Is Reintroduction Biology an Effective Applied Science?

Area of Science:

• Conservation biology
• Wildlife management
• Ecology

Background:

• Reintroduction biology informs endangered species translocations.
• Evidence-based conservation calls for improved decision-support in reintroduction science.
• A review of two decades of literature is needed to assess the evolution of reintroduction science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the evolution of reintroduction science in its decision-support role.
• To determine if research is increasingly informing management decisions for species translocations.
• To identify trends in reintroduction research over the past 20 years.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of reintroduction biology studies published over two decades.
• Analysis of research focus, including hypothesis testing and management action comparison.
• Assessment of the integration of research findings into the decision-making process for translocations.

Main Results:

• Reintroduction research increasingly addresses a priori hypotheses.
• Research remains largely focused on short-term population establishment.
• Studies explicitly comparing alternative management actions are still a minority.
• A small number of case studies show full integration of research into the decision process.

Conclusions:

• Reintroduction science shows some evolution towards evidence-based approaches.
• A greater focus on comparing management alternatives is needed.
• Tools that embed research into decision-making, particularly for management alternatives, should be encouraged.