Potential problems of removing one invasive species at a time: a meta-analysis of the interactions between invasive vertebrates and unexpected effects of removal programs

PeerJ

article

Sebastián A. Ballari¹  Sara E. Kuebbing²  Martin A. Nuñez³ 

[1] Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi;School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University;Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones

关键词: Animals;    Co-occurrence;    Carnivores;    Invasional meltdown;    Nonnative;    Meta-analysis;    Conservation;    Wildlife management;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.2029

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Although the co-occurrence of nonnative vertebrates is a ubiquitous global phenomenon, the study of interactions between invaders is poorly represented in the literature. Limited understanding of the interactions between co-occurring vertebrates can be problematic for predicting how the removal of only one invasive—a common management scenario—will affect native communities. We suggest a trophic food web framework for predicting the effects of single-species management on native biodiversity. We used a literature search and meta-analysis to assess current understanding of how the removal of one invasive vertebrate affects native biodiversity relative to when two invasives are present. The majority of studies focused on the removal of carnivores, mainly within aquatic systems, which highlights a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of co-occurring invasive vertebrates. We found that removal of one invasive vertebrate caused a significant negative effect on native species compared to when two invasive vertebrates were present. These unexpected results could arise because of the positioning and hierarchy of the co-occurring invasives in the food web (e.g., carnivore–carnivore or carnivore–herbivore). We consider that there are important knowledge gaps to determinate the effects of multiple co-existing invaders on native ecosystems, and this information could be precious for management.

【 授权许可】

CC BY