About

Jessica Hellmann is the director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, where she provides strategic leadership for an organization recognized internationally for addressing grand environmental challenges. She also holds the Russell M. and Elizabeth M. Bennett Chair in Excellence in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on global change ecology and climate adaptation, and she was among the first to propose and study ways to reduce the impact of climate change through new conservation management techniques. Hellmann has led a paradigm shift in ecology and natural resource management by demonstrating that adaptation—living with climate change—is as crucial as efforts to slow and stop greenhouse gas emissions. Her work, along with her students', emphasizes that understanding how populations respond to climate change is key to predicting and managing their future.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Biology
• Geography
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental science

Selected publications

• We need to talk about maladaptation

  Climatic Change · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Climate adaptation actions should help, not harm. However, adaptation efforts can backfire, increasing vulnerability to climate change—a phenomenon known as maladaptation. In this essay, we argue that maladaptation dialogues—inclusive and deliberate conversations about negative consequences and failures of adaptation actions, especially among adaptation professionals—offer unique benefits for advancing climate adaptation practice. When approached deliberately, dialogue can promote shared understanding, learning, and inclusive adaptation processes, helping prevent and respond to climate adaptation gone awry. Further, by integrating conversations about maladaptation into the adaptation cycle, we can enhance adaptation efforts, leading to more innovative and resilient adaptation organizations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Range‐wide population genomic structure of the Karner blue butterfly, <i>Plebejus</i> ( <i>Lycaeides</i> ) <i>samuelis</i>

  Ecology and Evolution · 2024-09-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The Karner blue butterfly, Plebejus ( Lycaeides ) samuelis , is an endangered North American climate change‐vulnerable species that has undergone substantial historical habitat loss and population decline. To better understand the species' genetic status and support Karner blue conservation, we sampled 116 individuals from 22 localities across the species' geographical range in Wisconsin (WI), Michigan (MI), Indiana (IN), and New York (NY). Using genomic analysis, we found that these samples were divided into three major geographic groups, NY, WI, and MI‐IN, with populations in WI and MI‐IN each further divided into three subgroups. A high level of inbreeding was revealed by inbreeding coefficients above 10% in almost all populations in our study. However, strong correlation between F ST and geographical distance suggested that genetic divergence between populations increases with distance, such that introducing individuals from more distant populations may be a useful strategy for increasing population‐level diversity and preserving the species. We also found that Karner blue populations had lower genetic diversity than closely related species and had more alleles that were present only at low frequencies (&lt;5%) in other species. Some of these alleles may negatively impact individual fitness and may have become prevalent in Karner blue populations due to inbreeding. Finally, analysis of these possibly deleterious alleles in the context of predicted three‐dimensional structures of proteins revealed potential molecular mechanisms behind population declines, providing insights for conservation. This rich new range‐wide understanding of the species' population genomic structure can contextualize past extirpations and help conserve and even enhance Karner blue genetic diversity.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Expert engagement in setting a climate adaptation research agenda

  Conservation Science and Practice · 2024-09-10

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract In order to initiate the actionable science needed to support effective conservation under climate change, we engaged researchers and other experts in refining and prioritizing a climate adaptation research agenda that was originally developed via dialogue with natural resource managers. Experts identified topics that were missing or underrepresented in an initial practitioner‐defined list of science topics, and then scored topics according to the state of knowledge, the feasibility of research, and the potential that research might change management. Our process capitalizes on the complementarity between the expertise of practitioners and the expertise of researchers and other non‐practitioners, improves the transparency and legitimacy of the agenda‐setting process, and reveals the challenges public agencies have in focusing on some research topics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Blue snowflakes in a warming world: Karner blue butterfly climate change vulnerability synthesis and best practices for adaptation

