Optimal release strategies for cost-effective reintroductions

Abstract

Summary: Ex situ programmes for endangered species commonly focus on two main objectives: insurance against immediate risk of extinction and reintroduction. Releases influence the size of captive and wild populations and may present managers with a trade-off between the two objectives. This can be further complicated when considering the costs of the captive population and the possible release of different life stages. We approached this decision problem by combining population models and decision-analytic methods, using the reintroduction programme for the southern corroboree frog Pseudophryne corroboree in Australia as an example. We identified the optimal release rates of eggs and subadul..