Evidence-to-decision framework using expert elicitation for conservation translocation decision-making

Conservation translocations are increasingly used to support imperilled species recovery. Existing guidance provides critical insight into topic-specific considerations for conservation translocation (e.g. genetic factors, disease risk). However, practitioners require a unified approach that guides the consolidation of available evidence and provides a pathway for making implementation decisions. Here, we present an evidence-to-decision framework rooted in structured decision-making that guides practitioners through developing translocation objectives, consolidating information that can influence translocation outcomes, assessing the conservation benefits along with the risks of unintended ecological consequences, and combining quantitative evidence with expert knowledge to inform translocation decisions. The approach is flexible in that it can be applied to single or multiple species and can be used with the help of expert elicitation. When applied, the approach helps aggregate and summarize the evidence base, including its uncertainty, and ensures that decision-makers have the best available information on the ecological feasibility of achieving conservation benefits and any unintended ecological consequences. We present an application of the framework for the reintroduction of eastern sand darter Ammocrypta pellucida in Ontario, Canada. Overall, the structured approach provides a pathway for evaluating the evidence underlying the decision to implement conservation translocations and can be universally applied across species and ecosystems.