Social–Ecological Resilience and Adaptive Capacity in a Transboundary Ecosystem

Empirical research conducted in the transboundary Crown of the Continent Ecosystem on stakeholder perceived impacts of climate change reveal causes for concern and potential avenues for future success in developing social–ecological resilience and adaptive capacity. Utilizing a “bottom-up” research approach as part of a case-study methodology, three subregions spanning both sides of the Continental Divide and the international border were studied. Results indicate stakeholder concerns related to the capacity of natural resource management agencies to adequately respond to the impacts of climate change, while at the same time identifying the ecosystem's robust collaborative regime as a potential means to bridge the perceived gap in institutional capacity. Nevertheless, historical responses to novel climate change impacts may serve as an additional barrier to the future development of adaptive capacity.