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Holmes ND, Spatz DR, Oppel S, Tershy B, Croll DA, Keitt B, Genovesi P, Burfield IJ, Will DJ, Bond AL, Wegmann A, Aguirre-Muñoz A, Raine AF, Knapp CR, Hung CH, Wingate D, Hagen E, Méndez-Sánchez F, Rocamora G, Yuan HW, Fric J, Millett J, Russell J, Liske-Clark J, Vidal E, Jourdan H, Campbell K, Springer K, Swinnerton K, Gibbons-Decherong L, Langrand O, Brooke MDL, McMinn M, Bunbury N, Oliveira N, Sposimo P, Geraldes P, McClelland P, Hodum P, Ryan PG, Borroto-Páez R, Pierce R, Griffiths R, Fisher RN, Wanless R, Pasachnik SA, Cranwell S, Micol T, Butchart SHM. Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212128. [PMID: 30917126 PMCID: PMC6436766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick D. Holmes
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Dena R. Spatz
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Steffen Oppel
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, United Kigndom
| | - Bernie Tershy
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Donald A. Croll
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Brad Keitt
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
- American Bird Conservancy, The Plains, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Piero Genovesi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research ISPRA and Chair IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group, Via V. Brancati, Rome, Italy
| | | | - David J. Will
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
| | - Alexander L. Bond
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, United Kigndom
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire, United Kigndom
| | - Alex Wegmann
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
- The Nature Conservancy, Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, Hawai’i, United States of America
| | - Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz
- Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. Av. Moctezuma, Zona Centro, Ensenada, B.C., Mexico
| | - André F. Raine
- Kaua`i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, Hanapepe, Kaua`i, Hawai’i, United States of America
| | - Charles R. Knapp
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, IUCN Iguana Specialist Group, S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Chung-Hang Hung
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Erin Hagen
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
| | - Federico Méndez-Sánchez
- Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. Av. Moctezuma, Zona Centro, Ensenada, B.C., Mexico
| | - Gerard Rocamora
- Island Biodiversity & Conservation center, University of Seychelles, Anse Royale, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Hsiao-Wei Yuan
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jakob Fric
- Nature Conservation Consultants Ltd, Gytheiou Chalandri, Greece
| | | | - James Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jill Liske-Clark
- Division of Fish & Wildlife, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Lower Base, Saipan Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
| | - Eric Vidal
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD de Nouméa, Nouméa cedex, New-Caledonia
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD de Nouméa, Nouméa cedex, New-Caledonia
| | - Karl Campbell
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
| | - Keith Springer
- Rinaldi Avenue, The Pines Beach, North Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Kirsty Swinnerton
- The Island Endemics Foundation, Boqueron, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | | | - Olivier Langrand
- Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - M. de L. Brooke
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kigndom
| | - Miguel McMinn
- BIOGEOMED Group, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra, Valdemossa Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Nancy Bunbury
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, United Kigndom
| | - Nuno Oliveira
- Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Avenida Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Pedro Geraldes
- Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Avenida Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Peter Hodum
- Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, Kailua, Hawai’i, United States of America
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | | | - Ray Pierce
- Stoney Creek Rd, Speewah, Queensland, Australia
| | - Richard Griffiths
- Island Conservation, Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz California, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Ross Wanless
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- BirdLife South Africa, Parklands, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stesha A. Pasachnik
- Fort Worth Zoo, IUCN Iguana Specialist Group, Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas United States of America
| | | | - Thierry Micol
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Fonderies Royales, 8 rue du Docteur Pujos, Rochefort, France
- Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises, rue Gabriel Dejean, Saint Pierre de la Réunion, France
| | - Stuart H. M. Butchart
- BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kigndom
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kigndom
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Spatz DR, Zilliacus KM, Holmes ND, Butchart SHM, Genovesi P, Ceballos G, Tershy BR, Croll DA. Globally threatened vertebrates on islands with invasive species. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1603080. [PMID: 29075662 PMCID: PMC5656423 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1603080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Global biodiversity loss is disproportionately rapid on islands, where invasive species are a major driver of extinctions. To inform conservation planning aimed at preventing extinctions, we identify the distribution and biogeographic patterns of highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates (classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) and invasive vertebrates on ~465,000 islands worldwide by conducting a comprehensive literature review and interviews with more than 500 experts. We found that 1189 highly threatened vertebrate species (319 amphibians, 282 reptiles, 296 birds, and 292 mammals) breed on 1288 islands. These taxa represent only 5% of Earth's terrestrial vertebrates and 41% of all highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates, which occur in <1% of islands worldwide. Information about invasive vertebrates was available for 1030 islands (80% of islands with highly threatened vertebrates). Invasive vertebrates were absent from 24% of these islands, where biosecurity to prevent invasions is a critical management tool. On the 76% of islands where invasive vertebrates were present, management could benefit 39% of Earth's highly threatened vertebrates. Invasive mammals occurred in 97% of these islands, with Rattus sp. as the most common invasive vertebrate (78%; 609 islands). Our results provide an important baseline for identifying islands for invasive species eradication and other island conservation actions that reduce biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dena R. Spatz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Island Conservation, 2100 Delaware Avenue, Suite A, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kelly M. Zilliacus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Nick D. Holmes
- Island Conservation, 2100 Delaware Avenue, Suite A, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Stuart H. M. Butchart
- BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB23QZ, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB23EJ, UK
| | - Piero Genovesi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, and Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group, Via V. Brancati 48, Rome 00144, Italy
| | - Gerardo Ceballos
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. 04510, México
| | - Bernie R. Tershy
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Conservation Metrics, UCSC Coastal Science Campus, 145 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Donald A. Croll
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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