The most consistently cited climate change adaptation measure for species is increasing connectivity to facilitate the colonisation of new areas. This reflects the fact that many species' habitats are highly fragmented in areas with more intensive land management, which prevents them naturally changing their range to track changing climatic conditions. Advances and innovations in modelling techniques can support decision-making about connectivity . There is evidence from empirical and modelling studies that species can disperse more effectively in better-connected areas in terrestrial habitats . The issues are different in more natural landscapes-species may still be threatened in intrinsically isolated habitats, such as mountain tops, but connectivity cannot be created here in the same way. Evidence suggests that increased connectivity will only benefit a subset of species, probably those which are intermediate-habitat specialists that are able to disperse . Generalists do not require corridors or stepping stones, while many corridors or stepping stones will not be of sufficient quality to be used by most habitat specialists. There should also be a caveat to the general principle that increasing connectivity is a benefit for climate change adaptation. It can increase the spread of invasive, pest and disease-causing species into newly suitable regions. In some places, isolated refugia may better allow vulnerable species and biological communities to survive.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report