistance index is applied to analyze the least cost path from present suitable habitat to future suitable habitat.

Results/Conclusions

The climate adaptation zone is defined under the current climate and climate change scenario. The suitability of habitat is changing due to climate change. The priority area to conserve endangered species under climate change is defined as a climate adaptation zone which has environmental conditions that could maximize the effects of adaptation strategy. The adaptation strategy could be 1) expanding of existing habitat, 2) improving the quality and increasing heterogeneity of habitat, 3) increasing connectivity between existing habitat and new suitable habitat. The climate adaptation zone could enhance adaptability of both endangered species and it’s habitat. In a fragmented environment, improving connectivity to conserve endangered species and clustering suitable habitat is considered as the most efficient conservation strategy for changing climate.