Engaging with the future: framings of adaptation to climate change in conservation

The term ‘adaptation’ is commonplace in conservation research and practice, but often without a reflection on the assumptions, expectations, or frames of reference used to define goals actions. Communities practice (e.g. researchers, protected areas managers) have different interpretations climate change impacts biodiversity ways defining, operationalizing implementing adaptation. Their cognitive motivational expectations for future are associated with paths reach such desired futures. To understand how adaptation framed conservation, we undertook systematic review thematic synthesis definitions as academic literature. From sample 150 articles, only 36 provided definition We critically appraised explicit identify emergent themes that represent particular approaches. Themes were then grouped, each group was assigned scholarly tradition, onto-epistemological approach theoretical perspective. Based perspectives social change, propose framework (including individual basis, interactions, openness alternatives) analyse framings influence options. grouped passive, active, indirect these generate conceptual model guide researchers practitioners engaged research, policy management aid understanding options available design agendas allow negotiation diverse interests, views about future.