Effects of common management practices on threatened plant translocations

A chief tool in plant conservation is the augmenting or establishment of threatened plant populations by translocating individuals grown ex-situ. As translocations become an increasingly common practise in conser-vation and land management, various techniques to increase survival and persistence have become established as standard. Here we use a large historical database of plant translocations to evaluate the evidence for common management techniques to enhance translocation performance. We found that the most important factors associated with maximising size and survival of translocated plant populations were the number of propagules planted, fencing to protect from herbivores, and stimulating recruitment. Factors influencing the probability of recruitment were less certain, however burning and watering increased its likelihood. We also asked how habitat and lifeform influenced translocation performance. Translocations in grassland habitats performed worse than other habitats, and translocations of their predominant lifeform, the perennial grasses, also compared poorly. Our results make a strong case for the utility of a limited number of management interventions, and we highlight where a more explicit focus on experimental data might build our understanding of the factors influencing success in plant translocations.

Automated summary

A chief tool in plant conservation is the establishment of threatened plant populations by translocating individuals grown ex-situ. Various techniques to enhance translocation performance have become established as standard, including the number of propagules planted, fencing to protect from herbivores, and stimulating recruitment. Factors influencing recruitment were uncertain, but burning and watering increased its likelihood. Translocations in grassland habitats and of perennial grasses performed worse compared to other habitats and lifeforms. Our study supports the effectiveness of a limited number of management interventions and emphasizes the need for more experimental data to improve our understanding of factors influencing success in plant translocations.