Genealogies of scientifically induced biomobilities: Restoration ecology under climate emergency

Abstract

Climate change is transforming restoration ecology, particularly regarding species translocations. Many species may be unable to keep pace with rapidly shifting climatic conditions, risking extinction. As a result, restoration ecology has had to move beyond its traditional, nostalgic focus on returning ecosystems to past states. In response to this new reality, future-oriented strategies have emerged – chief among them, assisted migration. This approach involves relocating species to areas where they are more likely to thrive under new environmental conditions, even if those areas lie outside their historical range. This article explores the conceptual and managerial shift in conservation thinking brought about by such practices. Using a genealogical approach, we trace the evolution of restoration ecology and examine the contradictions and dilemmas introduced by assisted migration. We also analyze rewilding as a complementary and increasingly influential restoration strategy. Our discursive analysis shows how these emerging practices reflect a broader transformation in environmental conservation – from efforts to restore the past to designing ecological futures. This shift challenges foundational ecological categories such as native, endemic, alien, and invasive species, along with the moral and scientific frameworks that have historically guided conservation: historical fidelity, territorial integrity, and species composition. Ultimately, we argue that the growing prominence of scientifically induced species mobilities – justified by climate change and aimed at creating novel ecosystems – signals a move beyond restoration as traditionally understood. Instead, what is emerging is a new paradigm of anticipatory ecology, grounded not in recovery, but in proactive, future-oriented landscape design.