Scientific Area
Drivers of plant translocation outcome: an analysis of more than 3000 translocation cases from Europe
ID: 613 / 436
Category: Abstract
Track: Pending
Proposed Symposium Title: Drivers of plant translocation outcome: an analysis of more than 3000 translocation cases from Europe
Authors:
Sandrine Godefroid1,2,3, Timmy Lacquaye1, Hannah Branwood4, Sarah E. Dalrymple4, Andreas Ensslin5, Thomas Abeli6
Affiliations: 1 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium 2 Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service général de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique, Brussels, Belgium 3 Université libre de Bruxelles, Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Biogeochemistry, Brussels, Belgium 4 Liverpool John Moores University, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool, United Kingdom 5 Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva, Chambésy, Switzerland 6 Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Roma, Italy
Abstract:
Plant translocations are a conservation technique increasingly used around the world. In Europe, many initiatives have taken place without having been published, with the result that the information remains very scattered in grey literature to which access is not easy. This represents a major obstacle to the exchange of information and experience among scientists and practitioners. To help fill this gap, we launched a large-scale continent-wide survey with 39 questions relating to methods, motivations, problems encountered and outcomes, supplemented by a screening of scientific publications, grey literature and national/regional databases. This made it possible to locate and gather data on 3,220 plant translocations across the European continent carried out on 1,185 taxa in 28 countries, which represents the largest dataset ever collected globally. Target species most often were forbs from grassland habitats and they had a higher threat status nationally than globally. Practitioners mainly used plug plants (less than 100) originating from a single source (geographically closest to the target site). Weather events and plant disease were the unanticipated problems most often noticed by respondents. Monitoring revealed that most populations did not survive more than 5 years, demonstrating the challenge translocations are still representing for conservationists. However, this large database allowed us to identify the most relevant drivers of translocation outcome in terms of plant survival and recruitment that will inform future plant translocations.