Emerging approaches to studying integrated effects of climate and land use change impacts on biodiversity (Symposium)
Tracks
Programme
| Tuesday, July 7, 2026 |
| 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM |
| Room C2 |
Details
15:45 - 16:00 Interactive Q&A sesssion
Climate change is profoundly reshaping biodiversity, with species responding in diverse ways. Many species are shifting poleward or upslope to track their climatic niches, creating dynamic cold and warm range edges. Yet the capacity to respond is strongly influenced by the landscape context, where barriers can constrain movement and limit range shifts. Landscape structure and connectivity play a pivotal role in determining whether species can track suitable climates. Fragmentation and anthropogenic as well as ecological barriers can disrupt dispersal pathways, while connected landscapes facilitate range shifts and maintain genetic exchange. These processes are increasingly critical under rapid climate change, as functional connectivity underpins both demographic resilience and evolutionary potential. Understanding how climate-driven range dynamics interact with landscape structure and genetic connectivity is essential for predicting biodiversity responses and informing conservation strategies. This symposium will synthesize cutting-edge research on these topics, offering an integrated perspective on how landscape structure and connectivity mediate species’ responses to global change. The session will open with an introductory presentation by the organizers (Samuel Cushman and Laura Bosco) and conclude with a synthesis and discussion, providing space for dialogue among speakers and participants. Given the high-quality contributions and the synthesizing nature of the session, we will also explore the opportunity to produce a collaborative scientific review as a key outcome, highlighting future research priorities and conservation implications.
Climate change is profoundly reshaping biodiversity, with species responding in diverse ways. Many species are shifting poleward or upslope to track their climatic niches, creating dynamic cold and warm range edges. Yet the capacity to respond is strongly influenced by the landscape context, where barriers can constrain movement and limit range shifts. Landscape structure and connectivity play a pivotal role in determining whether species can track suitable climates. Fragmentation and anthropogenic as well as ecological barriers can disrupt dispersal pathways, while connected landscapes facilitate range shifts and maintain genetic exchange. These processes are increasingly critical under rapid climate change, as functional connectivity underpins both demographic resilience and evolutionary potential. Understanding how climate-driven range dynamics interact with landscape structure and genetic connectivity is essential for predicting biodiversity responses and informing conservation strategies. This symposium will synthesize cutting-edge research on these topics, offering an integrated perspective on how landscape structure and connectivity mediate species’ responses to global change. The session will open with an introductory presentation by the organizers (Samuel Cushman and Laura Bosco) and conclude with a synthesis and discussion, providing space for dialogue among speakers and participants. Given the high-quality contributions and the synthesizing nature of the session, we will also explore the opportunity to produce a collaborative scientific review as a key outcome, highlighting future research priorities and conservation implications.
Speakers and Presentation Titles
Dr. Laura Bosco
University Researcher
Finnish Museum of Natural History
Understanding biodiversity responses to climate and landscape change across spatial scales using long-term monitoring data
Dr. Maria Petridou
Postdoc Researcher
University of Ioannina
Safeguarding Balkan chamois connectivity in NW Greece: the PONT project
Dr. Jessica Williams
Imperial College London
Linking land-use–driven local climatic changes to vertebrate community shifts and landscape connectivity
Prof. Helen Bothwell
University Of Georgia
From genes to ecosystems: Microevolutionary processes drive macrosystem patterns of biodiversity and structure
Prof. Dr. Samuel Cushman
Southern Denmark University
Assessing climate resilience of landscape connectivity and integrity across the European Union
Organiser
Laura Bosco
University Researcher
Finnish Museum of Natural History
Samuel Cushman
Southern Denmark University
