Authors
B Keitt, K Campbell, A Saunders, M Clout, Y Wang, R Heinz, K Newton, B Tershy
Publication date
2011/1/1
Journal
Island invasives: eradication and management. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
Pages
74-77
Description
Islands are important for the conservation of biodiversity because they house 20% of terrestrial plant and vertebrate species, have suffered 64% of IUCN-listed extinctions and have 45% of IUCN-listed critically endangered species. Yet islands make up only about five percent of the earth’s surface. The main cause of extinction and endangerment to biodiversity on islands is the presence of invasive vertebrates. Fortunately, many future extinctions can be prevented by eradicating invasive vertebrates from islands. To assess the current state of this conservation tool, we are compiling a global database of terrestrial vertebrate eradications from islands, including successes and failures. To date, in the Global Islands Invasives Vertebrate Eradication Database we have documented approximately 950 island eradication attempts involving 28 species of invasive vertebrates in 12 families. These are preliminary data and will be updated and checked for accuracy as part of the Island Invasives: Eradication and Management conference, Auckland 2010. Most eradication attempts have been of rodents (> 350) and bovid ungulates (> 160). Moderate numbers of eradication attempts have been of cats (> 90), suid ungulates (> 55), and rabbits (> 45). Most projects have been on islands smaller than 500 ha (68%) and in temperate climates (72%). Targeting eradications on larger and more tropical islands would lead to the protection of more biodiversity. To this end, our vision is to maintain an accurate, web-accessible, regularly updated database that can be used to promote and improve the protection of island ecosystems by eradicating invasive vertebrates.
Total citations
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Scholar articles
B Keitt, K Campbell, A Saunders, M Clout, Y Wang… - Island invasives: eradication and management. IUCN …, 2011