1. Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates
- Author
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Hervé Jourdan, Robert N. Fisher, Lolita Gibbons-Decherong, Rafael Borroto-Páez, Charles R. Knapp, Ray Pierce, Erin Hagen, Paolo Sposimo, Stesha A. Pasachnik, André F. Raine, Pete McClelland, Piero Genovesi, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Kirsty Swinnerton, Thierry Micol, Dena R. Spatz, M. L. de Brooke, Gérard Rocamora, Donald A. Croll, David Wingate, Nancy Bunbury, Jill Liske-Clark, Steve Cranwell, Steffen Oppel, Peter J. Hodum, Karl J. Campbell, Nuno Oliveira, Olivier Langrand, Ross M. Wanless, Alexander L. Bond, David Will, Jakob Fric, James C. Russell, Ian J. Burfield, Alex Wegmann, Peter G. Ryan, Chung Hang Hung, Hsiao-Wei Yuan, Miguel McMinn, Richard A. Griffiths, Pedro Geraldes, Brad Keitt, Eric Vidal, Bernie R. Tershy, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, Keith Springer, James Millett, Federico Méndez-Sánchez, Nick D. Holmes, University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Luxembourg [Luxembourg], University of Connecticut (UCONN), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of California [Santa Cruz] (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UMR237-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Avignon Université (AU), and Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Topography ,Conservation Biology ,Biodiversity ,Endangered species ,Invasive Species ,Introduced species ,[SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy ,01 natural sciences ,Invasive species ,Critically endangered ,IUCN Red List ,Conservation Science ,Islands ,Mammals ,Multidisciplinary ,biology ,Ecology ,Vertebrate ,Eukaryota ,Geography ,Vertebrates ,Medicine ,Research Article ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Evolutionary Processes ,Science ,[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes ,macromolecular substances ,Extinction, Biological ,010603 evolutionary biology ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,Species Colonization ,biology.animal ,Animals ,14. Life underwater ,Species Extinction ,Landforms ,Evolutionary Biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Endangered Species ,Ecology and Environmental Sciences ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Reptiles ,Geomorphology ,15. Life on land ,13. Climate action ,Threatened species ,Amniotes ,Earth Sciences ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,Introduced Species ,[SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Symbiosis - Abstract
International audience; Invasive alien species are a major threat to native insular species. Eradicating invasive mammals from islands is a feasible and proven approach to prevent biodiversity loss. We developed a conceptual framework to identify globally important islands for invasive mammal eradications to prevent imminent extinctions of highly threatened species using biogeographic and technical factors, plus a novel approach to consider socio-political feasibility. We applied this framework using a comprehensive dataset describing the distribution of 1,184 highly threatened native vertebrate species (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered on the IUCN Red List) and 184 non-native mammals on 1,279 islands worldwide. Based on extinction risk, irreplaceability, severity of impact from invasive species, and technical feasibility of eradication, we identified and ranked 292 of the most important islands where eradicating invasive mammals would benefit highly threatened vertebrates. When socio-political feasibility was considered, we identified 169 of these islands where eradication planning or operation could be initiated by 2020 or 2030 and would improve the survival prospects of 9.4% of the Earth’s most highly threatened terrestrial insular vertebrates (111 of 1,184 species). Of these, 107 islands were in 34 countries and territories and could have eradication projects initiated by 2020. Concentrating efforts to eradicate invasive mammals on these 107 islands would benefit 151 populations of 80 highly threatened vertebrates and make a major contribution towards achieving global conservation targets adopted by the world’s nations.
- Published
- 2018