Where will climate change force animals to move, and how will they get there?
This new map from The Nature Conservancy shows not only how birds, amphibians, and mammals will track suitable habitats as they shift, but does so in visually stunning animation across all of North and South America. Using flow models from circuit theory and a foundation in previously graphed wind maps, Dan Majka from TNC created a map in motion that highlights the spatial patterns of the future.
Based on coarse 50 km data, the map reveals general key corridors across both continents, such as the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern U.S. and the northeastern corner of Canada. Many species in the Amazon will shift towards the higher elevations of Ecuador, and the tips of both continents can expect new migrations. The map creates a simple but powerful view of how climate change will impact the globe, and highlights how critical corridors will be to maintaining species diversity as the climate changes.
Resources
View the full map in high resolution at The Nature Conservancy
Predicting the future movement routes for 3000 species (July 2013)
Corridors as an effective means to achieve climate connectivity (June 2016)
