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Soto I, Balzani P, Oficialdegui FJ, Molinero C, Kouba A, Ahmed DA, Turbelin AJ, Hudgins EJ, Bodey TW, Gojery SA, Courchamp F, Cuthbert RN, Haubrock PJ. The wild cost of invasive feral animals worldwide. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169281. [PMID: 38101642 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Invasive non-native species are a growing burden to economies worldwide. While domesticated animals (i.e. livestock, beasts of burden or pets) have enabled our ways of life and provide sustenance for countless individuals, they may cause substantial impacts when they escape or are released (i.e. become feral) and then become invasive with impacts. We used the InvaCost database to evaluate monetary impacts from species in the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System database. We found a total cost of $141.95 billion from only 18 invasive feral species. Invasive feral livestock incurred the highest costs at $90.03 billion, with pets contributing $50.93 billion and beasts of burden having much lower costs at $0.98 billion. Agriculture was the most affected sector at $80.79 billion, followed by the Environment ($43.44 billion), and Authorities-Stakeholders sectors ($5.52 billion). Damage costs comprised the majority ($124.94 billion), with management and mixed damage-management costs making up the rest ($9.62 and $7.38 billion, respectively). These economic impacts were observed globally, where Oceania, North America and Europe were the most impacted regions. Islands recorded a higher economic burden than continental areas, with livestock species dominating costs more on islands than mainlands compared to other feral species. The costs of invasive feral animals were on average twice higher than those of wild species. The management of invasive feral populations requires higher investment, updated regulations, and comprehensive risk assessments. These are especially complex when considering the potential conflicts arising from interventions with species that have close ties to humans. Effective communication to raise public awareness of the impacts of feral populations and appropriate legislation to prevent or control such invasive feral populations will substantially contribute to minimizing their socioeconomic and environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Soto
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic.
| | - Paride Balzani
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Oficialdegui
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | | | - Antonín Kouba
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Danish A Ahmed
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
| | - Anna J Turbelin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emma J Hudgins
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa K1S 5B6, Canada; School of Agriculture, Food, and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | | | - Franck Courchamp
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip J Haubrock
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic; Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait; Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Gelnhausen, Germany
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Hulme PE, Ahmed DA, Haubrock PJ, Kaiser BA, Kourantidou M, Leroy B, McDermott SM. Widespread imprecision in estimates of the economic costs of invasive alien species worldwide. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:167997. [PMID: 37914135 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Several hundred studies have attempted to estimate the monetary cost arising from the management and/or impacts of invasive alien species. However, the diversity of methods used to estimate the monetary costs of invasive alien species, the types of costs that have been reported, and the spatial scales at which they have been assessed raise important questions as to the precision of these reported monetary costs. Benford's Law has been increasingly used as a diagnostic tool to assess the accuracy and reliability of estimates reported in financial accounts but has rarely been applied to audit data on environmental costs. Therefore, the distributions of first, second- and leading double-digits of the monetary costs arising from biological invasions, as reported in the InvaCost database, were compared with the null expectations under Benford's Law. There was strong evidence that the reported monetary costs of biological invasions departed considerably from Benford's Law and the departures were of a scale equal to that found in global macroeconomic data. The rounding upwards of costs appears to be widespread. Furthermore, numerical heaping, where values cluster around specific numbers was evident with only 901 unique cost values accounting for half of the 13,553 cost estimates within the InvaCost database. Irrespective of the currency, the value of 1,000,000 was the most common cost estimate. An investigation of anomalous data entries concluded that non-peer reviewed official government reports need to provide greater detail regarding how costs are estimated. Despite the undeniably high economic cost of biological invasions worldwide, individual records of costs were often found to be imprecise and possibly inflated and this emphasises the need for greater transparency and rigour when reporting the costs of biological invasions. Identifying whether the irregularities found for the costs of biological invasions are general for other types of environmental costs should be a research priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Hulme
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
| | - Danish A Ahmed
- CAMB, Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait
| | - Phillip J Haubrock
- CAMB, Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Clamecystr. 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Brooks A Kaiser
- MERE, SEBE, University of Southern Denmark, Degnevej 14a, 6705 Esbjerg Ø, Denmark
| | - Melina Kourantidou
- MERE, SEBE, University of Southern Denmark, Degnevej 14a, 6705 Esbjerg Ø, Denmark; Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UMR 6308 AMURE, IUEM, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Boris Leroy
- UMR 8067, Biologie Des Organismes Et Écosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université de Caen Normandie, Université Des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, CP26, 43 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Shana M McDermott
- Department of Economics, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
