In total, 600 two-year-old and three-year-old saplings of the critically endangered Chinese endemic huagaimu were translocated into the species’ natural range. There were very low survival rates (2 and 20 per cent respectively) of translocated individuals at two sites in Xichou county, with a much higher survival rate of 74 per cent at two sites in Maguan county. The over-riding determinant of translocation success is considered to be the difference in horticultural practices used in the different translocations, with much more favourable outcomes associated with greater horticultural training and expertise.

Increased global movement of biological materials, coupled with climate change, and other environmental pressures are leading to increasing threats to plants from pests and pathogens. These pests and pathogens are relevant to plant conservation translocations as a source of translocation failure, and because the translocation itself can lead to pest and pathogen transmission. Many plant conservation translocations are relatively low risk, especially those involving the small-scale local movement of plant material between proximal sites. In contrast, plant translocations that involve movement of large amounts of material, and/or large geographical distances or crossing natural ecological barriers, are intrinsically higher risk. Additional high-risk factors include the potential for pest and pathogen transmission to occur at nursery/propagation facilities, especially if the translocated material is held in close proximity to other plants infected with pests and pathogens and/or material sourced from distant localities. Despite the importance of these issues, plant health risks are often not explicitly considered in plant conservation translocations. To support greater awareness and the effective uptake of appropriate biosecurity steps in plant conservation translocations, there is a pressing need to develop generally applicable best-practice guidelines targeted at translocation practitioners.

Advances in genomic science are providing high-resolution insights into the diversity of species and populations, and increased understanding of how they function and interact. The application of genomic data to conservation translocations is now widespread, with many examples of genomic data being used to guide the implementation of translocations, ranging from selection of donor individuals/populations, understanding the dynamics of inter-specific interactions, and the design and monitoring of population reinforcements to achieve genetic and/or evolutionary rescue. The rapidly accelerating generation of genomic data from the world’s species will lead to further major advances in understanding biodiversity at the genomic level, with associated benefits for translocation management and monitoring. However, genomic data and genomic technologies are not a panacea, and despite the power of the approaches, uncertainties can remain in data interpretation and translation into practical management actions. As the science at the interface of genomics and conservation translocations continues to develop, there is a pressing need to focus continually on translating data to support practical decision-making and, at least in the short term, to develop further guidance and thinking that allows extrapolation from well-resourced studies with extensive genomic data to guide actions and decisions in translocations where generating genomic data is not yet feasible. As genetic/genomic technologies enable greater technological interventions for conservation translocations, the need to extend multi-stakeholder dialogue will continue and grow; this ranges from promoting informed dialogue between geneticists and conservationists to ensure effective deployment of approaches and resources, to wider societal engagement in setting the agenda for if, when, and how approaches involving genetic modification should be deployed.