Abstract

Impacts of climate change and management on biodiversity in Patagonia
Track: Conservation
Authors: Timothy Boucher

Climate change and rangeland management have had a strong effect on the condition of grasslands in Patagonia. To understand these impacts, both positive and negative, we studied the relationships between Vegetation Indices obtained from remotely sensed images, and the integrity of the plant diversity and condition in selected field plots – which have associated rangeland management practices. Using these field plots, we gathered plant diversity information, determined leaf morphology distribution, and coupled it with the information derived from remotely sensed imagery – ranging from course to fine resolution data. This study has provided valuable information which has enabled adaptive rangeland management and conservation practices in response to changing climate conditions.