Move it or lose it

Saving species in a changing climate

Humans will need to physically relocate many species to ensure their survival in the face of climate change, University of Queensland-led research recommends.

UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Dr Nathalie Butt said that conservationists must seriously consider expanding their species translocation strategy to stop mass extinctions.

“One in six species could become extinct as a result of climate change,” Dr Butt said.

“And the impacts of climate change, such as increasing temperatures or rising sea levels, mean that some habitats are already becoming unsuitable for species.

“We know that at least 40 per cent of amphibian species, 30 per cent of reef-forming coral species, and a third of all marine mammal species are now threatened with extinction.

“Many species faced with climate change will not be able to adapt and survive in place – they simply won’t be able move to somewhere more suitable on their own because of physical barriers, like cities, or being on top of a mountain.

“If we’re going to protect as many species as possible, we’re going to have to intervene.”

The University of Queensland's Dr Nathalie Butt

The University of Queensland's Dr Nathalie Butt

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby.

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby.

The Bramble Cay melomys.

The Bramble Cay melomys.

One such species is the Mount Claro rock wallaby, endemic to Australia’s Great Dividing Range.

It’s just one of 26 species on the Range projected to lose its habitat due to increased temperatures.

“The Mount Claro rock-wallaby lives in high, cool areas,” Dr Butt said.

“A lot of its habitat is used by humans for forestry and agriculture, so it will be difficult for the wallaby to move across these landscapes to higher altitudes without help.

“Conservation managers need to actively get involved with these rescues, and soon.

“We can’t simply wait until their habitat is lost.

“A small rodent once found in northern Queensland called the Bramble Cay melomys became the first documented climate change extinction due to rising sea levels.”

Archey’s frog is a tiny, rare terrestrial amphibian for which translocation outside its current climate envelope is likely to be required to ensure its survival. It is easily contained in in-situ locations, as its capacity to move any distance is limited, and is currently captive-bred at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand, making it an ideal candidate for testing out assisted migration, as conditions of possible new sites could be mimicked as closely as possible, in the zoo or other ex-situ locations, to examine the effects on breeding and survival to test whether assisted migration would be feasible.

Archey’s frog is a tiny, rare terrestrial amphibian for which translocation outside its current climate envelope is likely to be required to ensure its survival. It is easily contained in in-situ locations, as its capacity to move any distance is limited, and is currently captive-bred at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand, making it an ideal candidate for testing out assisted migration, as conditions of possible new sites could be mimicked as closely as possible, in the zoo or other ex-situ locations, to examine the effects on breeding and survival to test whether assisted migration would be feasible.

In the Wet Tropics, in northern Australia, the white lemuroid possum is getting closer to extinction due to increasing heatwaves driven by climate change. The species has no mechanisms for body-cooling, and so high temperatures are fatal, and they are rapidly losing suitable habitat. The nearest rainforest is 1,000 km distant, and they would not be able to reach it unassisted.

In the Wet Tropics, in northern Australia, the white lemuroid possum is getting closer to extinction due to increasing heatwaves driven by climate change. The species has no mechanisms for body-cooling, and so high temperatures are fatal, and they are rapidly losing suitable habitat. The nearest rainforest is 1,000 km distant, and they would not be able to reach it unassisted.

The mountain pygmy-possum, which also lives in alpine habitats, is another species that would benefit from being moved to a different environment. Researchers at UNSW have developed a plan to translocate them to lowland areas, as the species currently exists at the edge of what would have been a much wider range, and so can be acclimatised to other environments.

The mountain pygmy-possum, which also lives in alpine habitats, is another species that would benefit from being moved to a different environment. Researchers at UNSW have developed a plan to translocate them to lowland areas, as the species currently exists at the edge of what would have been a much wider range, and so can be acclimatised to other environments.

In marine environments, coral reefs often bear the brunt of climate change, resulting in coral bleaching or death. A new method to help them recover is being tried out on the Great Barrier Reef, where surviving polyps are being propagated and moved to repopulate areas that were destroyed by warming seas. Find out more from National Geographic. Credit: Michaela Skovranova.

