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Migratory species travel across countries, cultures, and economies—linking people in ways that current governance systems rarely reflect. Since 2009, the EMIGRA team has studied these species not just as wildlife, but as connectors of communities and ecosystems. Our research reveals two key patterns. First, ecosystem services in one region often depend on conservation efforts made in distant ones. Second, people value these connections: many are willing to support conservation in other countries, even without direct or immediate benefits.
Yet most governance frameworks ignore this reality. In North America, for example, few migratory species have management plans that recognize their full cross-border needs. Drawing on Ostrom’s socio-ecological systems framework, we challenge the assumption that migratory species are doomed to a “tragedy of the commons.” Instead, our work with rural communities in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico shows that local people care deeply about migratory species—and many want to connect with counterparts abroad who steward the same species.
We argue that by investing in these cross-community relationships, we can “bound the unbounded”: that is, we can develop governance structures that reflect how migratory species actually move—across political, cultural, and ecological boundaries. Doing so transforms fragmented management into coordinated, collective action. This approach offers lessons not only for biodiversity conservation, but for transnational governance challenges more broadly.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Laura López-Hoffman is a Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and a Research Professor at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona. She is affiliated with UA's James E. Rogers College of Law and serves as Associate Editor-in-Chief of Ecosphere.Her interdisciplinary research bridges ecology, law, and policy. Ecosystem services, telecoupled systems (systems connected across spatial scales), public participation in environmental governance, and equity in conservation are key themes in her research. Her scholarship often emphasizes human–nature linkages in cross-jurisdictional contexts in North America. Dr. López‑Hoffman works with a wide network of institutions, including governmental agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey), non‑profits (e.g. Bat Conservation International), and international partners (e.g. UNAM). Dr. López‑Hoffman also leads a data-science initiative— NEPAccess.org—that use machine learning to evaluate the implementation of U.S. environmental laws. Can't make it in person? Join Virtually