Data from: Delaying conservation actions matters for species vulnerable to climate change

1. Most climate change adaptation efforts emphasize where to implement
management actions, whereas timing remains largely overlooked. The rate of
modern climate change introduces urgency in evaluating whether delaying
conservation actions compromises their efficacy for reaching important
conservation targets. 2. We evaluated the importance of multiple climate
change adaptation strategies including timing of actions on preventing
extinctions for a threatened climate-sensitive species, the Eastern
Massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus). We parameterised a
range-wide population viability analysis model that integrated climate
change vulnerability components of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive
capacity. We related demographic sensitivities to drought events and
human-modified land cover to assess vulnerability to future climate
change. Using simulations, we assessed the efficacy and trade-offs
associated with alternative climate adaptation strategies aimed at
maximizing the number of future populations including when to initiate
conservation actions, duration of management, number of managed
populations, and local management effectiveness. 3. Population-level
projections under future climate change scenarios revealed a broad-scale
pattern of range contraction in the southwestern portion of the current
range. Along the extinction gradient, we identified demographic
strongholds and refugia critical for population persistence under climate
change as well as populations at high risk of extinction and candidates
for climate change adaptation actions. 4. In the context of future climate
change, the timing of conservation actions was crucial; acting earlier
maximised chances of achieving conservation targets. Even considering
uncertainty in climate change projections, delaying actions was less
efficient and introduced undesirable trade-offs including the need to
implement conservation actions for longer or targeting more populations to
achieve a similar conservation target. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our
findings highlight how acting quickly reduces risk and improves outcomes
for a highly vulnerable species under future climate change. Climate
change vulnerability assessments for species and ecosystems require
translation of model-based outputs into tractable information for climate
change adaptation planning. Quantifying trade-offs associated with the
multi-dimensional decision space of species conservation and management is
a critical step in climate change adaptation.