Assisted Migration is another concept related to conservation mentioned by Emma Marris in the Rambunctious Garden. Assisted Migration is a fairly new idea in response to the global climate change and increasing concentration of green house gases.
Assisted migration aims to provide a new habitat for species that are struggling to adapt or facing extinction due to human induced climate change. Its proponents argue that anthropogenic climate change is the reason why species are struggling to survive, therefore humans must intervene and help solve the problem. However, the opposition to the argument remains and there might be even more severe ecological consequences.
The support for assisted migration is primarily based on climate change and the negative consequences of human actions. Supporters argue that humans have made it difficult for these species to survice in their natural habitat, therefore assisting them in finding another suitable habitat should be an obligation for every individual. Marris points out that climate change is the biggest thumbprint humans have put on this planet. Ice caps are shrinking and the tundra-temperate zones are moving northward. Some species are naturally able to make the move north, while others are stuck and left to face extinction. Marris states that those who support the idea argue that assisted migration does not violate pristiness, the species who are assisted in migration would have survived if the climate did not face accelerated warming. According to the ICPP, the average species moves 3.8 miles towards the pole every decade. Those species that are unable to move, eventually die.
The idea of assisted migration usually gains a fair amount of sympathy from the audience, however its consequences must also be considered. It may appear that we do in fact have an obligation of helping sweating pikas survive climate change, but the impact of such migrations on the local population, habitat and the migrant specie itself must be assessed. The positives as of now do not seem apparent besides a possibility that the migrant population may survive, but the chances of it succeeding remain unknown. Several species have been unable to extract essential nutrients in the climate and have faced unseen predators which has wiped their populations in the new area.
If the new species are in fact able to adapt and thrive in the new habitat, it is still unclear whether or not they’ll turn into invasives and ruin the existing biodiversity. The idea still seems undeveloped and must be researched and experimented more, before implementing it at a larger scale. I believe that instead of trying to deal with the consequences of climate change, we should leave it up to natural selection to do its job. Our role should be more focused on lowering our impact on the climate and significantly changing our practices.
Human intervention in migration of species may just increase the problems.
