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Shivambu TC, Shivambu N, Downs CT. Citizen science survey of non-native Rose-ringed Parakeets Psittacula krameri in the Durban metropole, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2022.2079386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tinyiko C Shivambu
- Centre for Excellence in Invasion Biology, and Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Present address: Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ndivhuwo Shivambu
- Centre for Excellence in Invasion Biology, and Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Present address: Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Colleen T Downs
- Centre for Excellence in Invasion Biology, and Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Nunes SF, Mota-Ferreira M, Sampaio M, Andrade J, Oliveira N, Rebelo R, Rocha R. Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes. Curr Zool 2021; 68:211-219. [PMID: 35355946 PMCID: PMC8962685 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Invasive species are a major threat to island biodiversity, and their eradications have substantially contributed to the conservation of island endemics. However, the consequences of eradications on the trophic ecology of native taxa are largely unexplored. Here, we used the eradication of invasive black rats Rattus rattus and European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus from the Berlenga Island, in the western coast of Portugal, as a whole-ecosystem experiment to investigate the effects of the eradication of invasive mammals on the trophic niche and body dimensions of the island-restricted Berlenga wall lizard Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis over a 2-year period. Our results suggest an expansion of the isotopic niche and an intensification of the sexual dimorphism of the lizard following mammal eradication. Additionally, we found considerable variability in isotopic niche across the island and detected evidence of sex-specific and season-modulated nutritional requirements of this threatened reptile. Our findings support that the eradication of 2 of the planet’s most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressures—for example, prey availability and habitat structure—to which lizards are exposed have substantially changed post-eradication. Our study emphasizes the scientific value of island eradications as experiments to address a wide range of ecological questions and adds to the increasing body of evidence supporting substantial conservation gains associated with these restoration interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara F Nunes
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Mário Mota-Ferreira
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Institute of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1349-017, Portugal
| | - Marta Sampaio
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Joana Andrade
- Sociedade Portuguesa Para o Estudo das Aves, Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, 87, 3° Andar, Lisboa, 1070-062, Portugal
| | - Nuno Oliveira
- Sociedade Portuguesa Para o Estudo das Aves, Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, 87, 3° Andar, Lisboa, 1070-062, Portugal
| | - Rui Rebelo
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Rocha
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Institute of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1349-017, Portugal
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Barrios-O'Neill D. Focus and social contagion of environmental organization advocacy on Twitter. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:307-315. [PMID: 32495972 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture, overexploitation, and urbanization remain the major threats to biodiversity in the Anthropocene. The attention these threats garner among leading environmental nongovernmental organizations (eNGOs) and the wider public is critical in fostering the political will necessary to reverse biodiversity declines worldwide. I analyzed the advocacy of leading eNGOs on Twitter by scraping account timelines, screening content for advocacy relating to biodiversity threats and, for prevalent threats, further screening content for positive and negative emotional language with a sentiment lexicon. Twitter advocacy was dominated by the major threats of climate change and overexploitation and the minor threat of plastic pollution. The major threats of agriculture, urbanization, invasions, and pollution were rarely addressed. Content relating to overexploitation and plastic pollution was more socially contagious than other content. Increasing emotional negativity further increased social contagion, whereas increasing emotional positivity did not. Scientists, policy makers, and eNGOs should consider how narrowly focused advocacy on platforms like Twitter will contribute to effective global biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Barrios-O'Neill
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, U.K
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4
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Baker CM, Bode M. Recent advances of quantitative modeling to support invasive species eradication on islands. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Baker
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Data Science, The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Michael Bode
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Queensland Australia
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Hernández-Brito D, Blanco G, Tella JL, Carrete M. A protective nesting association with native species counteracts biotic resistance for the spread of an invasive parakeet from urban into rural habitats. Front Zool 2020; 17:13. [PMID: 32411270 PMCID: PMC7206781 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00360-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Non-native species are often introduced in cities, where they take advantage of microclimatic conditions, resources provided by humans, and competitor/predator release to establish and proliferate. However, native communities in the surrounding rural or natural areas usually halt their spread through biotic resistance, mainly via top-down regulative processes (predation pressure). Here, we show an unusual commensal interaction between exotic and native bird species that favours the spread of the former from urban to rural habitats. Results We show how Monk parakeets Myiopsitta monachus, an invasive species often introduced in cities worldwide, associated for breeding with a much larger, native species (the white stork Ciconia ciconia) to reduce predation risk in central Spain, thus allowing their colonization of rural areas. Parakeets selected stork nests close to conspecifics and where breeding raptors were less abundant. Parakeets always flushed when raptors approached their nests when breeding alone, but stayed at their nests when breeding in association with storks. Moreover, when storks abandoned a nest, parakeets abandoned it in the following year, suggesting that storks actually confer protection against predators. Conclusions Our results show how a protective-nesting association between invasive and native species can counteract biotic resistance to allow the spread of an invasive species across non-urban habitats, where they may become crop pests. Monk parakeet populations are now growing exponentially in several cities in several Mediterranean countries, where they coexist with white storks. Therefore, management plans should consider this risk of spread into rural areas and favour native predators as potential biological controllers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dailos Hernández-Brito
