PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

Impacts of different climate stabilisation on plant species in Europe

Article | 23-02-2006

With the use of goals from the Convention on Biological Diversity two climate stabilisation profiles are evaluated on their merits for conservation of biodiversity, comparing them with a baseline profile. Focusing on plant ecosystems at the pan-European level, we concluded that although a maximum global-mean temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius is likely to be met in a 550 ppmv CO2-equivalent stabilisation profile, large areas of ecosystems in Europe will be affected. Most of the impacts manifest themselves in northern countries, with a high net increase of plant species, and in Mediterranean countries, with a decrease in the number of plant species and stable area. Other impacts are less robust, given the regional variation in climate results for different climate models.

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Author(s)Bakkenes M ; Eickhout B ; Alkemade R
Publication date23-02-2006
PublicationGlobal Environmental Change, 16: 19-28