Symposium: Trait-based ecology, climate change research and conservation: an environmental space perspective

Ever since Aristotle suggested that the distributions of organisms were influenced by environmental factors and Humboldt travelled the world observing dramatic differences in species richness depending on climate, scientists have been keenly aware that climate strongly influences the distribution and persistence of species on earth. With on-going climate change, understanding the relationship between species and climate has taken on a new urgency. Given its importance, researchers have started to focus specifically on climate and to study biodiversity directly in climate space. Formally defined, climate space is a state space of climate conditions where biodiversity patterns and processes can be studied. This state space is built from climate conditions from the study region of interest from global to regional, with the reciprocal relationship between species geographic distribution and its climatic niche being known as Hutchinson’s duality. This symposium features a series of 12-minute presentations exploring the intersection of trait-based ecology, climate change research, and conservation through the lens of climate space. 

* This symposium is part of a workshop bringing together international experts to explore trait-based ecology, climate change, and conservation through the lens of environmental space. We have up to five positions available for researchers at all career stages from WSL and EAWAG. More information available here.

This event is open to everyone (WSL/EAWAG staff members & external participants).