ABSTRACT
Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to biodiversity [1], [2]. Many species will be challenged to adapt to the magnitude and pace of the change, especially those already compromised by habitat loss and degradation [3]. Conservation of biodiversity will rely on protecting and enhancing the resilience and permeability of landscapes, to increase the viability of native species and provide them access to conditions they will need to persist in the future [4]. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will also provide benefits to natural systems by reducing the magnitude of climate change impacts to which they need to adapt. Indeed, development of utility-scale (>1 MW) renewable energy generation facili-
ties is a core element of a multi-faceted strategy to reduce emissions from the energy sector [5]. Yet, such facilities can have sizable footprints in terms of land area and water use [6], and so can threaten natural ecosystems directly through habitat loss and fragmentation, or indirectly through the displacement of other human land uses [7]. Therein lies a paradox of utility-scale renewable energy development: it may be necessary to reduce climate change impacts and help protect biodiversity worldwide in the future; but if not carefully planned, it could come at the expense of the viability of local species today or constrain their ability to adapt to future conditions by destroying, or creating dispersal barriers to, areas they will need in the future.
