Move at-risk species to locations that are expected to provide sustainable habitat

EASTERN: The climate may be changing more rapidly than some species can migrate, and the movement of species may be restricted by land use or other impediments between areas of suitable habitat. This can be particularly challenging for species that are already rare or threatened. Another subset of assisted migration, sometimes called species-rescue assisted migration, focuses on avoiding extinction of species threatened by climate change. If current habitat occupied by those species is expected to become (or already is) unsuitable, assisted migration to potential new suitable habitat may be the best option to ensure survival of the species. Because such species are often extremely rare, this type of assisted migration can also potentially cause declines in the donor populations through removal of seeds or individuals. This approach is best implemented with great caution, incorporating due consideration of the uncertainties inherent in climate change, the sparse record of previous examples, and continued uncertainties of forest response.

WESTERN: The climate may be changing more rapidly than some species can migrate, and the movement of species may be restricted by land use or other impediments between areas of suitable habitat. This can be particularly challenging for species that are already rare or threatened. Another subset of assisted migration, sometimes called species rescue assisted migration, focuses on avoiding extinction of species threatened by climate change. If current habitat occupied by those species is expected to become (or already is) unsuitable, assisted migration to potential new suitable habitat may be the best option to ensure survival of the species. Because some species are extremely rare, this type of assisted migration can also potentially cause declines in the donor populations through removal of seeds or individuals. This approach is best implemented with great caution, incorporating due consideration of the uncertainties inherent in climate change, the sparse record of previous examples, and continued uncertainties of forest response.

Species composition in many forest ecosystems is expected to change as species adapt to a new climate and transition into new communities. This strategy seeks to maintain overall ecosystem function and health by gradually enabling and assisting adaptive transitions of species and communities in suitable locations. This may result in slightly different species assemblages than those present in the current community, or an altogether different community in future decades. This strategy includes aggressive actions to promote ecosystem change rather than an unchanging community or species mix. Many of the approaches in this strategy attempt to mimic natural processes, but may currently be considered unconventional management responses. In particular, some approaches incorporate assisted migration, which remains a challenging and contentious issue. It is not suggested that managers attempt to introduce new species without thoroughly investigating potential consequences to the native ecosystem. This approach is best implemented with great caution, incorporating due consideration of the uncertainties inherent in climate change, the sparse record of previous examples, and continued uncertainties of forest response. Outcomes from early efforts to transition communities can be evaluated to provide both information on future opportunities and specific information related to methods and timing.