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Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations

Publication ,  Journal Article
Van Houtan, KS; Halley, JM; Van Aarde, R; Pimm, SL
Published in: Conservation Letters
December 2009

Translocations are increasingly important tools for endangered species conservation, but their success is often uncertain. We analyzed 125 time series of grazing mammal translocations in South African protected areas. Some 94% of translocations succeeded (66% unambiguously) even though most populations began with <15 individuals and most of the species involved are of conservation concern. Adding new individuals to existing small populations increases per capita growth rates and seems to prevent translocations from failing. Growth of the translocated populations is both greater and less variable than wild mammal populations and appears less affected by the typically important ecological factors (e.g., initial propagule size, precipitation, reserve size, or presence within historical range). One‐third of the populations showed robust signs of density dependence but we detect few examples of Allee effects. Our results, from empirical time series of small populations, offer new insights into achieving success for translocation programs limited to releasing few individuals.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Conservation Letters

DOI

EISSN

1755-263X

ISSN

1755-263X

Publication Date

December 2009

Volume

2

Issue

6

Start / End Page

254 / 262

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
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MLA
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Van Houtan, K. S., Halley, J. M., Van Aarde, R., & Pimm, S. L. (2009). Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations. Conservation Letters, 2(6), 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263x.2009.00081.x
Van Houtan, Kyle S., John M. Halley, Rudi Van Aarde, and Stuart L. Pimm. “Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations.” Conservation Letters 2, no. 6 (December 2009): 254–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263x.2009.00081.x.
Van Houtan KS, Halley JM, Van Aarde R, Pimm SL. Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations. Conservation Letters. 2009 Dec;2(6):254–62.
Van Houtan, Kyle S., et al. “Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations.” Conservation Letters, vol. 2, no. 6, Wiley, Dec. 2009, pp. 254–62. Crossref, doi:10.1111/j.1755-263x.2009.00081.x.
Van Houtan KS, Halley JM, Van Aarde R, Pimm SL. Achieving success with small, translocated mammal populations. Conservation Letters. Wiley; 2009 Dec;2(6):254–262.
Journal cover image

Published In

Conservation Letters

DOI

EISSN

1755-263X

ISSN

1755-263X

Publication Date

December 2009

Volume

2

Issue

6

Start / End Page

254 / 262

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology