Program on the Environment

Climate change threatens the well being of organisms and entire ecosystems as it disrupts weather and precipitation patterns at a pace faster than many populations can adapt. This is true for species such as the Washington native bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), which has been dying off throughout the state since 2011 largely due to rising temperatures and increased drought conditions. A conservation technique called assisted migration (AM) has been utilized with bigleaf maples to move individuals from one seed provenance to another within their native range, based on the theory that individual populations may be adapted to local climate conditions. The aim of this study was to determine if there were differences in the growth and survival characteristics between Oregon and Washington derived Acer macrophyllum in an AM experiment at my internship site, Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center. In order to answer this question, I collected data on the growth of bigleaf maple trees, conducted a literature review of AM experiments and debates, and compiled anecdotal evidence from Oxbow’s conservation employees and my own observations. From my own data analysis, I found no statistically significant difference in growth between the seed provenances. To situate this experiment as a case study in broader AM research, I identified a need to address experimental design, implementation barriers, and ethical debates for future experiments. AM can be a useful climate adaptation tool, but future experiments must comprehensively assess both the opportunities and challenges surrounding the technique in order to be effectively implemented.