Subterranean Fishes of the World

6883

2024

Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Report No. 2024-37, Lansing, MI. Copyright 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees

Adaptive capacity (AC) can be defined as a species’ ability to tolerate or adapt to climate change, whether that be through shifting in space or persisting in place. Evaluating a species’ AC may allow managers to develop and prioritize conservation actions that target specific climate vulnerabilities and strategically augment the AC of specific species. To facilitate this management and collaboration across states, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) worked with project partners across the Midwest region to assess the AC of several hundred species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) prior to upcoming revisions to many states’ wildlife action plans (SWAPs). To facilitate these evaluations, MNFI and MDNR staff worked with researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to create a tool that would allow for a rapid assessment of a species’ AC based on previous assessment tools created by the USGS. This tool was designed to allow an in-depth analysis of a species’ AC based on 37 different life history traits that could be scored by an evaluator based on available literature and research on a species. MNFI staff completed AC assessments for 400 Midwest SGCN which included amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. MNFI staff summarized overall results as well as trends seen in taxonomic groups. In addition, MNFI staff led a one-day training to demonstrate use of the AC tool and the assessment project to partners in other states. Results from MNFI assessments will be shared with partners to inform upcoming SWAP revisions in partner states and allow for collaboration and more consistent management strategies to be implemented across a species’ range.

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