Rising temperatures in the future mean that many species will undergo range shifts, and they need a way to get from point A to point B. Corridors are one of the best management strategies to help species adapt to climate change because they provide a critical link between currently suitable habitat and habitat that may be suitable in the future. Climate change vulnerability assessments around the globe help ascertain how many species will be able to survive under the altered climate conditions of the future.
New research looks at the climate vulnerability of thousands of species in South Korea, where mountains cover around 70% of the land area and both minimum temperature and annual rainfall are expected to increase. The study avoids a species-specific approach, which may provide limited scope and guidance, and focuses on five species groups with similar spatial distribution patterns that would benefit from climate corridors. Over 2,000 terrestrial plant species that occur over 95,000 km2 of the country were included in the assessment. Both current and future suitable habitats were identified. The study also develops the idea of a climate meta-corridor, which can act as a pathway for multiple species to use in response to climate change.
Results showed that the species most vulnerable to climate change were those in the coastal mountain, montane, and lowland groups. Each group has an associate meta-corridor, although the effectiveness of this corridor varies. All of the coastal mountain species currently overlap ranges with the proposed corridor, making it potentially highly useful, and 83% of montane species currently overlap with the proposed corridor. However, lowland species are projected to lose almost all of their currently suitable habitat, and are highly impacted by landscape fragmentation.
The differences in meta-corridors among vulnerable groups imply unique management strategies for each of them. Coastal mountain species will likely need little intervention because their habitat remains mostly intact. Lowland species will need significant conservation and restoration work in the landscape due to fragmentation. Species in the highest elevations may ultimately need intensive management intervention such as assisted migration. All management options are complicated by the need for transboundary management across the Korean Peninsula.
Given that the majority of climate assessment studies come from North America, Europe, and Australia – despite the fact that Asia supports the majority of the world’s human population – studies such as this remain critical to understanding how species around the globe will react to climate change.
