Helping ecosystems in Europe to adapt to climate change

This report summarises much of the work based on studies and workshops, done by, and for, the Climate Change Group of the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) between 2011 and 2013. The ENCA Climate Change Group is made up of experts in climate change and ecology from government conservation agencies across Europe.

This documentation presents the results of work on the following issues: 1) the joined understanding how climate adaptation principles can be put into action for different ecosystems, what this might involve in practice and how action should be best implemented; 2) the specification of adaptation action for different European ecosystems (e. g.  mountain and subartic ecosystems including peatland ecosystems, freshwater and riparian ecosystems, forest ecosystems and coastal ecosystems, grassland and urban ecosystems); 3)  an overview key conceps of ecosystem services and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA);  4) in depth analysis on two aspects of adaptation management, namely increasing connectivity and approaches to translocation or assisted migration including an opportunities and risks analysis; 5) a survey of 72 conservation projects from 16 countries dealing with the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Europe;   6) a presentation of selected case studies on adaptation to climate change impacts on biodiversity.