[Science News] - The first European database on plant translocations becomes the largest globally
According to the European Union Nature Restoration Law that entered into force in 2024, EU member states must take concrete measures for the recovery of biodiverse and resilient nature. In addition to the restoration of habitats through large-scale sowing of characteristic plant species, the translocation (reintroduction) of rare or threatened species is an increasingly used complementary technique around the world. This small-scale (as species-based) approach can be integrated into large ecosystem restoration projects, even if this can sometimes be challenging.
In Europe, plant translocations are rarely published in the scientific literature, no pan-European database exists, and data are therefore difficult to access. To help address this gap, a team of researchers led by Sandrine Godefroid from Meise Botanic Garden conducted a continent-wide survey among scientists, practitioners, and relevant authorities, as well as a targeted search in national and regional databases, and in the grey literature (e.g. technical reports, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, government documents, annual reports, etc).
Data has been collected on 3,211 plant translocations across the European continent carried out on 1,166 taxa in 28 countries, which represents the largest dataset of its kind in the world to date. No fewer than 91 scientists and practitioners responded to the survey conducted over two years by Meise Botanic Garden. This allowed us to gather valuable information on the methods, motivations, problems encountered and outcomes.
“Weather events and plant diseases were the most often unanticipated problems noticed by respondents”, said Sandrine Godefroid. “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”.
The created database will soon be made available to everyone. It will make it easier to identify 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.