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Abstract

Conservation biologists often use translocations to augment small populations, establish "refuge" populations, or reestablish populations into historic habitat. For reasons that are poorly understood, translocations often fail. Further, translocations have both short- and long-term consequences for the evolutionary ecology of the targeted taxa. Unfortunately, most information on translocations has been derived from descriptive studies. Recent experimental approaches have provided new data to address a variety of topics associated with translocations, including inbreeding, outbreeding, the relationship between heterozygosity and fitness, and rapid evolution in populations established by translocation. We focus on genetic and ecological aspects of translocations but recognize that contributions from other fields will be essential for the long-term success of many translocation programs. Ongoing research regarding host-parasite interactions points out the need for extensive ecological data as well as genetic data to make informed decisions regarding translocations. Hypotheses derived from this field are ripe for rigorous experimental examination.

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