An economic decision model of wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus control to conserve Australian native vegetation

Abstract

Context. Economic decision models are seldom used in developing policies for the cost-effective control of invasive species that threaten natural ecosystems. However, their potential value is shown using an example of European rabbits damaging native vegetation in Australia.Aims. To better define the problem of rabbit damage, provide a sound theoretical basis for implementing cost-efficient strategies for rabbit control and show how resources available for ecosystem protection can be most effectively applied. Methods.A dynamic economic decision model was developed, incorporating the costs and effectiveness of three methods for controlling rabbits among native vegetation to consider alternative management strategies. A monetary value on native vegetation was set using the 'avoided' cost of replanting trees on roadsides and from field data we described how capacity of plant communities to regenerate improves if rabbit numbers are reduced.Key results. Model outputs indicated the best combinations of methods for cost-effective rabbit control and showed how the highest benefits could be gained in protecting natural vegetation.Conclusions. The model provided a framework for deciding how limited resources might be used to greatest benefit for protecting native vegetation.Implications. This methodology could apply to other invasive species, provided that natural assets can be given a justifiable monetary value, control costs and effectiveness can be determined and the impact of the pests on assets can be modelled as dynamic population processes.

Density-impact functions for terrestrial vertebrate pests and indigenous biota: Guidelines for conservation managers

“…Some indigenous shrub and tree seedlings (e.g. Drooping Sheoak, Allocasuarina verticillata) in dry woodlands in Australia are especially vulnerable to browsing by European rabbits (Cooke et al, 2010;Forsyth et al, 2015), and regenerate only if rabbit numbers are reduced to very low densities (e.g. b0.5 ha −1 , Cooke, 2012).…”

“…Desirable levels are often defined loosely in terms of abundance of the pest ('as low as possible') rather than the ecological outcome. One of the fundamental tenets of cost-effective pest management is knowing the minimum control effort, or maximum allowable pest density, that achieves a required outcome, yet this knowledge is lacking for many invaded systems (Caughley and Gunn, 1996;Grice, 2009), although see Cooke et al (2010). Consequently, managers risk not applying enough effort, or conversely, overcommitting scarce resources.…”

European rabbit survival and recruitment are linked to epidemiological and environmental conditions in their exotic range

“…The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is threatened within its native range (the Iberian Peninsula), yet it is a highly successful colonizing species across its worldwide introduced range (Lees & Bell 2008), causing large-scale economic loss and environmental degradation (Cooke et al 2010). Failures to effectively conserve O. cuniculus populations on the Iberian Peninsula, and manage (or eliminate) rabbits in their introduced range, may seem surprising, considering that their biology and natural history has been so thoroughly studied (Lees & Bell 2008;Delibes-Mateos et al 2009).…”

Eradicating abundant invasive prey could cause unexpected and varied biodiversity outcomes: The importance of multispecies interactions

“…Previous studies suggest that successful rabbit control could have wide reaching effects on native biodiversity in Australia (Pedler et al., ), in addition to economic benefits (Cooke, Jones, & Gong, ). However, to date, research has not considered the outcomes of rabbit management at the ecosystem level.…”