Adaptation in the Anthropocene: How we can support ecosystems to enable our response to change

Ecosystems provide people with services that enable adaptation to climate change, which we refer to here as adaptation services. But adaptation services do not flow automatically: some input from people is needed. We identified five types of mechanisms that support the production of adaptation services. These mechanisms are related to: (i) multifunctional and traditional ecosystem management, (ii) proactive management of transformed ecosystems, (iii) use of novel adaptation services, (iv) collective ecosystem management, and (v) appreciating, using and valuing adaptation services. Understanding these mechanisms can lead to an improved flow of adaptation services and more options for livelihoods and well-being under climate change. This InfoBrief summarizes the findings of a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series B (Lavorel et al. 2020).