Protected-area networks aim to adequately represent and protect biodiversity (Mar-gules and Pressey 2000; Possingham et al. 2006). This objective is seldom fulfilled in practice, as most protected-area networks are inefficient in representing the full diver-sity of species (e.g., Rodrigues et al. 2004; Tognelli, de Arellano, and Marquet 2008). The challenge is made greater in the context of a changing climate, which decreases the effectiveness of protected areas for biodiver-sity conservation (Peters and Darling 1985; Hannah et al. 2008).
There is a very high risk that representation in protected areas will decrease under changing environmen-tal conditions, as the expected response of many species will be to either shift their geographical distribution to track suitable climates or perish if dispersal abilities or other physical barriers impede their migra-tion (e.g., Thomas and Gillingham 2015; Thomas et al. 2004). Both responses will af-fect the species’ representation within pro-tected areas (Peters and Darling 1985; Han-nah et al. 2005). With the high likelihood of species extinction, it is imperative to ana-lyze how existing protected areas networks can be improved, enhanced, and managed in the face of climate change (Plate 8).We believe that robust protected area design and management in an era of cli-mate change depends on considering four components:
The magnitude, rate, timing, and intensity of climate change and its impact on conservation targets.
Gaps in protected-area design and management.