Assisted migration is the process of relocating various species from an environment in which they are struggling to live to a more suitable habitat. This practice stems from the recent observations of different organisms finding it difficult to survive in their environments because of climate change. As global warming continues to raise temperatures across the globe, more and more species will be desperate to escape to cooler areas. For those who are not physically capable of doing so themselves, the act of assisted migration comes into play.
In the fifth chapter of Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World, Marris offers an example of a species that has fallen victim to climate change and cannot save itself: the American pika. These mammals cannot survive for more than a few hours in 78-degree-Fahrenheit weather, so they have been ascending mountains in search of cooler territory. That may solve the problem temporarily, but “on some mountains, they are already living at the peak [and there] is nowhere for them to go” (106). Even worse, migrating to another mountain on their own would be a futile and fatal journey. This predicament applies to a great deal of other species as well.
Upon hearing of this tragedy, our first instinct is to rescue these suffering species from a problem that humans caused in the first place. Although that sounds really nice and just, there are so many problems that arise from assisted migration. Much like the negative aspects of rewilding, there is no guarantee that the species that are moved will thrive in their new environments. There is always the possibility that they will fail to adapt and die out, which defeats the purpose entirely. On the other hand, they might adapt too well and become an invasive species, which solves one problem but brings forth a handful of other ones. Furthermore, it would be nearly impossible to cater to every species in need of rescue. These issues make assisted migration basically unachievable, for there would be no funding for a project with so many potential flaws.
Although the idea of practicing assisted migration is practically out the window, it would be incredibly useful for urban ecosystems. Despite the lack of species richness in the New York metropolitan region, as described by Linda M. Puth and Catherine E. Burns in “New York’s nature: a review of the status and trends and species richness across the metropolitan region,” these extra warm environments are probably among those areas whose inhabitants are suffering the most. For once, the prospect of saving nature may require removing it from its native environment. Usually, conservation involves returning species to their original ecosystems, but that is not the case when it comes to assisted migration and urban spaces. This time around, it would actually probably be better to relocate them.
Like many other conservation tactics, assisted migration sounds like a great plan. Humans caused these species’ demise in the first place, so we should be the ones to help them. Unfortunately, such actions are simply not plausible for the fear of too many possible mishaps. We will simply have to find another way to save these species, and soon.
