Assisted colonization to save endangered species

2008-07-22 03:45:39 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Top Stories)

San Antonio, Texas (WiredPRNews.com) — A new report from researchers argues that the species which have been under threat due to climatic changes should be helped by the public to move to safer habitats. Various plants and animals have already inched towards mountains and poles seeking out more tolerable habitats due to warming temperatures across the globe.

The researchers say that a large number of species are not able to go far enough or they may have difficulty fleeing in the future. This is because some species have been blocked by natural barriers such as deserts and mountains. Other species may be trapped in forest pockets while some habitats may be fragmented by cropland and cities. Researchers are now openly supporting an idea known as assisted colonization which means actively moving animals and plant to more nurturing locations.

Writers in the Journal of Science explain that under such circumstances, the prospect of many ecosystems and species is so unwelcoming that assisted colonization is the best alternative for them. But some conservation groups and researchers are skeptical about assisted colonization and argue that risks of expanding invasive species are high. They argue that this practice can save individual species more so than preserving larger ecosystems.

Experts say that any movement has to be made modestly, especially initially, and only done for those species which are well-understood by humans. Before making any moves new rules must be made in how animals and plants are going to colonize on the new lands crossing national or state boundaries.

Endangered corals and quino checkerspot butterflies are the perfect candidates for migration. Some of the strategies useful in assisted colonization include making wildlife refuges and creating corridors connecting land patches allowing animals to freely move between them. Some argue that assisted migration can affect the legal, aesthetic, emotional and ethical aspects of the location and can even disrupt or change the existing ecosystem of the place to an extent.

Wired Special Interest Reporter

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