scholarly journals Understanding attitudes on new technologies to manage invasive species

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Kirk ◽  
Robyn Kannemeyer ◽  
Alison Greenaway ◽  
Edy MacDonald ◽  
Dean Stronge
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Controversial Technologies

Invasive animal species threaten global biodiversity. In New Zealand invasive species threaten iconic native species, and scientists are seeking approval to research new technologies that might be capable of eradicating these invasive species. The aim of this research was to understand what New Zealanders with an interest in pest control consider to be the main risks and benefits of introducing new technologies to manage invasive species. We invited key informants to participate in the focus groups, selecting people with knowledge and experience of pest control issues in New Zealand. Data were collected from seven focus groups held in three locations across New Zealand. A thematic analysis of the data was then conducted in which three key themes emerged: concern about the risk of unintended consequences, the benefits of landscape-scale technologies, and New Zealand being an early adopter of new technologies. The focus groups articulated a variety of benefits from introducing new technologies – such as replacing dangerous poisons with non-toxic alternatives – but it was the risks of the new technologies that dominated the discussions. Given these results, we recommend an education and communication strategy focussed on social learning, in conjunction with a codesigned decision-making process, to help establish social licence for the application of potentially controversial technologies.

Now that we have our pest-proof fence, are we safe or trapped?

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Parks ◽  
Kyle Clifton ◽  
Lauren Best ◽  
Bridget Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Free Status

PEST-PROOF (exclusion) fences are designed to prevent non-native, predatory and pest species from repopulating an area set aside to protect vulnerable native plant and animal species. Pest-proof fencing provides security from invasive species, but can isolate the native species enclosed within. On one hand, some rare native species exist on the mainland due to the pest-free status achieved through the use of exclusion fences. On the other hand, these reintroduced populations are now isolated a situation where they would not be found naturally (Jamieson et al. 2006). Exclusion fences must be constantly maintained or the sanctuary risks reinvasion. An important question for conservation biologists and managers to answer is therefore — when is exclusion fencing the best option for protecting native species from introduced pests? We have drawn our examples from New Zealand and Australia where progress has been made with regard to the design and utilization of exclusion fences.

scholarly journals The Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Reduces Growth of the Native Snail, Fossaria SP.

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
Amy Krist ◽  
Mark Dybdahl
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Potamopyrgus Antipodarum ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
New Zealand Mud Snail ◽  
The Impact

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Hence, understanding the role of invasive species is of grave importance to managing and minimizing the impact of biological invasions. To date, the ecological impacts of biological invasions have received significant attention, but little effort has been made to address the evolutionary impact (Sakai et al. 2001, Cox 2004). This is despite the fact that evolutionary impacts are likely to be widespread; invasive species have been shown to alter patterns of natural selection or gene flow within native populations (Parker et al. 1999), and many of the best examples of rapid evolution involve invasive species interacting with native species (Reznick and Ghalambor 2001, Strauss et al. 2006). We have begun to address some of the evolutionary consequences of the invasion of the New Zealand mud snail, (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) on a species of native snail in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).

scholarly journals Fatal attraction: sexually cannibalistic invaders attract naive native mantids

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 20130746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray P. Fea ◽  
Margaret C. Stanley ◽  
Gregory I. Holwell
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Reproductive Interference ◽  
Sexual Signals ◽  
Praying Mantis ◽  
Fatal Attraction ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

Overlap in the form of sexual signals such as pheromones raises the possibility of reproductive interference by invasive species on similar, yet naive native species. Here, we test the potential for reproductive interference through heterospecific mate attraction and subsequent predation of males by females of a sexually cannibalistic invasive praying mantis. Miomantis caffra is invasive in New Zealand, where it is widely considered to be displacing the only native mantis species, Orthodera novaezealandiae , and yet mechanisms behind this displacement are unknown. We demonstrate that native males are more attracted to the chemical cues of introduced females than those of conspecific females. Heterospecific pairings also resulted in a high degree of mortality for native males. This provides evidence for a mechanism behind displacement that has until now been undetected and highlights the potential for reproductive interference to greatly influence the impact of an invasive species.

