Abstract
In response to anthropogenic threats, conservation translocations are increasingly used
to combat species’ population and range declines. However, moving animals outside
of their current distribution can mean introducing them to novel conditions, even in the
case of reintroductions to formerly inhabited areas due to ecosystem changes following
extirpation. This exposure to novel conditions introduces uncertainty that can undermine
decision making for species conservation. Here we propose two strategies, which
we define as conservative and extrapolative, for approaching and managing novelty
and the resulting uncertainty in conservation translocations. Conservative strategies are
characterised by the avoidance and removal of novel conditions as much as possible,
whereas extrapolative strategies are more experimental, allowing exposure to novel
conditions and monitoring outcomes to increase understanding of a species’ ecology. As
each strategy carries specific risks and opportunities, they will be applicable in different
scenarios. Extrapolative strategies suit species in recovery which can afford some
experimental management, or species facing novel and emerging threats which require
less traditional translocations, such as assisted colonisations. We provide examples,
applying our framework to two endemic New Zealand species with long histories
of translocation management: tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), a reptile and takahe¯
(Porphyrio hochstetteri), a flightless bird.