- 1Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- 2Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Tella
- 1Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Martina Carrete
- 3Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Capizzi
- Latium Region Directorate for Natural Capital, Parks and Protected Areas viale del Tintoretto 43200142 Rome Italy
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Cerri J, Mori E, Zozzoli R, Gigliotti A, Chirco A, Bertolino S. Managing invasive Siberian chipmunks Eutamias sibiricus in Italy: a matter of attitudes and risk of dispersal. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Crowley SL, Hinchliffe S, McDonald RA. The parakeet protectors: Understanding opposition to introduced species management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 229:120-132. [PMID: 29305043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The surveillance and control of introduced and invasive species has become an increasingly important component of environmental management. However, initiatives targeting 'charismatic' wildlife can be controversial. Opposition to management, and the subsequent emergence of social conflict, present significant challenges for would-be managers. Understanding the substance and development of these disputes is therefore vital for improving the legitimacy and effectiveness of wildlife management. It also provides important insights into human-wildlife relations and the 'social dimensions' of wildlife management. Here, we examine how the attempted eradication of small populations of introduced monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) from England has been challenged and delayed by opposition from interested and affected communities. We consider how and why the UK Government's eradication initiative was opposed, focusing on three key themes: disagreements about justifying management, the development of affective attachments between people and parakeets, and the influence of distrustful and antagonistic relationships between proponents and opponents of management. We draw connections between our UK case and previous management disputes, primarily in the USA, and suggest that the resistance encountered in the UK might readily have been foreseen. We conclude by considering how management of this and other introduced species could be made less conflict-prone, and potentially more effective, by reconfiguring management approaches to be more anticipatory, flexible, sensitive, and inclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Crowley
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Steve Hinchliffe
- Geography, Amory Building, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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Hernández-Brito D, Carrete M, Ibáñez C, Juste J, Tella JL. Nest-site competition and killing by invasive parakeets cause the decline of a threatened bat population. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172477. [PMID: 29892437 PMCID: PMC5990744 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The identification of effects of invasive species is challenging owing to their multifaceted impacts on native biota. Negative impacts are most often reflected in individual fitness rather than in population dynamics of native species and are less expected in low-biodiversity habitats, such as urban environments. We report the long-term effects of invasive rose-ringed parakeets on the largest known population of a threatened bat species, the greater noctule, located in an urban park. Both species share preferences for the same tree cavities for breeding. While the number of parakeet nests increased by a factor of 20 in 14 years, the number of trees occupied by noctules declined by 81%. Parakeets occupied most cavities previously used by noctules, and spatial analyses showed that noctules tried to avoid cavities close to parakeets. Parakeets were highly aggressive towards noctules, trying to occupy their cavities, often resulting in noctule death. This led to a dramatic population decline, but also an unusual aggregation of the occupied trees, probably disrupting the complex social behaviour of this bat species. These results indicate a strong impact through site displacement and killing of competitors, and highlight the need for long-term research to identify unexpected impacts that would otherwise be overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dailos Hernández-Brito
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Martina Carrete
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Javier Juste
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - José L. Tella
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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10
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Crowley SL, Hinchliffe S, McDonald RA. Invasive species management will benefit from social impact assessment. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Crowley
- Environment and Sustainability Institute; University of Exeter; Penryn TR10 9FE UK
| | | | - Robbie A. McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute; University of Exeter; Penryn TR10 9FE UK
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Hettyey A, Thonhauser KE, Bókony V, Penn DJ, Hoi H, Griggio M. Naive tadpoles do not recognize recent invasive predatory fishes as dangerous. Ecology 2016; 97:2975-2985. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Hettyey
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Savoyenstrasse 1A 1160 Vienna Austria
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group; Plant Protection Institute; Centre for Agricultural Research; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Herman Ottó út 15 1022 Budapest Hungary
| | - Kerstin E. Thonhauser
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Savoyenstrasse 1A 1160 Vienna Austria
