7 - Conservation Translocations for Plants

Summary

Between 20 and 40 per cent of plant species are at risk of extinction in the wild worldwide. Conservation translocation is an accepted strategy intended to ensure the conservation of a species in a natural context where it can undergo evolution, usually, but not exclusively, within its historical indigenous range. Because plants are sedentary, practitioners should take care to select an appropriate recipient site, consider the possibility of local adaptation, and choose source material from similar climatic and environmental conditions to the recipient site. As variation increases in a target species’ environment, practitioners should expect greater variation in seed dormancy and timing of germination, and take account of this in the monitoring plan. Prior to translocation, consider the focal species’ dependency on belowground mutualists (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi) and whether recipient sites have appropriate plant-pollinator networks. When selecting founder populations, use as large a founder size as feasible to increase the chance of establishment and survival, and consider the focal species’ life history when choosing propagule stage. If the biology of the focal species is poorly understood and key environmental drivers of translocation success are unknown, use experiments, predictive models, and multiple recipient sites to test hypotheses and improve translocation outcomes. Ensure that threats are known and abated before and after translocation, consider herbivore or predator exclusion, and create a management plan to maintain appropriate habitat conditions or disturbance regimens over the long term. Develop a detailed monitoring and data management plan to track translocated individuals and make sure to account for plant life history, vegetative dormancy, and the potential for lags in next generation seedling recruitment. Translocation success requires long-term commitment, financial and public support, and collaboration among conservation partners.