Maintain and create habitat corridors through reforestation or restoration

EASTERN: The presence of both small and large corridors on the landscape may help species to migrate without additional assistance. Corridors oriented in any direction may be useful to facilitate genetic mixing, but corridors arranged along climatic or elevational gradients may be more useful if the goal is to allow for species movements along the gradient. Reforestation or restoration of riparian areas may help retain species on the landscape longer while providing a forested corridor.

WESTERN: Maintain and create landscape linkages through reforestation or restoration. The presence of both small and large corridors on the landscape may help species to migrate without expensive and challenging human-aided assistance. Corridors oriented in any direction may be useful to facilitate genetic mixing, but corridors arranged along climatic or elevational gradients may be more useful if the goal is to allow for species movements along the gradient (Keeley et al. 2018). Reforestation or restoration of stream and river corridors will bolster conservation of riparian species while also providing a movement corridor for other species; these habitats may also be somewhat buffered from high temperatures and drought.

Species migration is a critical factor in the maintenance of ecosystem function in a changing climate, but fragmentation of landscapes and loss of habitat may restrict species movement and gene flow. Managing the landscape for connectivity may allow for easier species movement, reduce lags in migration, and enhance the flow of genetic material. The current rate of climate change coupled with contemporary land use, however, creates unique challenges to migration. Many species are not expected to be able to migrate at a rate sufficient to keep up with climate change and associated range shifts. Therefore, it may be beneficial to combine the approaches under this strategy with efforts to create refugia or relocate species (i.e., assisted migration). But connectivity may also increase movement of invasive species and insect pests, thereby increasing the need to prevent introduction of these species.