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Climate and Conservation pp 227–239Cite as

The Northern Appalachian/Acadian Ecoregion, North America

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Abstract

The Northern Appalachian/Acadian ecoregion in northeastern United States and southeastern Canada is projected to experience dramatically increased temperatures by the end of the twenty-first century, potentially driving numerous changes in species distributions throughout the region. For species to respond to such changes, landscape-scale conservation planning must result in increased levels of connectivity both within the ecoregion and with neighboring areas. Numerous initiatives have sought to promote ecological health and connectivity throughout all or a part of this ecoregion, particularly Two Countries, One Forest, a binational umbrella organization. Work in the region suggests the need for increased attention to be given to planning for linkages across landscape scales to allow for both short- and long-term movement of species, and for coupling connectivity with efforts to enhance ecosystem resilience throughout the reserve system and the surrounding matrix.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Evan Girvetz for work on the Climate Wizard analyses and all the people we worked with in Two Countries, One Forest, particularly Emily Bateson, Justina Ray, Gillian Woolmer, Louise Gratton, Conrad Reining, Karen Beazley, Graham Forbes, and Jim Northup. We also thank Michale Glennon (Wildlife Conservation Society) and Mark Zankel (The Nature Conservancy and Staying Connected Initiative) for current information about their respective projects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Mason University, and University of Maine, USA

    Robert F. Baldwin (landscape ecologist/conservation biologist)

  2. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment at the University of Washington, USA

    Joshua J. Lawler (associate professor)

  3. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, USA

    Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman (associate professor)

  4. University of New Hampshire, USA

    Mark G. Anderson (director of conservation science)

Authors
  1. Stephen C. Trombulak
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  2. Robert F. Baldwin
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  3. Joshua J. Lawler
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  4. Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman
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  5. Mark G. Anderson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Berkeley, USA

    Jodi A. Hilty (director) (director)

  2. environmental politics at Brandeis University and the Fletcher School at Tufts University, USA

    Charles C. Chester (assistant professor) (assistant professor)

  3. Wildlife Conservation Society, USA

    Molly S. Cross (coordinator) (coordinator)

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© 2012 Island Press

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Trombulak, S.C., Baldwin, R.F., Lawler, J.J., Hepinstall-Cymerman, J., Anderson, M.G. (2012). The Northern Appalachian/Acadian Ecoregion, North America. In: Hilty, J.A., Chester, C.C., Cross, M.S. (eds) Climate and Conservation. Island Press/Center for Resource Economics. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-203-7_18

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