Abstract
Species translocations are remarkable experiments in evolutionary ecology, and increasingly critical to biodiversity conservation. Elaborate socio-ecological hypotheses for translocation success, based on theoretical fitness relationships, are untested and lead to complex uncertainty rather than parsimonious solutions. We used an extraordinary 89 reintroduction and 102 restocking events releasing 682 black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) to 81 reserves in southern Africa (1981–2005) to test the influence of interacting socio-ecological and individual characters on post-release survival. We predicted that the socio-ecological context should feature more prominently after restocking than reintroduction because released rhinoceros interact with resident conspecifics. Instead, an interaction between release cohort size and habitat quality explained reintroduction success but only individuals' ages explained restocking outcomes. Achieving translocation success for many species may not be as complicated as theory suggests. Black rhino, and similarly asocial generalist herbivores without substantial predators, are likely to be resilient to ecological challenges and robust candidates for crisis management in a changing world.
Highlights
Translocations, or movement of species between habitats, are remarkable experimental tests of the evolutionary capacity of species [1] and our ecological understanding [2]
The model describing the interaction between cohort size and habitat quality performed the best and improved substantially on previous leading models for reintroduction success (Table 1)
Models including the interaction between cohort size and habitat quality contributed 92.5% of Akaike weights and were the only models to out-perform the base model without fixed-effects (Table 1)
Summary
Translocations, or movement of species between habitats, are remarkable experimental tests of the evolutionary capacity of species [1] and our ecological understanding [2]. Translocations for reintroduction and restocking to restore and manage populations are key to species rescue and recovery [5] and rapid progress demands that we find parsimonious guidelines for success [6]. The use of translocations as a conservation tool is expected to increase [7] due to the growing ranks of conservationreliant species [8] and requirement for assisted migration [9] with climate change induced range shifts for many species [10]. With the need for this interventionist strategy on the rise, managers cannot afford to be unnecessarily timid or waste resources testing translocation strategies that bring only small, incremental improvements. General principles from evolutionary ecology that can be applied widely in the design of translocation programs are required
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