Wisconsin’s plants are facing future climate conditions that are quite different than those of the past. The people who manage plants and natural communities across the state are eyeing these changes in different ways.
Some are considering “assisted migration” as one potential response to climate change – that is, moving species or populations to locations where biotic and climatic conditions are more likely to be supportive now and into the future.
Here are just a few examples of how plant managers in Wisconsin are considering assisted migration:
Conservationists
Rescuing rare plant populations that are threatened by loss of habitat due to climate change
Forest Industry
Planting tree species or tree seed from locations that currently match the expected future climate
Plant Nursery Industry
Embracing an emerging business opportunity by introducing species further north than their historic ranges
Unfortunately, considerable uncertainty surrounds the potential for unintentional consequences of assisted migration, such as introduction of aggressive or invasive species or genotypes, transport of diseases and parasites, outbreeding depression, and hybridization with closely related species.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts created this webpage to foster thoughtful and informed approaches to assisted migration. Watch this webspace as the resources continue to grow over time!
Introduction to Assisted Migration
There are three different forms of assisted migration, and these forms might be appropriate for different contexts and goals as they each carry their own risks and benefits:
Assisted Population Migration (Assisted Genetic Migration, Assisted Gene Flow)
Moving species or populations to new locations within the existing range of a species. For example, moving seeds along a south-to-north gradient may increase genetic variation and introduce genotypes that are pre-adapted to a warmer, drier climate.
Assisted Range Expansion
Moving species or populations just beyond the historical species range to facilitate or mimic natural dispersal. This could be employed if the historical range of a candidate taxon becomes unsuitable, and the candidate might not be able to disperse on its own to newly suitable sites.
Assisted Species Migration (Species Rescue, Managed Relocation, Assisted Long-Distance Migration)
Moving species or populations far outside of the historical species range and beyond locations that would likely see natural dispersal.
Source: Handler, S., C. Pike, and B. St. Clair. 2018. Assisted Migration. USDA Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center.
Introductory Resources
- WICCI Forestry Working Group bulletin on assisted migration for forest managers and landowners
- Climate Change Resource Center “Assisted Migration” white paper (pdf)
- Ecological risk assessment of managed relocation as a climate change adaptation strategy.
- Source: Karasov-Olson, A., M.W. Schwartz, J.D. Olden, S. Skikne, J.J. Hellmann, S. Allen, C. Brigham, D. Buttke, D.J. Lawrence, A.J. Miller-Rushing, J.T. Morisette, G.W. Schuurman, M. Trammell, and C. Hawkins Hoffman. 2021. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/CCRP/NRR—2021/2241. National Park Service. Fort Collins, CO.
- Risks and opportunities of assisted colonization: the perspectives of experts.
- Source: Kracke, I., Essl, F., Zulka, K.P., and S. Schindler. 2021. Nature Conservation 45: 63-84.
- Operationalizing forest-assisted migration in the context of climate change adaptation: Examples from the eastern USA.
- Source: Palik, B.J., Clark, P.W., D’Amato, A.W., Swanston, C. and L. Nagel. Ecosphere. First published 11 October 2022 [open access].
- “Assisted Migration” YouTube video by Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science as part of 2020 Forest Adaptation Webinar series.
- “2021 Twin Ports Climate Conversation: An Assisted Migration Plan for the Superior National Forest” YouTube video by Minnesota SeaGrant.
WICCI Plants and Natural Communities Working Group Decision Support Tool for Assisted Migration of Rare Plants
Download the Interactive Decision Support Tool. The tool is an Excel workbook you can fill out for your assisted migration project.
Instructions and Guides
- Companion Guide (pdf)
- Download this document for guidance on how to complete the Excel workbook.
- Videos: Learn about the decision support tool and how to use it.