scholarly journals Comparison of Grazing Impacts Between the Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail Potamopyrgus Antipidarum, and Native Macroinvertebrates

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 97-107
Author(s):  
Amy Krist ◽  
Caroline Charles
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Relative Impact ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Periphyton Biomass ◽  
New Zealand Mudsnail

To understand the impacts of an herbivorous invasive species on native herbivores, it is critical to quantify the relative impact of the invasive and the native species on shared resources. In a field experiment, we compared grazing efficacy of periphyton by the invasive New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipidarum, and 3 native macroinvertebrate grazers. Depending on the measure of periphyton biomass, P. antipodarum removed as much or more periphyton than any of the native grazers. When we examined diatom genera individually, P. antipodarum also suppressed the relative abundance of the greatest number of diatom genera and suppressed those diatoms more than the native grazers. As a result, P. antipodarum should compete strongly for periphyton with native grazers. In particular, because Ephemerella mayflies were the second most effective grazers and grazed many diatom genera similarly to the invasive snails, these mayflies may be competing with P. antipodarum in the introduced range. Overall, grazing ability may contribute to the invasion success of P. antipodarum.

Rapid eradication assessment (REA): a tool for pest absence confirmation

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana H. K. Kim ◽  
Peter Corson ◽  
Nick Mulgan ◽  
James C. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Real World ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Simulation Framework ◽  
Fixed Level ◽  
Monitoring Effort ◽  
Pest Eradication ◽  
Detection Dog

Abstract ContextEradication of invasive species is necessary to protect and assist the recovery of native species and ecosystems. Knowing when to declare an eradication has been successful after ongoing non-detections is a challenge. AimsThe rapid eradication assessment (REA) model is a powerful simulation framework to determine, given model parameters and a fixed level of monitoring effort, the level of confidence in declaring the success of pest eradication. The aim of the present study was to extend the current functionality of the REA model for broader applicability. MethodsThe REA model was advanced so that it was able to account for (1) usage of multiple static device types with different probabilities of detection, (2) incursion detection at a known location and (3) usage of mobile detection devices, which are increasingly being used in conservation. Key resultsAn invasive rat incursion response on Great Mercury Island in New Zealand is used as a comprehensive example to demonstrate the distribution of estimated probability of pest absence among the cases using the current REA model and the extensions presented here. ConclusionsAlthough Great Mercury Island already had a sparse but extensive island-wide network of static biosecurity surveillance devices, and deployed additional static devices around the area of incursion, the greatest improvement in the estimated probability of pest absence following a rat incursion was from additionally using a trained rodent-detection dog. ImplicationsThe added functionality in the REA model and demonstration of its use on a real-world scenario will allow more realistic application by wildlife managers.

No country for possums: young people’s nativist views

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (01) ◽  
pp. 12-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Ram
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Analyse Data ◽  
Objective View ◽  
The Many ◽  
Interpretive Mode

AbstractThe Australian brushtail possum(Trichosurus vulpecula)is one of many animal species classified as alien under the biosecurity system in New Zealand. However, it is against the possums that a relentless campaign is perpetrated. This article attempts to explain some of the many reasons behind such intense negativity, and in doing so, show a link between the management of invasive species as a biosecurity risk and young people’s nativist views. A qualitative, interpretive mode of inquiry was used to analyse data that showed a link between the management of invasive species as a biosecurity risk and young people’s controversial views. An educational program that presents an objective view of invasive species is recommended.

scholarly journals Improving Ecological Restoration to Curb Biotic Invasion—A Practical Guide

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinfeng Guo ◽  
Dale G. Brockway ◽  
Diane L. Larson ◽  
Deli Wang ◽  
Hai Ren
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Close Monitoring ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Invasive Component ◽  
Invasive Species Control

