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As the world warms up, some species cannot move to cooler climes in time to survive. Camille Parmesan thinks humans should help even if it means creating invasive species
No matter what the White House does to tackle climate change, the world's ecosystems are in for more of a shock. Parmesan's call will surely only grow louder.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published with the title "Escape from the Killing Fields"
David Appell is based in St. Helens, Ore.
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12 Comments
Add Commentis "assisted migration" really a good idea? if creatures are supposed to adapt to the changing environment then wouldn't assisted migration run counter to natural evolution? shouldn't creatures be allowed to evolved in face of the changing environment? and wouldn't that create creatures able to survive in that environment?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUnfortunately, changes are occuring too rapidly for natural response to keep up. I agree that the idea of assisted migration presents its own set of problems. Very likely the species being relocated will need to be held in cotrolled habitats until their introduction to the wilds of another region.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo be honest I don't have much faith that the idea will be effective. Our ecosystem's regions have each developed a startling array of interwoven lifeforms which are so specialized and dependent on one another that to pick one and move it to another system, even of similar climate and terrain conditions, can (in my opinion) be viewed as little more than a short stay of execution.
Each species lives in a web of interactions. For a butterfly to be displaced, you have to displace the plants it depends on too. Also to keep it in check you must also displace its predators and the other species the whole system depend on. (Ecology is the science of system interactions). So climate change means we will have to ensure the displacement of whole sytems, even if they do evolve somewhat. Better to fight against climate change!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought that too, but I think the concern is that the change is happening at a pace that most species can't evolve fast enough to adapt to. Rapid climate changes such as this just wipe everything out. In this case, even if you wanted to be completely anthropocentric, you'd have to realize that in a mass extinction, seven billion people will quickly run out of food.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought that too, but I think the concern is that the change is happening at a pace that most species can't evolve fast enough to adapt to. Rapid climate changes such as this just wipe everything out. In this case, even if you wanted to be completely anthropocentric, you'd have to realize that in a mass extinction, seven billion people will quickly run out of food.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought that too, but I think the concern is that the change is happening at a pace that most species can't evolve fast enough to adapt to. Rapid climate changes such as this just wipe everything out. In this case, even if you wanted to be completely anthropocentric, you'd have to realize that in a mass extinction, seven billion people will quickly run out of food.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAssisted Migration? Sounds Biblical to me. Noah tried it, almost got it right except for those damned mosquitoes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wonder, if you took two of every species on earth, and took their average masses, how big of a ship you'd need to hold them all. ...not to mention enough food to keep them alive for 40 days, + however many days it took to grow more food once the flood receded and plants started growing again. And then there's the carnivores. How many mice would you have to actually bring to feed the snakes, and how many snakes would you need to bring to feed the owls and...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat'd be a fun problem to work out.
With or without planning, assisted migration is occurring. One may see this in the transfer of unwashed heavy equipment from work site to work site, international trade, the movement of flora and fauna in the pet and landscaping industries.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps if we do this intentionally and rationally, something good will result. But, as I said, it is occurring and will continue to occur whatever our views on the subject.
It is tantalizingly simple to state but notoriously difficult to solve.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisit says nothing about global warming wow
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthis says nothing about migration wow wont come here when i have homework
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