In marine environments, coral reefs often bear the brunt of climate change, resulting in coral bleaching or death. A new method to help them recover is being tried out on the Great Barrier Reef, where surviving polyps are being propagated and moved to repopulate areas that were destroyed by warming seas. Find out more from National Geographic. Credit: Michaela Skovranova.

Archey’s frog is a tiny, rare terrestrial amphibian for which translocation outside its current climate envelope is likely to be required to ensure its survival. It is easily contained in in-situ locations, as its capacity to move any distance is limited, and is currently captive-bred at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand, making it an ideal candidate for testing out assisted migration, as conditions of possible new sites could be mimicked as closely as possible, in the zoo or other ex-situ locations, to examine the effects on breeding and survival to test whether assisted migration would be feasible.

Archey’s frog is a tiny, rare terrestrial amphibian for which translocation outside its current climate envelope is likely to be required to ensure its survival. It is easily contained in in-situ locations, as its capacity to move any distance is limited, and is currently captive-bred at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand, making it an ideal candidate for testing out assisted migration, as conditions of possible new sites could be mimicked as closely as possible, in the zoo or other ex-situ locations, to examine the effects on breeding and survival to test whether assisted migration would be feasible.

In the Wet Tropics, in northern Australia, the white lemuroid possum is getting closer to extinction due to increasing heatwaves driven by climate change. The species has no mechanisms for body-cooling, and so high temperatures are fatal, and they are rapidly losing suitable habitat. The nearest rainforest is 1,000 km distant, and they would not be able to reach it unassisted.

In the Wet Tropics, in northern Australia, the white lemuroid possum is getting closer to extinction due to increasing heatwaves driven by climate change. The species has no mechanisms for body-cooling, and so high temperatures are fatal, and they are rapidly losing suitable habitat. The nearest rainforest is 1,000 km distant, and they would not be able to reach it unassisted.

The mountain pygmy-possum, which also lives in alpine habitats, is another species that would benefit from being moved to a different environment. Researchers at UNSW have developed a plan to translocate them to lowland areas, as the species currently exists at the edge of what would have been a much wider range, and so can be acclimatised to other environments.

The mountain pygmy-possum, which also lives in alpine habitats, is another species that would benefit from being moved to a different environment. Researchers at UNSW have developed a plan to translocate them to lowland areas, as the species currently exists at the edge of what would have been a much wider range, and so can be acclimatised to other environments.

In marine environments, coral reefs often bear the brunt of climate change, resulting in coral bleaching or death. A new method to help them recover is being tried out on the Great Barrier Reef, where surviving polyps are being propagated and moved to repopulate areas that were destroyed by warming seas. Find out more from National Geographic. Credit: Michaela Skovranova.

In marine environments, coral reefs often bear the brunt of climate change, resulting in coral bleaching or death. A new method to help them recover is being tried out on the Great Barrier Reef, where surviving polyps are being propagated and moved to repopulate areas that were destroyed by warming seas. Find out more from National Geographic. Credit: Michaela Skovranova.

Griffith University’s Dr Alienor Chauvenet said the research team was advocating for conservationists and policy-makers to reconsider their strategies to prevent more climate extinctions.

“While hundreds of articles mention species translocation and assisted migration as tools to adapt to climate change, it is rarely practiced,” Dr Chauvenet said.

“Most actions are designed to keep species in their current native locations, with protections applied to their reserves, habitat restorations, tree and vegetation plantings.

“While this is effective and appropriate in many instances, there are plenty of instances where this kind of strategy alone will lead to extinct species.

“There are many barriers to this thinking in the conservation community, such as the risk of introducing an invasive species, socio-political pushback, getting the timing wrong and a lack of understanding.

“We’re advocating for assisted migrations at small scales, translocating species with little invasion risk, adopting robust monitoring protocols that trigger an active response, and promoting political and public support.

“If we can change how conservationists approach translocation of species, we might be able to seriously increase how many animals can survive a climate catastrophe.”

The research has been published in Conservation Biology (DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13643).

Media: Dr Nathalie Butt, n.butt@uq.edu.au, +61 437 902 079; Dominic Jarvis, dominic.jarvis@uq.edu.au, +61 413 334 924.

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