Translocations have emerged as a widely utilized tool for addressing local species extirpations, either through population restoration (conservation translocation) or by mitigating the impacts of construction projects (mitigation translocation). Indeed, the number of translocation programs has rapidly increased worldwide, encompassing a diverse array of animals and plants. However, the ecological and evolutionary impacts of these translocations have rarely been evaluated, beyond the benefits for the targeted species. Previous research addressing this question has highlighted a significant taxonomic bias in animal translocations, while also noting a substantial contribution to the preservation of phylogenetic diversity, by (subconsciously) focusing on highly evolutionarily distinct species. Furthermore, animal translocations have been shown to potentially delay the loss of functionally distinct species, particularly among mammals. Nevertheless, these studies have primarily concentrated on assessing the effects of translocated species at a biogeographical scale, predominantly within the animal realm (birds and mammals essentially).

As a component of the Biodiversa+ Transloc project, and benefiting from the Transloc database (https://translocations.in2p3.fr/), our study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating translocated plant species' contributions to the functional diversity of local recipient communities. Firstly, we evaluated the functional profiles of translocated plant species in France and compared them with the average functional profile within recipient communities. Secondly, we assessed the functional originality of these translocated species and their overlap with the other species belonging to the same functional entity, for each translocation program. Based on these findings, we discuss the potential of these translocations to preserve functional diversity and subsequent ecological processes, thus shedding light on the ecological significance of this conservation tool.