REVIEW: Translocation tactics: a framework to support the IUCN Guidelines for wildlife translocations and improve the quality of applied methods

Abstract

1. Translocation is a popular conservation tool, but the outcomes are variable. Many tactics can be used to improve the probability of success, but a comprehensive summary of these does not exist. This increases the risk that valuable tactics will be overlooked, and inhibits effective communication. 2. We assess the diversity of 'translocation tactics' used in mammal and bird translocations, by reviewing the IUCN/SSC Guidelines for Reintroduction and other Conservation Translocations, 195 peer-reviewed articles and 73 case studies from the IUCN/SSC Global Reintroduction Perspectives Series. 3. We recorded descriptions of every technique used to influence the post-release performance of translocated wildlife. We developed the Translocation Tactics Classification System (TTCS) which defines a collection of 30 tactics and organize them into an ecologically relevant framework. We also assess the occurrence of tactics within the Guidelines, the primary literature and the case studies to evaluate how tactics are communicated within these mediums. 4. Our results indicate that the Guidelines are a valuable resource, but do not exhaustively cover tactics, and that detailed methodological accounts are rarely made publicly accessible. This highlights the need to develop context-specific resources to support the Guidelines, and to develop and exploit mediums that facilitate recording of methodological detail, the tactical rationale behind the design and evaluations of effectiveness. Although some forms of grey literature address this issue, the general lack of information limits the ability to investigate the relationship between tactics and translocation success. 5. Synthesis and applications. The Translocation Tactics Classification System (TTCS) provides a checklist which ensures that the full diversity of tactics is considered when developing translocation processes. Standardizing the communication of tactics, and encouraging detailed accounts of applied methodologies to be recorded, along with the tactical reasoning behind the design, will provide operational models and the data required to conduct broad-scale meta-analyses.

Conservation translocations: a review of common difficulties and promising directions

“…The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Conservation Translocation Specialist Group (who until recently was known as the Reintroduction Specialist Group) is a network of global voluntary professionals that aims to provide reintroduction and translocation practitioners with useful management tools. The group publishes the Global Re-introduction Perspective Series (Soorae, 2008(Soorae, , 2010(Soorae, , 2011(Soorae, , 2013(Soorae, , 2016(Soorae, , 2018, which is specifically designed to record and share practical information from both successful and unsuccessful translocations without many of the barriers associated with the primary literature (Batson et al, 2015). Importantly, this underutilized series contains translocation case studies that are presented in a highly structured format with an emphasis on practical information.…”

Capturing pests and releasing ecosystem engineers: translocation of common but diminished species to re‐establish ecological roles

“…Undoubtedly, one of the primary obstacles to such an approach is that most translocations are conducted with highly regulated at-risk species and inherently involve small sample sizes which effectively preclude assigning a sufficient number of individuals to varying experimental treatments. In translocation biology the remaining questions most needed to improve outcomes relate to devising better tactics, or "techniques capable of influencing post-release individual performance or population persistence" (Batson et al, 2015).…”

“…We incorporated and attempted to inform standard guidelines for translocation (IUCN, 2013), with a focus on measurement and manipulation of variables in the post-release environment. Taking advantage of the large sample size made possible by working with a more common species, we were able to address and test many strategies recommended in the IUCN (2013) guidelines, among other sources (e.g., Batson et al, 2015). These include efforts to optimize release group composition, release of larger numbers of individuals across multiple locations and time periods, and utilization of several different monitoring metrics to ensure that lessons learned are captured to guide interventions and future translocations.…”

Multiyear monitoring of survival following mitigation‐driven translocation of a long‐lived threatened reptile

“…Despite their increasing use as conservation tools, mitigation-driven translocations often are inadequately executed; for example, monitoring and documentation are insufficient and implemented without broader conservation goals in mind (Griffith et al 1989;Germano et al 2015). The variable outcomes of previous translocation attempts underscore the importance of testing designs and thoroughly documenting conditions that lead to successful translocations (Seddon et al 2007;Batson et al 2015). We examined the efficacy of a mitigation-driven translocation involving the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii).…”