The Social-Ecological Transformation of Private Lands and the Future of Wildlife Management Under Amenity Migration: A Call for Action

As private landownership becomes increasingly fragmented and socially diverse, understanding how new types of landowners interact with wildlife and engage in management practices is essential for achieving landscape-scale conservation outcomes. This issue has taken on renewed urgency in the post-pandemic era, as amenity migration expanded beyond the traditionally studied ultra-wealthy purchasers of large ranches to include a broader socioeconomic spectrum acquiring small-acreage properties. This shift has introduced a more heterogeneous population of land stewards, many operating with limited financial, technical, and institutional resources in highly fragmented landscapes. This paper examines the intersection of sociodemographic change and private land conservation, focusing on the implications of amenity migration for wildlife management in rural private ecosystems. Through an integrative review of the amenity migration literature informed by a PRISMA-based search and screening protocol, we show that although wildlife is frequently referenced in this literature, wildlife management is rarely examined as an intentional and coordinated social–ecological practice. We argue that the implications of contemporary amenity migration for wildlife management extend beyond individual landowners to include institutional systems, shifting community dynamics, and cross-boundary governance challenges that shape wildlife outcomes across private landscapes. Recognizing the post-pandemic transformation of rural landownership is therefore essential for aligning conservation resources and institutional support systems with emerging patterns of private land stewardship.