Evidence based decision making for reintroduction success: translocating threatened prey reptiles into an endemic predator-packed system in Mauritius

再引入生物学有助于为改善再引入结果提供科学支持。重新引入的频率和重新引入科学的出版都在增加，但它们的整合仍然有限1。在从业者面临的再引入决策中嵌入科学，提供了一个战略性地使用证据来做出最佳管理决策。科学家所需的技能需要发展，包括群体促进，专家知识的启发，管理替代方案的预测和观察结果的定量建模，风险分析和优化。我们的项目提供了一个一揽子方案，其中这些方面将得到发展，以产生一个训练有素的专业人员，能够与多个利益攸关方团体进行物种恢复。学生将开发和应用这些技能，以较小的夜壁虎（液化天然气，Nactus coindemirensis）在毛里求斯reintroductions.Reintroductionsof马达加斯加爬行动物，以重建岛屿社区在很大程度上是成功的2，3，但依赖于从猎物到捕食者的营养顺序易位物种。然而，自下而上的社区重新引入并不总是可能的。圆岛支持最后一个半完整的天然爬行动物群落，由内部捕食者主导。为了恢复环岛的爬行动物群落，需要重新引入受威胁的爬行动物猎物物种，如液化天然气。该项目将与包括毛里求斯政府、非政府组织（毛里求斯野生动物基金会）、英国合作伙伴（达雷尔野生动物保护信托基金）和ARIES DTP主办方（ZSL和UoK）在内的团队合作，规划和测试一系列替代重新引入方法，以建立液化天然气环岛。为LNG重新引入开发的方法将在全球范围内具有相关性，因为从业者正在努力解决如何在捕食者栖息的地方建立猎物物种。爬行动物再引入的全球审查，重点是将被捕食物种释放到捕食者栖息的地区。以群体为基础，促进了再引入问题的发展。使用混合的持续监测数据和专家得出的各种易位策略的判断进行定量人口建模。液化天然气转移到圆岛，将测试替代释放战略。

Reintroduction biology assists in providing the science support for improved reintroduction outcomes. Both the frequency of reintroductions and publication of reintroduction science are increasing, yet their integration remains limited1. Embedding science within reintroduction decisions faced by practitioners offers a strategic use of evidence to make the best management decisions. The skills required by scientists need developing including group facilitation, elicitation of expert knowledge, quantitative modelling of predicted and observed outcomes of management alternatives, risk analysis and optimisation. Our project offers a package where these aspects will be developed to produce a trained professional able to engage with multi-stakeholder groups undertaking species recovery. The student will develop and apply these skills to a lesser night gecko (LNG, Nactus coindemirensis) reintroduction in Mauritius.Reintroductions of Mauritian reptiles to rebuild island communities have largely been successful2,3, but have relied on translocating species in trophic order from prey to predator. However, bottom-up community reintroductions are not always possible. Round Island supports the last semi-intact natural reptile community, dominated by intraguild predators. To restore Round Island's reptile community requires reintroducing threatened reptile prey species, such as the LNG. This project will work with a team including Mauritius government, NGO (Mauritian Wildlife Foundation), UK based partners (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) and ARIES DTP hosts (ZSL and UoK) to plan and test a range of alternative reintroduction approaches to establish LNG on Round Island. Methods developed for LNG reintroduction will be globally relevant as practitioners grapple with how to establish prey species where predators remain.Methodology1. Global review of reptile reintroductions with a focus on releases of prey species into areas where predators remain.2. Group based and facilitated development of the reintroduction problem.3. Quantitative population modelling using a mix of ongoing monitoring data and expert elicited judgements across various translocation strategies.4. A LNG translocation to Round Island that will test alternative release strategies.