Success Rates for Reintroductions of Eight Perennial Plant Species after 15 Years

Abstract

The creation of new populations of rare and endangered plant species has become well-established as a standard technique in conservation and restoration ecology. However, much remains unknown about the actual rates of success or failure of such reintroductions. Recent research suggests that in part this reflects under-reporting of failures. In 2000, the authors published a paper reporting rates of success in reintroducing eight perennial plant species into two reserves near Boston, MA, in 1994-1995. In 2010, the authors conducted a recensus of the experimental sites 15 years after reintroduction; almost all the populations reported in 2000 had disappeared. The implications for reintroduction methodology, with respect to establishing and reporting both successful and unsuccessful experiments are discussed.

Soil heterogeneity and the distribution of native grasses in California: Can soil properties inform restoration plans?

“…However, reestablishing suites of species -and even single species-can be challenging if site conditions have been greatly altered. Many revegetation efforts fail, and restoration practitioners recognize that success rates can be improved with remediation of physical and biotic environments (Fahselt 2007, Drayton andPrimack 2012). Nevertheless, landscape remediation is often inadequate because reference sites are either difficult to identify or nonexistent (Halle and Fattorini 2004), and many sources of disturbance, such as exotic species, represent permanent changes to ecosystem properties (Vitousek 1990).…”

Exotic Invasive Shrub Glossy Buckthorn Reduces Restoration Potential for Native Forest Herbs

“…In Massachusetts, in a transplantation experiment including eight perennial plant species, Sanguinaria canadensis was one of only two species which remained after 15 growing seasons, and it was the only species which had succeeded in the establishment of reproducing populations [35]. In our experiment, we observed Sanguinaria canadensis seedlings in June 2016, from seeds produced in situ.…”

“…Considering that transplantation studies have yielded contradictory results [29,35,39], and that success rate seems to decline when observed over a period which is closer to the long life expectancy of forest herbs [35], our results bring support for a removal of buckthorn prior to establishing transplanted forest herb populations, for a choice of species with ecological requirements matching those of planting sites, and of transplants that are larger in size to maximize the potential for success.…”

Reintroduction of species at risk: learning from the past to plan for the future

“…With changes in current geographic ranges, efforts to safeguard plant diversity, especially species that are at risk of extinction need to be defined or strengthened. Reintroduction (often called relocation) is increasingly used to conserve rare plant species (Lofflin andKephart 2005, Drayton andPrimack 2012). This strategy has encountered opposition in the past and remains controversial for various reasons that relate to the preservation of ecological systems, loss of genetic variability, success rate of transplantation, etc.…”

“…This strategy has encountered opposition in the past and remains controversial for various reasons that relate to the preservation of ecological systems, loss of genetic variability, success rate of transplantation, etc. (Drayton and Primack 2012). In the past couple of years, the Canadian Botanical Association/Association botanique du Canada (CBA/ABC) has been discussing the need to reexamine its position paper on transplantation as a means of preservation of species at risk which was approved in 1991 (http://www.…”