When
SPEAKER: Jason S. McLachlan, University of Notre Dame
DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2015
TIME: 3:00-4:00 pm
LOCATION: Marley Building, Room 230
ABSTRACT:
Species displaced long distances by climate change will have to traverse a patchwork of jurisdictional boundaries to survive. However, the regulatory status of species that disperse beyond their historical ranges varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and often hinges on whether they are considered "native", an ambiguous designation for species undergoing range shifts. Like habitat fragmentation, which can impede the capacity of migrating species to keep up with shifting climates, "regulatory fragmentation" can compromise biodiversity management strategies under climate change. Although a variety of new and emerging regulatory programs address the impact of climate change on existing conservation policy, there has been no systematic effort to address the mismatch between a body of regulatory language designed for a static environment and a future context of extensive and ubiquitous species movement.