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group; Plant Protection Institute; Centre for Agricultural Research; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Herman Ottó út 15 1022 Budapest Hungary
| | - Dustin J. Penn
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Savoyenstrasse 1A 1160 Vienna Austria
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Savoyenstrasse 1A 1160 Vienna Austria
| | - Matteo Griggio
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Savoyenstrasse 1A 1160 Vienna Austria
- Department of Biology; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58B 35121 Padova Italy
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12
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A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2015. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:17-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Crowding in the city: losing and winning competitors of an invasive bird. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100593. [PMID: 24945439 PMCID: PMC4063952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species can take advantage of resources unexploited by natives (opportunism hypothesis) or they can exploit the same resources but more aggressively or efficiently (competition hypothesis), thus impacting native species. However, invasive species tend to exploit anthropogenic habitats that are inefficiently used by natives such as urban environments. Focusing on the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), one of the most invasive birds worldwide, we combined observations of interspecific aggressions, species-specific cavity-nest preferences and the spatial distribution of the native cavity-nesting vertebrate community to determine the invasion process as well as its potential impacts on native species in a Mediterranean city. Our results support the competition hypothesis, suggesting that ring-necked parakeets are outcompeting native species sharing nest-site preferences. Parakeets initiated and won most interspecific aggressions, which were directed towards competitors but also towards predators. This behaviour could explain the spatial arrangement of natives, with most bird species breeding close to parakeets possibly to take advantage of their effective antipredatory behaviour. However, temporal and spatial patterns of segregation suggest that a threatened bat species is negatively affected by parakeets. This demonstrates that common species gain benefits and threatened ones (in this study, a bat and possibly a falcon) lose nest sites due to invaders. Therefore, the conservation status of the native species that pay the costs of competition with invaders should be considered. This scenario of winners and losers may, however, shift towards more losers if the ring-necked parakeet population continues to grow, thus requiring close monitoring and control/eradication programs to avoid further impacts.
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Hartman R, Pope K, Lawler S. Factors mediating co-occurrence of an economically valuable introduced fish and its native frog prey. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:763-772. [PMID: 24372671 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 08/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Habitat characteristics mediate predator-prey coexistence in many ecological systems but are seldom considered in species introductions. When economically important introduced predators are stocked despite known negative impacts on native species, understanding the role of refuges, landscape configurations, and community interactions can inform habitat management plans. We measured these factors in basins with introduced trout (Salmonidae) and the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) to determine, which are responsible for observed patterns of co-occurrence of this economically important predator and its native prey. Large, vegetated shallows were strongly correlated to co-occurrence, and R. cascadae larvae occur in shallower water when fish are present, presumably to escape predation. The number of nearby breeding sites of R. cascadae was also correlated to co-occurrence, but only when the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) was present. Because A. boreas larvae are unpalatable to fish and resemble R. cascadae, they may provide protection from trout via Batesian mimicry. Although rescue-effect dispersal from nearby populations may maintain co-occurrence, within-lake factors proved more important for predicting co-occurrence. Learning which factors allow co-occurrence between economically important introduced species and their native prey enables managers to make better-informed stocking decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Hartman
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A..
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15
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Bayliss H, Stewart G, Wilcox A, Randall N. A perceived gap between invasive species research and stakeholder priorities. NEOBIOTA 2013. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.19.4897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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16
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Eradicating multiple invasive species on inhabited islands: the next big step in island restoration? Biol Invasions 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-013-0495-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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17
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Lessa ICM, Bergallo HG. Modelling the population control of the domestic cat: an example from an island in Brazil. BRAZ J BIOL 2012; 72:445-52. [PMID: 22990813 DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842012000300005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic cat is an invasive species that often causes great impacts where introduced due to its high predatory and reproductive potential, especially on islands. In this study, carried out on Ilha Grande (RJ, Brazil), we aimed to: i) estimate the population density of domestic cats, ii) calculate the number of animals preyed upon annually by domestic cats, and iii) evaluate the efficiency of methods to control the cat population. We used the Vortex program to project the population growth of domestic cats in fifty years, and simulated different scenarios of population control (without control, castration, spay and harvest). Population density of owned cats was 662 cats/km². The annual predation rate was 1.97 prey animals/cat which is an average of 1497.96 prey/year. The population would only be reduced if 70% of females were spayed or removed annually. Measures to control the domestic cat population must be undertaken urgently, since uncontrolled growth of this predator has the potential to seriously impact the biodiversity of Ilha Grande.