  National Park Service · 2023-01-01 · 5 citations

  report

  This report?developed at the request of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service-led Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Team by Recovery Team members and partners?provides a Karner blue butterfly climate change vulnerability synthesis, explores a range of potential responses, and presents best practices for climate change-informed conservation of the species. The three decades since the Karner blue butterfly?s (Lycaeides [Plebejus] melissa samuelis Nabokov) listing as federally endangered in the United States have seen a diverse and dedicated research and management community coalesce around the species? recovery. This geographically expansive conservation collaboration has broken new ground for threatened and endangered species recovery. Many Karner blue recovery areas are making steady progress towards recovery goals, but some are not. An extremely hot and dry 2012, perhaps aided by adverse longer-term climate trends such as declining snow cover, extirpated the Karner blue from Indiana Dunes National Park and the surrounding Indiana Dunes Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Unit?the southernmost recovery unit and once host to one of the species? largest populations?as well as from northwest Ohio. Because of the fundamental challenge that climate change represents to Karner blue butterfly recovery and of the general need for endangered species conservation plans to better address climate change, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service-led Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Team tasked a subset of the team to: Explore the species? climate change sensitivity and adaptive capacity, review ongoing and projected climate change across the Karner blue range and associated uncertainties, and develop and suggest best practices concerning long-term adaptation strategies. Consistent with that mandate, this report synthesizes what is known about Karner blue climate change vulnerability and applies current thinking in climate change adaptation to help foster strategic, long-term, climate change-informed Karner blue recovery and conservation. It develops and explores a range of potential climate change-informed butterfly- and habitat-stewardship responses, using the resist-accept-direct (RAD) framework to foster a broad range of approaches, and provides guidance regarding how they may be pursued. The report also provides suggestions for improving the climate change-exposure component of Karner blue vulnerability assessment.

  PublisherDOI

• Warming experiments test the temperature sensitivity of an endangered butterfly across life history stages

  Journal of Insect Conservation · 2023-10-16 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract The Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) (hereafter Karner blue) is a federally listed endangered species occurring in disjunct locations within the Midwest and Eastern United States. As a hostplant specialist and an ectotherm, the Karner blue is likely to be susceptible to effects of climate change. We undertook warming experiments to explore the temperature sensitivity of various Karner blue life history stages and traits. Over a two-year period, we exposed all Karner blue life stages to temperature increases of + 2, + 4, and + 6 °C above 1952–1999 mean temperatures. We analyzed the effect of these treatments on life history parameters likely related to fitness and population size, including development time, voltinism, degree-day accumulation, body weight, and morphology. Warming treatments resulted in earlier emergence and accelerated development, leading to additional generations. Warming also increased the number of degree-days accumulated during pre-adult development (i.e., egg hatch to eclosion). Results suggest that Karner blues developed in fewer days, in part, by putting on less mass as temperatures increased. As treatment temperature increased, adult body mass, length, and area decreased and voltinism increased. Females with lower adult mass and smaller body size produced fewer eggs. These results suggest a trade-off between accelerated development and decreased body size with decrease in adult mass and abdominal area being associated with reduced fecundity. Implications for insect conservation Changes in development timing and in voltinism can negatively affect phenological matching between the Karner blue and its obligate host plant, Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis), resulting in population decrease. Poorer phenological matching between insect and hostplant can occur across multiple generations, for example, negatively affecting overwintering population size. With increasing temperatures, smaller females will produce fewer eggs, which can also lead to poorer population outcomes across generations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extinction risk modeling predicts range-wide differences of climate change impact on Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)

  PLoS ONE · 2023-11-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis, or Kbb), a federally endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in decline due to habitat loss, can be further threatened by climate change. Evaluating how climate shapes the population trend of the Kbb can help in the development of adaptive management plans. Current demographic models for the Kbb incorporate in either a density-dependent or density-independent manner. We instead created mixed density-dependent and -independent (hereafter "endo-exogenous") models for Kbbs based on long-term count data of five isolated populations in the upper Midwest, United States during two flight periods (May to June and July to August) to understand how the growth rates were related to previous population densities and abiotic environmental conditions, including various macro- and micro-climatic variables. Our endo-exogenous extinction risk models showed that both density-dependent and -independent components were vital drivers of the historical population trends. However, climate change impacts were not always detrimental to Kbbs. Despite the decrease of population growth rate with higher overwinter temperatures and spring precipitations in the first generation, the growth rate increased with higher summer temperatures and precipitations in the second generation. We concluded that finer spatiotemporally scaled models could be more rewarding in guiding the decision-making process of Kbb restoration under climate change.

  PublisherDOI

• Understanding Local Adaptation to Prepare Populations for Climate Change

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2022-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Adaptation within species to local environments is widespread in nature. Better understanding this local adaptation is critical to conserving biodiversity. However, conservation practices can rely on species' trait averages or can broadly assume homogeneity across the range to inform management. Recent methodological advances for studying local adaptation provide the opportunity to fine-tune efforts for managing and conserving species. The implementation of these advances will allow us to better identify populations at greatest risk of decline because of climate change, as well as highlighting possible strategies for improving the likelihood of population persistence amid climate change. In the present article, we review recent advances in the study of local adaptation and highlight ways these tools can be applied in conservation efforts. Cutting-edge tools are available to help better identify and characterize local adaptation. Indeed, increased incorporation of local adaptation in management decisions may help meet the imminent demands of managing species amid a rapidly changing world.<br><br>This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in BioScience following peer review. The version of record [Understanding Local Adaptation to Prepare Populations for Climate Change. BioScience 73, 1 p36-47 (2022)] is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac101. <br><br>Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing help@openaccessbutton.org.

