Torreya Taxifolia

Should assisted migration be allowed, is it right to move some species to a better location because of climate change? Global warming has caused increased climate temperatures that are affecting our ecology. However, assisted migration is also very controversial, as conservationists do not believe it is the right thing to do. Will assisted migration help or actually cause more environmental problems?
Connie Barlow, a writer and naturalist, is concerned about a tree species called Torreya taxifolia located in the hot, dry climate of Florida. Due to the increase of global temperature, this particular species is dying out. There are many Torreya trees further north on the Apalachiola River that are thriving where it is darker and wetter. Jack Johnston grew trees from seeds that did well in Northern Georgia and North Carolina. Moving trees is very expensive but in nature things do move around. In 2004, a public case said that it would not be expensive but easy and that because of highways and changes in the environment the Torreya needed help to be moved. Assisted migration might be a realistic idea.
Conservationists are coming up with new strategies to save the species but no matter what they do they cannot change the fact that temperatures are rising and their ideas may no longer work. They are against assisted migration and think endangered trees can be preserved and restored. The conservationists are afraid if they move a tree to a new environment, it can cause problems and disturb the balance with other species. They do not know what the future will hold in their new environment.
Global warming is not going away and we as a society have to accept that. Should we let habitats go through their natural course of selection and do not get involved? Have humans done enough damage on the environment; haven’t we learned not to change things? If assisted migration does work with the Torreya taxifolia species and it is able to thrive on its own without any problems, maybe we can slowly move other tree species in the future.