Tropical Island Recovery

Samways, Michael J.; Hitchins, Peter; Bourquin, Orty; Henwood, Jock

doi:10.1002/9781444327410

Cited by 36 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Nowhere has biodiversity loss been so acute as in island ecosystems (Brooks et al, 2002), where invasive alien species (Harper & Bunbury, 2015; Prior et al, 2018), habitat loss (Brooks et al, 2002) and climate change (Courchamp et al, 2014) have all had major impacts, causing extinctions and reducing surviving populations to critical levels. Despite major conservation progress and the development of pioneering techniques, such as invasive alien species management (Bunbury et al, 2019; Jones et al, 2016), translocations (Burt et al, 2016; Jones & Kress, 2012) and in situ species management (Samways et al, 2010), these pressures are compounded in island nations—especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—which are highly dependent on biodiversity for their economic and social wellbeing (Mouillot et al, 2020). However, capacity and resource constraints (human, institutional, and financial) can often hinder national and regional responses (Cherian, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining and bridging the barriers to more effective conservation of island ecosystems: A practitioner's perspective

Burt

Nuño

Bunbury

2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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The failure to meet global biodiversity targets clearly indicates the need for biodiversity management and conservation efforts to be more effective, and this in turn requires better understanding of the current barriers to success. Islands are known as biodiversity hotspots but nowhere has biodiversity loss been so acute as in island ecosystems. To identify the barriers to effective island ecosystem conservation, we conducted 32 semistructured interviews with conservation and management practitioners from island nations in the Western Indian Ocean region. Practitioners described 33 barriers to meeting their objectives under 12 overarching topics and suggested 14 solutions to these. Most barriers described by interviewees existed at organization level (55%), followed by national (24%) and site/project level (21%). Of the 33 barriers described by practitioners, the most commonly associated cause was limited capacity (23.5%), followed by lack of government coordination and limited resources (both 21.6%), lack of incentives (11.8%), poor leadership (11.7%), and finally interpersonal issues interfering with progress (9.8%). Most solutions centered around bridging capacity gaps. By defining these barriers, we can bring them forward for discussion and allocate resources and efforts to bridging them. Only by doing so can we increase the effectiveness of our management efforts and maximize our chances of achieving global biodiversity targets.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining and bridging the barriers to more effective conservation of island ecosystems: A practitioner's perspective

Burt

Nuño

Bunbury

2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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“…), despite the lack of any evidence of predators. These local extinctions may have been the result of climate stresses and stochastic population fluctuations (Samways et al 2010).…”

Section: Seychellesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative impacts of invasive predators used as biological control agents against the pest snail Lissachatina fulica: the snail Euglandina ‘rosea’ and the flatworm Platydemus manokwari

Gerlach¹,

Barker

Bick

et al. 2020

Biol Invasions

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Since 1955 snails of the Euglandina rosea species complex and Platydemus manokwari flatworms were widely introduced in attempted biological control of giant African snails (Lissachatina fulica) but have been implicated in the mass extinction of Pacific island snails. We review the histories of the 60 introductions and their impacts on L. fulica and native snails. Since 1993 there have been unofficial releases of Euglandina within island groups. Only three official P. manokwari releases took place, but new populations are being recorded at an increasing rate, probably because of accidental introduction. Claims that these predators controlled L. fulica cannot be substantiated; in some cases pest snail declines coincided with predator arrival but concomitant declines occurred elsewhere in the absence of the predator and the declines in some cases were only temporary. In the Hawaiian Islands, although there had been some earlier declines of native snails, the Euglandina impacts on native snails are clear with rapid decline of many endemic Hawaiian Achatinellinae following predator arrival. In the Society Islands, Partulidae tree snail populations remained stable until Euglandina introduction, when declines were extremely rapid with an exact correspondence between predator arrival and tree snail decline. Platydemus manokwari invasion coincides with native snail declines on some islands, notably the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, and its invasion of Florida has led to mass mortality of Liguus spp. tree snails. We conclude that Euglandina and P. manokwari are not effective biocontrol agents, but do have major negative effects on native snail faunas. These predatory snails and flatworms are generalist predators and as such are not suitable for biological control.

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“…Cousine is apparently the only tropical island over 20 ha which has never had any invasive alien mammals (Samways 2000). Furthermore, central Cousine has a relatively undisturbed tropical forest ecosystem (Samways et al 2010b). Despite the near-natural condition of the island, some invasive alien species are nevertheless still present.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of an invasive ant and its chemical control on a threatened endemic Seychelles millipede

et al. 2011

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The impact of invasive species on island faunas can be of major local consequence, while their control is an important part of island ecosystem restoration. Among these invasive species are ants, of which some have a disruptive impact on indigenous arthropod populations. Here, we study the impact of the invasive African big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala, on a small Seychelles island, Cousine, and assess the impact of this ant, and its chemical control, using the commercially available hydramethylnon-based bait, Siege, on the endemic keystone Seychelles giant millipede species, Sechelleptus seychellarum. We found no significant correlations in landscape-scale spatial overlap and abundance between the ant and the millipede. Furthermore, the ant did not attack healthy millipedes, but fed only on dying and dead individuals. The chemical defences of the millipede protected it from ant predation. Ingestion of the bait at standard concentration had no obvious impact on the millipede. The most significant threat to the Seychelles giant millipede in terms of P. megacephala invasion is from possible catastrophic shifts in ecosystem function through ant hemipteran mutualisms which can lead to tree mortality, resulting in alteration of the millipede's habitat.

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Tropical Island Recovery

Cited by 36 publications

References 0 publications

Defining and bridging the barriers to more effective conservation of island ecosystems: A practitioner's perspective

Defining and bridging the barriers to more effective conservation of island ecosystems: A practitioner's perspective

Negative impacts of invasive predators used as biological control agents against the pest snail Lissachatina fulica: the snail Euglandina ‘rosea’ and the flatworm Platydemus manokwari

Effect of an invasive ant and its chemical control on a threatened endemic Seychelles millipede

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