Tuesday, August 5, 2008: 11:30 AM-1:15 PM
Wright C, Hilton
Organizer:
Jessica J. Hellmann, University of Notre Dame
Co-organizers:
Jason McLachlan, University of Notre Dame;
Mark W. Schwartz, University of California, Davis; and
Dov F. Sax, Brown University
"Assisted migration" or "assisted colonization" is the policy of deliberately translocating species beyond their native ranges as a tool for conserving biodiversity under climate change (McLachlan e
t al. 2007). As a conservation strategy, it has promise, but also many risks. For instance, we may save species from extinction, but inadvertently introduce species that become invasive and cause extinctions in turn. This workshop will present the first results of an NSF-sponsored working group charged with evaluating the pros and cons of assisted migration. (The working group will have met for three days immediately preceding ESA.) The workshop also will feature open discussion and completion of a survey regarding scientific and ethical issues of assisted migration that will guide future research by the working group. McLachlan
et al. 2007.
Conservation Biology 21: 297-302.
