Importance of species translocations under rapid climate change

Species that cannot adapt or keep pace with a changing climate are likely to need human intervention to shift to more suitable climates. While hundreds of articles mention using translocation as a climate-change adaptation tool, in practice, assisted migration as a conservation action remains rare, especially for animals. This is likely due to concern over introducing species to places where they may become invasive. However, there are other barriers to consider, such as time-frame mismatch, sociopolitical, knowledge and uncertainty barriers to conservationists adopting assisted migration as a go-to strategy. We recommend the following to advance assisted migration as a conservation tool: attempt assisted migrations at small scales, translocate species with little invasion risk, adopt robust monitoring protocols that trigger an active response, and promote political and public support.

Automated summary

Assisted migration as a conservation tool is not commonly practiced, possibly due to concerns over introducing invasive species. Other barriers, such as time-frame mismatch, sociopolitical, knowledge, and uncertainty issues, also hinder conservationists from adopting this strategy. Recommendations to advance assisted migration include conducting small-scale assisted migrations, translocating species with low invasion risk, implementing robust monitoring protocols, and gaining political and public support.