Dataset Information

Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates.

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.

SUBMITTER: Holmes ND

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6436766 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates.

Holmes Nick D ND Spatz Dena R DR Oppel Steffen S Tershy Bernie B Croll Donald A DA Keitt Brad B Genovesi Piero P Burfield Ian J IJ Will David J DJ Bond Alexander L AL Wegmann Alex A Aguirre-Muñoz Alfonso A Raine André F AF Knapp Charles R CR Hung Chung-Hang CH Wingate David D Hagen Erin E Méndez-Sánchez Federico F Rocamora Gerard G Yuan Hsiao-Wei HW Fric Jakob J Millett James J Russell James J Liske-Clark Jill J Vidal Eric E Jourdan Hervé H Campbell Karl K Springer Keith K Swinnerton Kirsty K Gibbons-Decherong Lolita L Langrand Olivier O Brooke M de L ML McMinn Miguel M Bunbury Nancy N Oliveira Nuno N Sposimo Paolo P Geraldes Pedro P McClelland Pete P Hodum Peter P Ryan Peter G PG Borroto-Páez Rafael R Pierce Ray R Griffiths Richard R Fisher Robert N RN Wanless Ross R Pasachnik Stesha A SA Cranwell Steve S Micol Thierry T Butchart Stuart H M SHM

PloS one 20190327 3

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 da ...[more]

PMID: 30917126

Similar Datasets

Project description:Neotropical countries receive financing and effort from temperate nations to aid the conservation of migratory species that move between temperate and tropical regions. If allocated strategically, these resources could simultaneously contribute to other conservation initiatives. In this study, we use novel distribution maps to show how those resources could aid planning for the recovery of threatened resident vertebrates.Using eBird-based relative abundance estimates, we first identified areas with high richness of Neotropical migrant landbirds of conservation concern (23 species) during the stationary non-breeding period. Within these areas, we then identified threatened species richness, projected forest loss and conducted a prioritization for 1,261 red-listed vertebrates using Terrestrial Area-of-Habitat maps.Richness for migrants was greatest along a corridor from the Yucatan peninsula south to the northern Andes but also included south-west Mexico and Hispaniola. Protected areas account for 22% of this region while 21% is at risk of forest loss. Within this focal region for migrants, all four vertebrate groups showed hotspots of threatened species richness along the west and east Andean slopes. Taxa-specific hotspots included montane areas of southern Mexico and central Guatemala (amphibians/reptiles) and the entire east slope of the Colombian East Andes (mammals).Our prioritization highlighted several areas of importance for conservation due to high threatened species richness and projected forest loss including (a) the Pacific dry forests of south-west Mexico, (b) montane regions of northern Central America and (c) the west Andean slope of Colombia and Ecuador. At a landscape scale in southern Colombia, we show how conservation efforts for six Neotropical migrants could benefit 56 threatened residents that share a similar elevational range. Synthesis and applications. Funding and effort for migratory bird conservation also has potential to benefit threatened resident vertebrates in the Neotropics. Our study highlights how novel, high-resolution information on species distributions and risk of forest loss can be integrated to identify priority areas for the two groups at regional and landscape scales. The approach and data can be further modified for more specific goals, such as within-country initiatives.

Dataset Information

Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates.

Publications

Globally important islands where eradicating invasive mammals will benefit highly threatened vertebrates.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets