Factors associated with rodent eradication failure

Holmes, Nick D.; Griffiths, Richard; Pott, Madeleine; Alifano, Aurora; Will, David; Wegmann, Alexander S.; Russell, James C.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2014.12.018

Cited by 57 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…However, we note that confirming ground‐based rodent eradications from the process used to undertake them is not a reliable simultaneous estimate of the probability of eradication (Holmes et al . ). A grid spacing of 50 m may not be sufficient for confirming eradication of mice which are more difficult to eradicate (MacKay, Russell & Murphy ) and have lower values of σ (Russell ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We used the prevailing success rate of rat eradications (Holmes et al . ), but eradicating mice from islands has proven to be much more difficult than eradicating rats (Elliott et al . ); therefore, a different prior for each species could affect the resulting estimates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…What these previous studies have in common is that the eradication is carried out in a series of hunts or trapping sessions, whereas for invasive rodent species, eradication is usually performed in a single or a small number of sessions via aerial or ground‐based baiting (Holmes et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Optimizing confirmation of invasive species eradication with rapid eradication assessment

Russell

Binnie

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary Confirmation of invasive species eradication following management programmes is typically determined by waiting an arbitrary period of time before determining success or failure based upon the then obvious presence or absence of the target species. Rapid eradication assessment could be achieved more expediently by applying statistical models of the probability of detecting survivors and their offspring, using a grid of detection devices, for a given set of biological and monitoring parameters. We simulate estimation of the probability of eradication for invasive rodents on islands across a range of monitoring parameters in order to provide guidance to managers on the optimal values, diminishing returns and trade‐offs in monitoring to achieve a given level of confidence in successful eradication. We found that monitoring an island for survivors over 15–20 nights is optimal and that waiting longer than a year before commencing monitoring has a negligible impact on the estimated probability of success. The spacing between detection devices has a considerable influence on estimated probability of success but only when it is <60 m. Intrinsic biological parameters of the target species have a substantial impact on confirming the probability of success, but validated field data are lacking to reliably incorporate these in current rapid eradication assessment models. We present case studies demonstrating cost savings of at least 5% to managers when applying rapid eradication assessment to the eradication of house mice Mus musculus from Isla Pájaros and Isla Muertos in Arrecife Alacranes (Scorpion Reef) Mexico, and implement the rapid eradication assessment model in an HTML GUI interface for eradication managers ( www.rea.is). Synthesis and applications. Rapid eradication assessment (REA) is a powerful tool for managers to design optimal invasive species eradication monitoring programmes. We recommend island eradication managers routinely implement REA on small islands for the demonstrated cost savings and to accelerate eradication confirmation, ultimately facilitating island restoration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimizing confirmation of invasive species eradication with rapid eradication assessment

Russell

Binnie

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…In general, successful rat eradications from tropical islands (89%) have been somewhat lower than successes in temperate islands (96%; Keitt et al 2015). Some suggestions on why the lower success rate on tropical islands include (1) increased crab and insect densities resulting in competition for bait, (2) year-round and unpredictable breeding by rats, and (3) increased or unpredictable availability of alternative, natural foods (Keitt et al 2015;Holmes et al 2015b). documented the attempted eradications of FIGURE 10.7 EPA-approved label for a rodenticide designed for invasive rodent eradication on islands.…”

Section: Invasive Rodent Eradicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An eradication attempt that is 99% successful can ultimately result in 100% failure due to the high reproductive potential of the remaining rodent population. Because of the large commitment of resources and usually public funds in eradication efforts, the potential for failure should be minimized, and there have been a number of factors that have been identi ed that commonly in uence whether a rodent eradication attempt is successful (e.g., see Keitt et al 2015;Holmes et al 2015b). Planning and implementation components include: …”

Section: Invasive Rodent Eradicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild Pigs

Mayer¹,

Beasley²

2017

Ecology and Management of Terrestrial Vertebrate Invasive Species in the United States

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Climate oscillation and the invasion of alien species influence the oceanic distribution of seabirds

Perez-Correa

Carr

Meeuwig

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Spatial and temporal distribution of seabird transiting and foraging at sea is an important consideration for marine conservation planning. Using at‐sea observations of seabirds (n = 317), collected during the breeding season from 2012 to 2016, we built boosted regression tree (BRT) models to identify relationships between numerically dominant seabird species (red‐footed booby, brown noddy, white tern, and wedge‐tailed shearwater), geomorphology, oceanographic variability, and climate oscillation in the Chagos Archipelago. We documented positive relationships between red‐footed booby and wedge‐tailed shearwater abundance with the strength in the Indian Ocean Dipole, as represented by the Dipole Mode Index (6.7% and 23.7% contribution, respectively). The abundance of red‐footed boobies, brown noddies, and white terns declined abruptly with greater distance to island (17.6%, 34.1%, and 41.1% contribution, respectively). We further quantified the effects of proximity to rat‐free and rat‐invaded islands on seabird distribution at sea and identified breaking point distribution thresholds. We detected areas of increased abundance at sea and habitat use‐age under a scenario where rats are eradicated from invaded nearby islands and recolonized by seabirds. Following rat eradication, abundance at sea of red‐footed booby, brown noddy, and white terns increased by 14%, 17%, and 3%, respectively, with no important increase detected for shearwaters. Our results have implication for seabird conservation and island restoration. Climate oscillations may cause shifts in seabird distribution, possibly through changes in regional productivity and prey distribution. Invasive species eradications and subsequent island recolonization can lead to greater access for seabirds to areas at sea, due to increased foraging or transiting through, potentially leading to distribution gains and increased competition. Our approach predicting distribution after successful eradications enables anticipatory threat mitigation in these areas, minimizing competition between colonies and thereby maximizing the risk of success and the conservation impact of eradication programs.

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Factors associated with rodent eradication failure

Cited by 57 publications

References 48 publications

Optimizing confirmation of invasive species eradication with rapid eradication assessment

Optimizing confirmation of invasive species eradication with rapid eradication assessment

Wild Pigs

Climate oscillation and the invasion of alien species influence the oceanic distribution of seabirds

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