Question

Scientists and conservationists are concerned that, due to new and growing threats, particularly associated with climate change, many species may soon be unable to persist in the habitats in which they currently occur. This has caused some to argue in favor of "assisted migration", whereby individuals of a species are moved from their native habitat into a new location that is highly suitable for them, but in which they had not previously been present. For example, the white lemuroid ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) is a small marsupial that lives mountains of Queensland, Australia where it feeds on the young leaves of a handful of tree species. It can only live at elevations above 1,000 m because it cannot tolerate temperatures above 30C for even a few hours. The population of white possums (which may be a white color variant of the more common lemuroid ringtail possum – not a separate species) nearly disappeared after a heat wave in 2005, dropping from thousands of individuals to only 4 or 5 sightings during surveys conducted in 2014.

                Climate change models predict temperature increases in the Mount Carbine Tablelands of Queensland where the white lemuroid population lives. If temperatures change as predicted, the possums are very likely to go extinct. This situation makes the possum a potential candidate for transplant to other areas with suitable forested areas that are less vulnerable to temperature change. However, doing so has implications for the species, the donor and recipient ecosystems, and social, cultural, and economic aspects of conservation efforts. As a result, assisted migration is a controversial topic in conservation biology. Considering the potential benefits and shortcomings of assisted migration, answer the following questions about this proposed conservation tool.

Question 4 (1 point)

Which of the following pieces of additional scientific information would be most helpful for deciding whether any individuals should be moved to a new habitat?

Question 4 options:

a)	The genetic diversity within the white possum population.

b)	The historical distribution of the population.

c)	The predicted range of future temperature and rainfall in the new location.

d)	Predator and resource abundances and distributions in the recipient community.

e)	The age-structure of the white possum population.

Answer 1

The very helpful deciding factor for the relocation would be : predator and resources abundances and distributions in the recipient community.

The relocation theory of the white possums may be a valid theory and a better approach to save the species from going extinct due to climatic conditions. However, relocation does not necessarily require to be successful if other factors are not kept in mind. The predator population may affect the relocated possum population and thereby lead to the extinction whatsoever. The resource availability is also a main factor. Maybe the population is relocated but the new place does not have appropriate resources or food for the survival, the population could anyway go extinct.