When Roads Remove Trees, Conservation Must Move Fast: A Rescue Translocation Model for Keralam’s Native Epiphytic Orchids

Development-related tree removal can immediately eliminate epiphytic orchids and specialised canopy habitats, yet evidence for rescue translocation remains limited. We assessed 27,324 mature native orchids representing 21 species, rescued during road widening in Keralam, India, and translocated to three contrasting recipient landscapes. Of the 27,324 translocated orchids, 19,511 survived (71.4%) after 12–24 months. Among the surviving plants, 5224 flowered (26.8%), of which 1934 produced capsules (37.0%). Recovery differed among recipient sites, orchid species and phorophytes. The buffered urban site supported the highest survival, whereas the exposed coastal site imposed a strong establishment filter but supported relatively high flowering and capsule production among survivors. Regional endemic and cool-growing orchids also survived and reproduced, although establishment was lower and more site-dependent. Phorophyte identity was most strongly associated with establishment, while root growth consistently predicted survival, flowering and capsule production. Embryo-containing seeds occurred in all sampled capsule collections, but formal physiological viability and germination tests were not undertaken. Rescue translocation can therefore reduce otherwise likely losses when tree removal is unavoidable. The findings support pre-felling surveys, timely rescue, recipient site screening, testing across candidate phorophytes and staged long-term monitoring, while the operational allocation design prevents causal attribution or prescriptive species–phorophyte matching.