  PublisherDOI

• Warming experiments test the sensitivity of an endangered butterfly across life history stages

  Research Square · 2022-06-13

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Introduction: The Karner blue butterfly ( Lycaeides melissa samuelis , KBB) is a federally listed endangered species living in disjunct habitats within the Midwest and Eastern United States. As a hostplant specialist and an ectotherm, the KBB is likely to be susceptible to effects of climate change. Aims/Methods: We undertook warming experiments to explore the temperature sensitivity of various KBB life history stages and traits. Over a two-year period, we exposed all KBB life stages to temperature increases of +2, +4, and +6 ⁰C above historic (1952-1999) mean temperatures. We analyzed the effect of these treatments on life history parameters likely related to fitness and population size, including development time, voltinism, degree-day accumulation, body weight, and morphology. Results: Warming treatments resulted in earlier emergence and accelerated development, leading to additional generations. Warming also decreased the number of degree-days required to initiate spring hatch and eclosion. As treatment warmth increased, adult body mass, length, and area decreased and voltinism increased. Females with lower adult mass and smaller body size produced fewer eggs. Discussion: Our data suggest a trade-off between accelerated development and body size. Furthermore, an increase in adult mass and abdominal area was associated with reduced fecundity. Implications for Insect Conservation: Changes in development time and voltinism may affect phenological overlap with the species’ obligate host plant ( Lupinus perennis ), which could negatively affect completion of the final generation’s lifecycle in a given year, and thus that year’s overwintering population size.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Understanding Local Adaptation to Prepare Populations for Climate Change

  BioScience · 2022-11-30 · 85 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Adaptation within species to local environments is widespread in nature. Better understanding this local adaptation is critical to conserving biodiversity. However, conservation practices can rely on species’ trait averages or can broadly assume homogeneity across the range to inform management. Recent methodological advances for studying local adaptation provide the opportunity to fine-tune efforts for managing and conserving species. The implementation of these advances will allow us to better identify populations at greatest risk of decline because of climate change, as well as highlighting possible strategies for improving the likelihood of population persistence amid climate change. In the present article, we review recent advances in the study of local adaptation and highlight ways these tools can be applied in conservation efforts. Cutting-edge tools are available to help better identify and characterize local adaptation. Indeed, increased incorporation of local adaptation in management decisions may help meet the imminent demands of managing species amid a rapidly changing world.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Co‐development of a risk assessment strategy for managed relocation

  Ecological Solutions and Evidence · 2021-07-01 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Resource managers face mounting challenges when it comes to the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. Novel adaptation strategies, such as managed relocation, frequently entail embracing substantial risk of unintended harm to the focal ecosystems, in an effort to alleviate serious threats to biological diversity (e.g. extinction). Assessing ecological risks associated with different adaptation strategies is consistently called for, but the process for doing so is often undefined. Here, we describe a collaboration amongst university researchers, agency scientists and resource managers to create a set of ecological risk assessment protocols for managed relocation decision support. These protocols are designed to foster a rigorous assessment of ecological risk, while simultaneously being flexible and easy to use. We describe a collaborative process through which we developed a structure for assessing risk that includes a suite of 17 risk categories aggregated into six overarching groups, which is placed within a broader decision context for managed relocation (e.g. evaluating feasibility, social acceptability). Our risk scoring includes both scaled estimates of risk and perceived confidence in those estimates. Because of differences in the importance of risk categories, we do not recommend a quantitative summary across risk areas, but suggest decision makers make decisions based on three criteria: overall confidence that a proposed action can be confidently evaluated; low overall level or risk across categories; and no single risk category that is highly likely to result in severe adverse outcomes.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Assessing temperature-related changes in introgression of hybridizing species across time and space

  NSF · $216k · 2009–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Hugh P. Possingham

  University of Queensland

  25 shared

• Rebecca Chaplin‐Kramer

  Stanford University

  25 shared

• Alexander J. Travis

  25 shared

• Lauren Chambliss

  University of Minnesota

  25 shared

• Eleanor J. Sterling

  University of Hawaii System

  25 shared

• Prue Addison

  Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

  25 shared

• Chris T. Darimont

  Raincoast Conservation Foundation

  25 shared

• Lydia Olander

  25 shared

Education

• PhD, Department of Biological Sciences

  Stanford University

  2000

• BS, School of Natural Resources and Environment

  University of Michigan

  1996

Awards & honors

• Humphrey School of Public Affairs End-of-Year Awards
• Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Awards
• Humphrey-Johnson Book Prize