Climate change will likely alter the distribution and abundance of plant and animal species in Pennsylvania. Some species will respond differently than others based on their biological needs, range and how dependent they are on factors affected by climate change. In Pennsylvania, we will likely have "winners," species that expand their range, and "losers," those species whose ranges become smaller and may even be lost from the state. We may even gain species, as those currently limited to the south expand their ranges northward. Recognizing which species are more vulnerable to climate change and potential responses are important first steps in preparing for future conservation efforts.
PNHP biologists have been using a climate change vulnerability index (CCVI) developed by NatureServe to begin to understand which species in Pennsylvania are more vulnerable to climate change. We found that plants and animals with more limited dispersal and specialized habitat requirements are more vulnerable to climate change than those species that can move long distances and can be found in a variety of habitats.
The results of this project and other climate change assessments provide guidelines for updating species conservation plans and designing monitoring programs. Recognizing which species are vulnerable and the risk factors associated with vulnerability are necessary for adaptive planning.
Peatlands
represent a unique group of wetlands in Pennsylvania. They are characterized as having a significant accumulation of water-logged peat. While these ecosystems occur in many regions across the globe, they are most common in cooler environments, such as at higher elevations and higher latitudes. In Pennsylvania, peatlands are found in the glaciated regions of the state and at high elevations in the mountains.
The cooler climate at high elevations provides a more boreal environment for plants and plant communities ordinarily found farther north in the United States. Many of these species are listed as rare, threatened or endangered in the state. Because of their specific temperature and water needs, peatlands will likely change in the future. The effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures and alterations in the hydrological cycle, may alter the environmental conditions that support these specialized vegetation assemblages.
To begin to understand the effects of climate change on peatlands, biologists with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program have established a long-term monitoring program at 30 sites to follow target plants and plant communities to see how they change over time. We are interested in changes in plant community structure and composition, shifts in plant communities within sites, and whether some of the rarer species populations decline and what replaces them.
In addition to plants and plant communities, PNHP biologists are also interested in how other things that use peatlands will respond due to climate change. Right now, we are looking at what common bird species and insects use peatlands. Will the common species of today become less common in the future if the habitat changes? Only time will tell.
A World with a Changing Climate
For thousands of years earth’s climate has been relatively stable. Since the retreat of the last continental glaciers, life on earth has become accustom to a consistent range and variation of temperature, precipitation, sea level and polar ice patterns. Global climate and regional weather patterns have supported the life-sustaining characteristics of a wide diversity of habitats upon which species have evolved to depend upon. 
The resulting patterns of the distribution of plants and animals on the face of the earth are a result of their adaptation to relatively stable regional climatic conditions. Indeed, climate shifts have occurred in the past, but when species have had to face climatic shifts these alterations occurred over very long periods of time, e.g. tens of thousands of years.
Beginning a mere century or so ago, the stability of earth’s climate began to change due to modern human activities that are resulting in alterations to the makeup of the global atmosphere. A wealth of scientific information describing the factors and processes of climate change has become widely available, as have predictions regarding the ways and extents to which the climate is changing. Many of these changes have significant implications for conservation organizations attempting to protect and manage the rich array of plants, animals and habitats that are part of our natural heritage.
The Conservancy is developing a set of climate change strategies to incorporate within the internal process of selecting, protecting and managing important tracts of land that encompass or support the entire portfolio of biodiversity targets (habitats and species). The impacts of climate change on natural resource conservation and human health are going to be around for a long time and attention to these issues will be increasing in terms of real challenges on the ground and in terms of the interest of funders to support conservation work at several levels. There are numerous options to consider now, regarding conservation and climate change issues; however, even though there is a large body of scientific information building, the resulting recommendations are still evolving and conservation planning will continue to evolve over time.