Moving the Conservation Goalposts: a Review of Climate Change Adaptation Literature

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, resource managers and conservationists are being challenged to rethink long-held assumptions and strategies. Preparing for and coping with the effects of climate change—or climate adaptation—is becoming an overarching framework for conservation, and offers insight into the reconsideration of existing goals and strategies. This is an exciting time for the relatively new field of adaptation as it continues to undergo rapid growth, expanding adoption, and continued evolution and refinement. This literature review, developed as a contribution to the Adaptation 2011 2 conference, is designed to help characterize the evolution of the field, and highlight key trends underway.