Rare Plant Translocation: Don’t Do It!

Sarah Vinge-Mazer, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre Native Prairie Reclamation and Restoration Workshop 2017

• Translocation – the deliberate transfer of plant material from one area to another – Seeds – Cuttings – Propagated seedlings – Plants dug out of the ground

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

• Negative effects to the recipient site

Translocation Issues

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

• Negative effects to the recipient site • Movement of disease, other species, genetic

material

Attribution: By s shepherd schizoform on flickr [CC BY 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

• Negative effects to the recipient site • Movement of disease, other species, genetic

material • Lack of protection at recipient site

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

• Negative effects to the recipient site • Movement of disease, other species, genetic

material • Lack of protection at recipient site • Budgetary and time constraints

Translocation Issues • Little knowledge of species requirements and

associations • Little knowledge of population structure

– Potential for mixing diverse genotypes – outbreeding depression

• Negative effects to the recipient site • Movement of disease, other species, genetic

material • Lack of protection at recipient site • Budgetary and time constraints • Diverting resources that could be better spent

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is being measured? – Presence, plant height,

flowering, setting seed, germination of seed

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is being measured? – Presence, plant height,

flowering, setting seed, germination of seed

• Over what time period? – 1, 2, 5, 20 years

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is being measured? – Presence, plant height,

flowering, setting seed, germination of seed

• Over what time period? – 1, 2, 5, 20 years

• Comparison to control site?

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is being measured? – Presence, plant height,

flowering, setting seed, germination of seed

• Over what time period? – 1, 2, 5, 20 years

• Comparison to control site? • How will long term

monitoring be ensured?

• What is success? – Survival, vigor, reproduction

• What is being measured? – Presence, plant height,

flowering, setting seed, germination of seed

• Over what time period? – 1, 2, 5, 20 years

• Comparison to control site? • How will long term

monitoring be ensured? • Will management be needed,

how will that be provided?

The majority of projects fail (if success was even defined). “Recent advances in soil science, microbial ecology, and population genetics have in some cases improved the effectiveness of transplantation, but new insights mainly permit a fuller appreciation of the causes of failure.” (Fahselt 2007)

Photo by BLM Idaho

Policy/Legal Info

• Species At Risk Act – Plant translocations for species listed as extirpated,

endangered, or threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) on Federal lands or Provincial lands where an order is made to have it apply would be prohibited as per Section 32 of SARA. SARA permits may be issued only if the activity meets the criteria under Section 73 of SARA and all reasonable alternatives to the activity have been considered, the activity will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species and all feasible measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the activity on the species.

• SK Ministry of Environment Policy

Even when success is defined, even for well planned projects, translocations rarely succeed.

Rare plants are best conserved in situ!

What can we do instead?

• Site specific mitigation plans • Avoidance! • Minimize disturbance • Enhance conservation of impacted

species/communities through offsets

• Compensation is a last resort

• Let’s use resources wisely! – Research and development of better

ways

Attribution: By Emma Kelland (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

What about conservation of communities? • Conservation of associated species,

microsites, ecosystem function • Landscape scale planning

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material • Define success

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material • Define success • Plan to maximize success

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material • Define success • Plan to maximize success • Set up long-term monitoring

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material • Define success • Plan to maximize success • Set up long-term monitoring • Document your monitoring

Photo by BLM Idaho

Lessons for Restoration

• Know your species’ requirements • Source local material • Define success • Plan to maximize success • Set up long-term monitoring • Document your monitoring • Protect your site, protect your investment

Photo by BLM Idaho

References • Berg, KS. 1996. Rare plant mitigation: a policy perspective. In Falk, DA, CI Millar, M Olwell, eds. Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of

Endangered Plants. Island Press Washington D.C. • California Department of Fish and Game. 2005. Guidelines for conservation of sensitive native plant resources within the timber harvest review

process and during timber harvest operations. https://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb/pdfs/THP_BotanicalGuidelines_July2005.pdf. Accessed May 28, 2015.

• California Native Plant Society. 1998. Policy on Mitigation Guidelines Regarding Impacts to Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants. http://www.cnps.org/cnps/archive/mitigation.pdf

• Canadian Botanical Association. 2014. Edition 4. Position paper on transplanting and seeding a a means of preservation. http://www.cba-abc.ca/ecolconspospaper_v4.pdf. Accessed June 30, 2015.

• Fahselt, D. 2007. Is transplanting an effective means of preserving vegetation? Canadian Journal of Botany 85 (10): 1007-1017. • Fahselt, D. 1988. The dangers of transplantation as a conservation techniques. Natural Areas Journal 8: 238-244. • Godefroid, S, C. Piazza, G. Rossi, S. Buord, A-D. Stevens, R. Aguraiuja, C. Cowell, C.W. Weekley, G. Vogg, J.M. Iriondo, I. Johnson, B. Dixon, D. Gordon,

S. Magnanon, B. Valentin, K. Bjureke, R. Koopman, M. Vicens, M. Virevaire, T. Vanderborght. 2011. How successful are plant species reintroductions? Biological Conservation 144: 672-682

• Howald, AM. 1996. Translocation as a mitigation strategy: lessons from California. In Falk, DA, CI Millar, M Olwell, eds. Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of Endangered Plants. Island Press Washington D.C.

• IUCN/SSC. 2013. Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations. Version 1.0. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission, viii+57pp. https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/2013-009.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2015.

• Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Guidelines for rare, threatened and endangered plant reintroductions in Maryland. http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML0932/ML093210623.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2015.

• Native Plant Society of Oregon. 1991. Rare Plant Reintroduction. http://www.npsoregon.org/documents/rareplants.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2015. • New York Natural Heritage Program. 2009. Rare plant reintroduction policy. In Feldmann, A, ed. 2011. New York Flora Association Quarterly

Newsletter 22 (1): 10. http://www.nyflora.org/files/2513/6672/0369/2011_-_Vol._22_1.pdf. Accessed July 22, 2015. • North Carolina Plant Conservation Program. 2005. Rare plant reintroduction, augmentation, and transplantation guidelines.

http://ncbg.unc.edu/uploads/files/Reintroductionguidelines.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2015. • Pavlik, BM. 1996. Defining and measuring success. In Falk, DA, CI Millar, M Olwell, eds. Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of

Endangered Plants. Island Press Washington D.C. • Sutter, RD. 1996. Monitoring. In Falk, DA, CI Millar, M Olwell, eds. Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of Endangered Plants. Island

Press Washington D.C.

Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre sarah.vingemazer@gov.sk.ca www.biodiversity.sk.ca