Climate and Ecology

The mission of Climate and Ecology (previously The Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability or RIsCCS) is to undertake multidisciplinary research to mitigate carbon emissions and develop adaptive strategies to respond to the anticipated impacts of climate change.

It is widely acknowledged that the planet has become warmer over the past century and that much of the observed warming has been due to increases in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the most significant of which is carbon dioxide. Despite efforts to reduce emissions it is predicted that increased temperatures and drier conditions are likely to generate pressures on both natural and agricultural systems across southern Australia. It is therefore important to build knowledge about the climate dependency of native and introduced species and how they are likely to respond to variations in climate and identify the most vulnerable systems and regions.