Can protected areas mitigate the impacts of climate change on bird's species and communities?

• DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12426
• Publication Date: 2016-02-10T07:07:25Z
• Authors: Pierre Gaüzère; Frédéric Jiguet; Vincent Devictor
• Keywords: Global biodiversity; Bird conservation

Abstract Aim Protected areas ( PA s) are the mainstay of our conservation strategies. While they may succeed in locally preventing species and habitat degradation due to human activities, their ability mitigate impacts climate change on biodiversity is still debated. We assessed whether community responses were related s by testing three main predictions: (1) thermal adjustment composition temperature changes should be positively proportion s, (2) that benefit most from less impacted change, (3) a priori considered vulnerable global even more sensitive mitigating effect s. Location Mainland France. Methods Data long‐term, large‐scale standardized monitoring programme, recording annual abundance 116 breeding bird France between 2001 2012, used. Local temporal trends spring temperature, reshuffling populations over country estimated with moving window approach (2094 spatial windows). Generalized additive mixed models then performed relate these local Results Most promote changes. At scale, results show benefited it was also effective impact common northernmost birds. Main conclusion do seem communities. Our study argues for use integrative frameworks at different biological scales assess usefulness relevance faced suggests remain key strategies changing climatic world.