Conservation Management Under Climate Change: On Tropical Drought Resistance, Non-native Species Response to Increasing Disturbance, and Assisted Migration

Climate change presents novel challenges to conservation that require predictive tools and new management strategies. To further predictions of species response, I examine plant functional traits in tropical forests with two goals: 1) identify traits indicative of resistance to projected drought in native seedlings, and 2) ascertain if non-native species can capitalize on disturbance over native species through high growth rates and plasticity. I also use the literature to evaluate the risk of inadvertently creating invasive species through human-aided translocations, or assisted migration. I found that high leaf shedding and high stem density promote drought resistance in tropical evergreens. Non-native species had traits indicative of higher growth rate, but not plasticity, than native species, suggesting that disturbance may promote non-native species. Finally, I found assisted migration's invasion risk is small, but assisted species that do become invasive could have large effects. This work informs proactive management under climate change.