.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
New trees on old lands: a consideration of forest-assisted migration on Colorado burn scars
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
G
E
C
DOI：10.1007/s10113-026-02655-2.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
Throughout the Southern Rockies, widespread high-severity fires and climate change have precipitated shifts in local vegetation, affecting reforestation, species migration, ecosystem adaptation, and carbon fluxes. When managing burn scar recovery, some ecologists and silviculturists advocate for the use of forest assisted migration (FAM) (i.e., the intentional relocation of individuals or genetic material from native seed sources to areas either within or beyond their existing ranges). To understand perceptions and barriers to FAM, we interviewed scientists, land managers, and community organizers working on post-fire landscapes after two of Colorado’s largest fires in history, both occurring in 2020. We found divergent perceptions: some highlighted FAM as the only feasible way to maintain the long-term health of forests, while others contended that, without scientific verification, FAM may further compromise the regenerative capacity of these areas. Using a framework that explores institutional innovation in environmental governance, we analyzed our findings to identify the variables that affect the adoption or rejection of innovative management strategies. Variables include the lack of leadership guidance on implementing FAM, the absence of institutionalized policies that address its use as a reforestation strategy, and seed zone guidelines that restrict planting to localized species and elevation gradients. We emphasize the need for more research on the political and institutional considerations of positioning FAM as both a reforestation tool and an adaptation option, and within our discussion, we connect it to broader climate change adaptation literature.
Keywords:
Climate change adaptation
Institutional innovation
Forestry
Forest assisted migration
Post-fire landscapes
Silviculture
Journal
IF:
3.6
Papers:
2.7K
Citations:
8.3K
Organization
Cited Papers