Protected area management under climate change: A framework for decision making

Protected areas worldwide face increasing threats from climate change, necessitating adaptive management strategies that go beyond traditional static boundary approaches. This study developed a climate change adaptation framework to guide on-park decision-making for the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Site, focusing on four Queensland national parks: Springbrook, Lamington, Mount Barney, and Main Range. The research identified socio-ecological attributes as critical for effective park planning and management, incorporating Bayesian belief networks to assess climate change impacts on key values such as stream-dwelling frogs, cool temperate forest, and recreational walking access. A workshop with Queensland Parks and Wildlife planners evaluated the feasibility of management strategies, highlighting the need for flexibility, resource efficiency, and sometimes challenging community or agency principles to sustain protected areas under changing climates.

Tanner-McAllister, S. Protected area management under climate change: A framework for decision making. https://doi.org/10.14264/uql.2017.330