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Current state of plant conservation translocations across Europe: motivations, challenges and outcomes

Research output: Contribution to journalA1: Web of Science-articlepeer-review

  • Sandrine Godefroid
  • Sam Lacquaye
  • Andreas Ensslin
  • Sarah Dalrymple
  • Thomas Abeli
  • Hannah Branwood
  • Inmaculada Ferrando Pardo
  • P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego
  • Elke Zippel
  • Luisa Gouveia
  • Carlos Alberto Lobo
  • Francisco Fernandes
  • Marion Rasp
  • Laura Daco
  • Maxime Seleck
  • Philippe Frankard
  • Leonie K. Fischer
  • Katerina Koutsovoulou
  • Aline Finger
  • Orsolya Valko
  • Giuseppe Garfi
  • Branka Spanicek
  • Sarah Buerli
  • Regula Dickenmann
  • Johanna Jones
  • Julien Guyonneau
  • Guillaume Papuga
  • Marcello De Vitis
  • Giuseppe Fenu
  • Fabienne Van Rossum
  • Donatella Cogoni
  • Gail Foster
  • Margaux Julien
  • Julien Piqueray
  • Petr Vit
  • Veronique Bonnet
  • Angelino Carta
  • Patrice Descombes
  • Maja Lazarevic
  • Norbert Mueller
  • Simone Orsenigo
  • Sonia Ravera
  • Mari Sild
  • Sarah Smyth
  • Thomas C. Wagner
  • Tania Walisch
  • Dalibor Ballian
  • Vito Emanuele Cambria
  • Bruno Colas
  • Lara Dixon
  • David Draper
  • Viviane Froidevaux
  • Konrad Pagitz
  • Hana Pankova
  • Tim Pankhurst
  • Jamie Preston
  • Patrice Prunier
  • Sandra Saura-Mas
  • Karin Sartori
  • Stephanie A. Socher
  • Nils Stanik
  • Anna Wunderli
  • Tanja Nikowitz
  • Fiona Jane White
Plant translocation is a conservation technique increasingly used around the world. In Europe, numerous unpublished initiatives have resulted in scattered information in grey literature that is difficult to access. This represents a major obstacle to the exchange of information and experience among scientists, practitioners and competent authorities. To help filling this gap, we launched a large-scale questionnaire 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. We gathered data on 3211 plant translocations across the European continent carried out on 1166 taxa in 28 countries, which represents the largest dataset of its kind in the world to date. Target translocated species were mainly forbs from grassland habitats and had a conservation status of greater concern nationally than globally. Practitioners mainly used plug plants originating from a single source (the geographically closest to the target site). Weather events and plant diseases were the most often unanticipated problems noticed by respondents. Through monitoring, it was found that most populations flowered but often did not reproduce and could not persist for more than five years, showcasing the challenge that translocations still present for conservationists. This work will be useful in linking conservationists and enabling them to save time and resources by more easily identifying the best practices suited to their target species, with the ultimate aim of improving the science and practice of plant translocations in Europe and beyond.
Original languageEnglish
JournalBiodiversity and Conservation
Volume225
Pages (from-to)247
Number of pages259
ISSN0960-3115
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1-Sept-2025

    Research areas

  • Plant reintroduction, Population reinforcement, Assisted colonization, Ecological replacement, Species recovery, Ecological restoration

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