Vulnerability and Adaptations to Climate Change in EU Protected Areas: A Natura 2000 Managers’ perspective - UTU Research Portal

A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Vulnerability and Adaptations to Climate Change in EU Protected Areas: A Natura 2000 Managers’ perspective;

Authors: Zavattoni, Giorgio; Brommer, Jon E.; Hallman, Tyler; Kačergytė, Ineta; Nagy, Szabolcs; Pärt, Tomas; Pavón‐Jordán, Diego; Soultan, Alaaeldin; Xu, Yanjie; Gaget, Elie

Publisher: Wiley

Publication year: 2026

Journal: Conservation Letters

Article number: e70047

Volume: 19

Issue: 3

eISSN: 1755-263X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70047

Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access

Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel

Web address : https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70047

Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/526508992

Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY

Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF

Abstract

The Natura 2000 (N2K)—Europe's network of protected areas—is a key conservation instrument, but its effectiveness is challenged by climate change. We surveyed 382 N2K managers to investigate their perceptions of climate change and related site adaptation strategies. Warming and precipitation shifts were frequently reported as threats, with perceived vulnerability of N2K sites highest in the Mediterranean and lowest in the Boreal region. Our results suggest that the official N2K site information stored in the Standard Data Forms greatly under-report managers' assessment of vulnerability. 58% of the surveyed managers implemented adaptation strategies, which, when characterized following a resist–accept–direct (RAD) framework, aimed not only at resisting, but also at directing and accepting the effects of climate change. Managers also highlighted several barriers to the implementation of adaptation strategies, such as lack of funding, time, stakeholders’ consensus, and lack of knowledge on local vulnerability.

Keywords:

adaptation strategies, climate change vulnerability, EU biogeographical regions, Natura 2000, protected area management, resist–accept–direct framework, science–management interface

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Conservation Letters - 2026 - Zavattoni - Vulnerability and Adaptations to Climate Change in EU Protected Areas A Natura.pdf

Funding information in the publication:
The research was funded by the Kone Foundation (Application 202103360) and Biodiversa+ (2021–2022 BiodivProtect program), with the following organizations: Ympäristöministeriö (VN/7162/2023), Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish University of Agricultural Science: 2022-01752), Research Council of Norway (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research: 342927), Innovation Fund Denmark (Aarhus University: 1159-00033B), Swiss National Science Foundation (Swiss Ornithological Institute: 20BD21_209665), and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (CREAF: PCI2022-135056-2).