- Other resources that help one complete the Excel Workbook
- Distributions Through Risk Assessment Mapping Programs,” by Alexander Mathers and Jason Granberg. Work Study project through University of Wisconsin-Madison with Wisconsin DNR, 2021. (MS Word report and MS Excel data compilation)
- “Applying a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of Wisconsin Plant Species,” by Joe Kiel, Jason Granberg and Sarah Johnson. Work Study project through University of Wisconsin-Madison with Wisconsin DNR and Northland College, 2022. (MS Word report and MS Excel data compilation)
- WDNR Wildlife Action Plan spreadsheet showing association scores for rare plants and NHI natural communities (pdf)
- Decision-support Tool Companion Guide Appendices
Case Studies
- Completed rare plant decision support tool spreadsheets
- WDNR Silviculture Trials Database (coming soon)
- Silviculture trials in the Great Lakes Silviculture Library
- U.S. Forest Service DReAM (Desired Regeneration Through Assisted Migration) project
Other Helpful Resources and References
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Webpages
Center for Plant Conservation. CPC best plant conservation practices to support species survival in the wild: Reintroduction and Translocations.
Commander, L.E., D.J. Coates, L. Broadhurst, C.A. Offord, R.O. Makinson and M. Matthes. 2018. Guidelines for the translocation of threatened plants in Australia: Third Edition. Australian Network for Plant Conservation, Canberra.
Conservation Corridor. Conservation Corridor website.
Ganawenindiwag Team. 2023. Ganawenindiwag: Working with plant relatives to heal and protect Gichigami shorelines.
Handler, S., C. Pike, and B. St. Clair. 2018. Assisted Migration. USDA Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center.
Peters, M.P., Prasad, A.M., Matthews, S.N., & Iverson, L.R. 2020. Climate change tree atlas, Version 4. U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, Delaware, OH.
Tribal Adaptation Menu Team. 2019. Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad: A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu. Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Odanah, Wisconsin USA.
US Forest Service, North Carolina State University. Maps of future suitable habitat for North American tree species.
US Forest Service, Oregon State University, and the Conservation Biology Institute. Web-based mapping tool for matching seedlots (seed from a known origin) with suitable planting sites based on climatic information.
References
Frerker, K., A. Bower, L. Brandt, C. Gregory, S. Handler, N. LaBonte, C. Layman, K. McTighe, K. Miller, C. Pike, K. Stover, and M. Theimer. 2023. Superior National Forest Assisted Migration Plan. U.S. National Forest Service. Duluth, MN.
Hoegh-Guldberg, O., L. Hughes, S. McIntyre, D. Lindenmayer, C. Parmesan, H. Possingham, and C.D. Thomas. 2008. Assisted colonization and rapid climate change. Science 321 (5887):345-346.
Karasov-Olson, A., M.W. Schwartz, J.D. Olden, S. Skikne, J.J. Hellmann, S. Allen, C. Brigham, D. Buttke, D.J. Lawrence, A.J. Miller-Rushing, J.T. Morisette, G.W. Schuurman, M. Trammell, and C. Hawkins Hoffman. 2021. Ecological risk assessment of managed relocation as a climate change adaptation strategy. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/CCRP/NRR—2021/2241. National Park Service. Fort Collins, CO.
Maschinski, J., and M.A. Albrecht. 2017. Center for Plant Conservation’s Best Practice Guidelines for the reintroduction of rare plants. Plant Diversity 39 (6):390-395.
Maschinski, J. and K.E. Haskins (Eds.) 2012. “Plant Reintroduction in a Changing Climate: Promises and Perils, The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration”. Island Press.
Staffen, A., O’Connor, R., Johnson, S.E., Shannon, P.D., Kearns, K., Zine, M., Sheehan, M., Fleener, J., Panci, H., Volkening, A. 2019. Climate Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for Conservation and Management of Non-Forested Wetlands. Report NFCH-4. USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub. Houghton, MI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Climate Hubs. 41 p. Climate Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for Conservation and Management of Non-Forested Wetlands | USDA Climate Hubs
Tichelmann, I. 2014. Assisted migration as a concept for species recovery and conservation–Checklist for a management strategy to reduce biodiversity loss. Master of Science Thesis, Universitat Wien (University of Vienna, Austria).
Vitt, P., K. Havens, A.T. Kramer, D. Sollenberger, and E. Yates. 2010. Assisted migration of plants: changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes. Biological Conservation 143 (1):18-27.