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22-01-2025 | Review Paper

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

Authors: Sandrine Godefroid, Sam Lacquaye, Andreas Ensslin, Sarah Dalrymple, Thomas Abeli, Hannah Branwood, Inmaculada Ferrando Pardo, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego, Elke Zippel, Luísa Gouveia, Carlos Alberto Lobo, Francisco Fernandes, Marion Rasp, Laura Daco, Maxime Séleck, Philippe Frankard, Leonie K. Fischer, Katerina Koutsovoulou, Aline Finger, Orsolya Valkó, Giuseppe Garfi, Branka Španiček, Sarah Bürli, 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 Vít, Véronique Bonnet, Angelino Carta, Patrice Descombes, Maja Lazarević, Norbert Müller, 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 Pánková, Tim Pankhurst, Jamie Preston, Patrice Prunier, Sandra Saura-Mas, Karin Sartori, Stephanie A. Socher, Nils Stanik, Anna Wunderli, Tanja Nikowitz, Fiona Jane White

Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation | Issue 3/2025

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Abstract

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 In Europe, numerous unpublished initiatives have resulted in scattered information in grey literature that is difficult to access.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.

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Title: Current state of plant conservation translocations across Europe: motivations, challenges and outcomes
Authors: Sandrine Godefroid
Sam Lacquaye
Andreas Ensslin
Sarah Dalrymple
Thomas Abeli
Hannah Branwood
Inmaculada Ferrando Pardo
P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego
Elke Zippel
Luísa Gouveia
Carlos Alberto Lobo
Francisco Fernandes
Marion Rasp
Laura Daco
Maxime Séleck
Philippe Frankard
Leonie K. Fischer
Katerina Koutsovoulou
Aline Finger
Orsolya Valkó
Giuseppe Garfi
Branka Španiček
Sarah Bürli
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 Vít
Véronique Bonnet
Angelino Carta
Patrice Descombes
Maja Lazarević
Norbert Müller
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 Pánková
Tim Pankhurst
Jamie Preston
Patrice Prunier
Sandra Saura-Mas
Karin Sartori
Stephanie A. Socher
Nils Stanik
Anna Wunderli
Tanja Nikowitz
Fiona Jane White
Publication date: 22-01-2025
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation / Issue 3/2025
Print ISSN: 0960-3115
Electronic ISSN: 1572-9710
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-025-03013-0

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