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Palmér C, Wallin A, Persson J, Aronsson M, Blennow K. Effective communications on invasive alien species: Identifying communication needs of Swedish domestic garden owners. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 340:117995. [PMID: 37100004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive alien species threaten biodiversity with domestic gardens acting as a major pathway for the introduction of alien species. Even though the Nordic region is not currently a hotspot for biological invasions, the number of invasions in the Nordic area has been predicted to increase due to climate change. Given a time lag between introduction and invasion, many non-invasive horticultural alien species already introduced into gardens may become invasive in the future. This study aimed to identify the communication needs of Swedish garden owners regarding their management of invasive alien species. A survey among domestic garden owners, informed by topic specialists and local area experts, and interviews with garden owners were conducted in three different bio-climatic areas in a latitudinal gradient across Sweden. The questions targeted invasive alien species and their relations to biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as measures taken to control these species. Analysing the survey data collected in relation to measures taken to control invasive species, Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) modelling was used to identify geographically varying communication needs of the domestic garden owners. In all study areas, the garden owners' measures taken to control invasive alien species were correlated with their strength of beliefs in having experienced local biodiversity loss. A majority of the garden owners were, moreover, uncertain about the impact of climate change on the invasiveness of alien species. In addition, the garden owners' capacity for identifying invasive alien species was often in need of improvement, in particular with respect to the species Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica and Rosa rugosa. The results suggest that the evidence-based guidelines for effective communications we developed, have the potential to help communicators meet the local communication needs of garden owners across Sweden, in relation to the management of invasive alien garden species.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Palmér
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
| | - A Wallin
- Division of Cognitive Science, Department of Philosophy, Lund University, Sweden
| | - J Persson
- Department of Philosophy, Lund University, Sweden
| | - M Aronsson
- Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
| | - K Blennow
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden; Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sweden.
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Ahmed DA, Haubrock PJ, Cuthbert RN, Bang A, Soto I, Balzani P, Tarkan AS, Macêdo RL, Carneiro L, Bodey TW, Oficialdegui FJ, Courtois P, Kourantidou M, Angulo E, Heringer G, Renault D, Turbelin AJ, Hudgins EJ, Liu C, Gojery SA, Arbieu U, Diagne C, Leroy B, Briski E, Bradshaw CJA, Courchamp F. Recent advances in availability and synthesis of the economic costs of biological invasions. Bioscience 2023; 73:560-574. [PMID: 37680688 PMCID: PMC10481418 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions are a global challenge that has received insufficient attention. Recently available cost syntheses have provided policy- and decision makers with reliable and up-to-date information on the economic impacts of biological invasions, aiming to motivate effective management. The resultant InvaCost database is now publicly and freely accessible and enables rapid extraction of monetary cost information. This has facilitated knowledge sharing, developed a more integrated and multidisciplinary network of researchers, and forged multidisciplinary collaborations among diverse organizations and stakeholders. Over 50 scientific publications so far have used the database and have provided detailed assessments of invasion costs across geographic, taxonomic, and spatiotemporal scales. These studies have provided important information that can guide future policy and legislative decisions on the management of biological invasions while simultaneously attracting public and media attention. We provide an overview of the improved availability, reliability, standardization, and defragmentation of monetary costs; discuss how this has enhanced invasion science as a discipline; and outline directions for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danish A Ahmed
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
| | - Phillip J Haubrock
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt,Gelnhausen, Germany
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, NorthernIreland
| | - Alok Bang
- School of Arts and Sciences at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, India
- School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University, Bhopal, India
- Society for Ecology, Evolution, and Development, Wardha, India
| | - Ismael Soto
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Paride Balzani
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Ali Serhan Tarkan
- Department of Basic Sciences in the Faculty of Fisheries at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, in Muğla, Turkey
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, England, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael L Macêdo
- Graduate Program in Conservation and Ecotourism at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
- Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neotropical Limnology Group, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brasil
| | - Laís Carneiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação in the Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Setor de Tecnologia, at the Universidade Federal do Paraná, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences at King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Francisco J Oficialdegui
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Courtois
- Centre for Environmental Economics—Montpellier, National Institute for Research in Agriculture and the Environment, Montpellier, France
| | - Melina Kourantidou
- Department of Sociology, Environmental and Business Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg Ø, Denmark
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Gustavo Heringer
- Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação in the Instituto de Ciências Naturais at the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Nürtingen, Germany
| | - David Renault
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique's Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anna J Turbelin
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre at Canadian Forestry Services, part of Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma J Hudgins
- Department of Biology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chunlong Liu
- College of Fisheries at the Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Showkat A Gojery
- Department of Botany at the University of Kashmir, Kashmir, India
| | - Ugo Arbieu
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, at the National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States
| | - Christophe Diagne
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, at Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France
| | - Boris Leroy
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, in Paris, France
| | | | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology Laboratory, Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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