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Affiliation(s)
- I C M Lessa
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are recognized as having significant social, economic and ecological costs, threatening human health, food security, wildlife conservation and biodiversity. We review the processes underlying the emergence of infectious disease, focusing on the similarities and differences between conceptual models of disease emergence and biological invasions in general.Study of the IUCN's list of the world's worst invaders reveals that disease is cited as a driver behind the conservation, medical or economic impact of nearly a quarter of the species on the data base.The emergence of novel diseases in new host species are, in essence, examples of invasions by parasites. Many of the ecological and anthropogenic drivers of disease emergence and classical invasions are also shared, with environmental change and global transport providing opportunities for the introduction and spread of invaders and novel parasites.The phases of disease emergence and biological invasions have many parallels; particularly the early and late phases, where demographic and anthropogenic factors are key drivers. However, there are also differences in the intermediate phases, where host-parasite co-evolution plays a crucial role in determining parasite establishment in novel hosts.Similar opportunities and constraints on control and management occur at the different phases of invasions and disease emergence. However, exploitation of host immune responses offers additional control opportunities through contact control and vaccination against EIDs. We propose that cross-fertilization between the disciplines of disease emergence and invasion biology may provide further insights into their prediction, control and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie J Hatcher
- School of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Jaimie T A Dick
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Alison M Dunn
- School of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
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Nunes AL, Richter-Boix A, Laurila A, Rebelo R. Do anuran larvae respond behaviourally to chemical cues from an invasive crayfish predator? A community-wide study. Oecologia 2012; 171:115-27. [PMID: 22707039 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2389-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Antipredator behaviour is an important fitness component in most animals. A co-evolutionary history between predator and prey is important for prey to respond adaptively to predation threats. When non-native predator species invade new areas, native prey may not recognise them or may lack effective antipredator defences. However, responses to novel predators can be facilitated by chemical cues from the predators' diet. The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii is a widespread invasive predator in the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, where it preys upon native anuran tadpoles. In a laboratory experiment we studied behavioural antipredator defences (alterations in activity level and spatial avoidance of predator) of nine anurans in response to P. clarkii chemical cues, and compared them with the defences towards a native predator, the larval dragonfly Aeshna sp. To investigate how chemical cues from consumed conspecifics shape the responses, we raised tadpoles with either a tadpole-fed or starved crayfish, or dragonfly larva, or in the absence of a predator. Five species significantly altered their behaviour in the presence of crayfish, and this was largely mediated by chemical cues from consumed conspecifics. In the presence of dragonflies, most species exhibited behavioural defences and often these did not require the presence of cues from predation events. Responding to cues from consumed conspecifics seems to be a critical factor in facilitating certain behavioural responses to novel exotic predators. This finding can be useful for predicting antipredator responses to invasive predators and help directing conservation efforts to the species at highest risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Nunes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Oppel S, Beaven BM, Bolton M, Vickery J, Bodey TW. Eradication of invasive mammals on islands inhabited by humans and domestic animals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2011; 25:232-240. [PMID: 21054528 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01601.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Non-native invasive mammal species have caused major ecological change on many islands. To conserve native species diversity, invasive mammals have been eradicated from several islands not inhabited by humans. We reviewed the challenges associated with campaigns to eradicate invasive mammals from islands inhabited by humans and domestic animals. On these islands, detailed analyses of the social, cultural, and economic costs and benefits of eradication are required to increase the probability of local communities supporting the eradication campaign. The ecological benefits of eradication (e.g., improvement of endemic species' probability of survival) are difficult to trade-off against social and economic costs due to the lack of a common currency. Local communities may oppose an eradication campaign because of perceived health hazards, inconvenience, financial burdens, religious beliefs, or other cultural reasons. Besides these social challenges, the presence of humans and domestic animals also complicates eradication and biosecurity procedures (measures taken to reduce the probability of unwanted organisms colonizing an island to near zero). For example, houses, garbage-disposal areas, and livestock-feeding areas can provide refuges for certain mammals and therefore can decrease the probability of a successful eradication. Transport of humans and goods to an island increases the probability of inadvertent reintroduction of invasive mammals, and the establishment of permanent quarantine measures is required to minimize the probability of unwanted recolonization after eradication. We recommend a close collaboration between island communities, managers, and social scientists from the inception of an eradication campaign to increase the probability of achieving and maintaining an island permanently free of invasive mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Oppel
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK
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