AbstractCommon practices for invasive species control and management include physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The first two approaches have clear limitations and may lead to unintended (negative) consequences, unless carefully planned and implemented. For example, physical removal rarely completely eradicates the targeted invasive species and can cause disturbances that facilitate new invasions by nonnative species from nearby habitats. Chemical treatments can harm native, and especially rare, species through unanticipated side effects. Biological methods may be classified as biocontrol and the ecological approach. Similar to physical and chemical methods, biocontrol also has limitations and sometimes leads to unintended consequences. Therefore, a relatively safer and more practical choice may be the ecological approach, which has two major components: (1) restoration of native species and (2) biomass manipulation of the restored community, such as selective grazing or prescribed burning (to achieve and maintain viable population sizes). Restoration requires well-planned and implemented planting designs that consider alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diversity and the abundance of native and invasive component species at local, landscape, and regional levels. Given the extensive destruction or degradation of natural habitats around the world, restoration could be most effective for enhancing ecosystem resilience and resistance to biotic invasions. At the same time, ecosystems in human-dominated landscapes, especially those newly restored, require close monitoring and careful intervention (e.g., through biomass manipulation), especially when successional trajectories are not moving as intended. Biomass management frequently uses prescribed burning, grazing, harvesting, and thinning to maintain overall ecosystem health and sustainability. Thus, the resulting optimal, balanced, and relatively stable ecological conditions could more effectively limit the spread and establishment of invasive species. Here we review the literature (especially within the last decade) on ecological approaches that involve biodiversity, biomass, and productivity, three key community/ecosystem variables that reciprocally influence one another. We focus on the common and most feasible ecological practices that can aid in resisting new invasions and/or suppressing the dominance of existing invasive species. We contend that, because of the strong influences from neighboring areas (i.e., as exotic species pools), local restoration and management efforts in the future need to consider the regional context and projected climate changes.

High predatory efficiency and abundance drive expected ecological impacts of a marine invasive fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM DeRoy ◽  
R Scott ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
HJ MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Red Grouper ◽  
Per Capita

The ecological impacts of invasive species are highly variable and mediated by many factors, including both habitat and population abundance. Lionfish Pterois volitans are an invasive marine species which have high reported detrimental effects on prey populations, but whose effects relative to native predators are currently unknown for the recently colonized eastern Gulf of Mexico. We used functional response (FR) methodology to assess the ecological impact of lionfish relative to 2 functionally similar native species (red grouper Epinephelus morio and graysby grouper Cephalopholis cruentata) foraging in a heterogeneous environment. We then combined the per capita impact of each species with their field abundance to obtain a Relative Impact Potential (RIP). RIP assesses the broader ecological impact of invasive relative to native predators, the magnitude of which predicts community-level negative effects of invasive species. Lionfish FR and overall consumption rate was intermediate to that of red grouper (higher) and graysby grouper (lower). However, lionfish had the highest capture efficiency of all species, which was invariant of habitat. Much higher field abundance of lionfish resulted in high RIPs relative to both grouper species, demonstrating that the ecological impact of lionfish in this region will be driven mainly by high abundance and high predator efficiency rather than per capita effect. Our comparative study is the first empirical assessment of lionfish per capita impact and RIP in this region and is one of few such studies to quantify the FR of a marine predator.

Pathways ahead for New Zealand hill country farming

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G. Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Hill Farming ◽  
The Hill

This paper provides a stocktake of the status of hill country farming in New Zealand and addresses the challenges which will determine its future state and performance. It arises out of the Hill Country Symposium, held in Rotorua, New Zealand, 12-13 April 2016. This paper surveys people, policy, business and change, farming systems for hill country, soil nutrients and the environment, plants for hill country, animals, animal feeding and productivity, and strategies for achieving sustainable outcomes in the hill country. This paper concludes by identifying approaches to: support current and future hill country farmers and service providers, to effectively and efficiently deal with change; link hill farming businesses to effective value chains and new markets to achieve sufficient and stable profitability; reward farmers for the careful management of natural resources on their farm; ensure that new technologies which improve the efficient use of input resources are developed; and strategies to achieve vibrant rural communities which strengthen hill country farming businesses and their service providers. Keywords: farming systems, hill country, people, policy, productivity, profitability, sustainability

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