Review of science-based assessments of species vulnerability: Contributions to decision-making for assisted migration

Assessing climate change impacts on forest species can significantly assist forest management planning. Recently, many tools have been developed for assessing species-specific vulnerability to climate change. These tools are question-based assessments that consider multiple criteria for individual species; the criteria are related to exposure and sensitivity to climate change. The following tools are discussed in relation to their use in Canada: (1) the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index; (2) the System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species to Climate Change (SAVS); (3) the Forest Tree Genetic Risk Assessment; (4) the Index for Predicting Tree Species Vulnerability; (5) ecological standards developed for the assisted migration of Torreya taxifolia; and (6) the Seeds of Success Program. These tools can all be applied to different forest species and they vary in such areas as their species-specific evaluation criteria, means for addressing uncertainty, and the integration of climate change models.