High-impact conservation: invasive mammal eradications from the islands of western México.
Islands harbor a disproportionate amount of the earth's biodiversity, but a significant portion has been lost due in large part to the impacts of invasive mammals. Fortunately, invasive mammals can be routinely removed from islands, providing a powerful tool to prevent extinctions and restore ecosystems. Given that invasive mammals are still present on more than 80% of the world's major islands groups and remain a premier threat to the earth's biodiversity, it is important to disseminate replicable, scaleable models to eradicate invasive mammals from islands. We report on a successful model from western México during the past decade. A collaborative effort between nongovernmental organizations, academic biologists, Mexican government agencies, and local individuals has resulted in major restoration efforts in three island archipelagos. Forty-two populations of invasive mammals have been eradicated from 26 islands. For a cost of USD 21,615 per colony and USD 49,370 per taxon, 201 seabird colonies and 88 endemic terrestrial taxa have been protected, respectively. These conservation successes are a result of an operational model with three main components: i) a tri-national collaboration that integrates research, prioritization, financing, public education, policy work, capacity building, conservation action, monitoring, and evaluation; ii) proactive and dedicated natural resource management agencies; and iii) effective partnerships with academic researchers in Mexico and the United States. What is now needed is a detailed plan to eradicate invasive mammals from the remaining islands in the region that integrates the needed additional financing, capacity, technical advances, and policy issues. Island conservation in western Mexico provides an effective approach that can be readily applied to other archipelagos where conservation efforts have been limited.
Aguirre-Muñoz
Alfonso
A
Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas AC, Ensenada, Baja California, México, CP. alfonso.aguirre@conservaciondeislas.org
Croll
Donald A
DA
Donlan
C Josh
CJ
Henry
R William
RW
Hermosillo
Miguel Angel
MA
Howald
Gregg R
GR
Keitt
Bradford S
BS
Luna-Mendoza
Luciana
L
Rodríguez-Malagón
Marlenne
M
Salas-Flores
Luz María
LM
Samaniego-Herrera
Araceli
A
Sanchez-Pacheco
Jose Angel
JA
Sheppard
Jacob
J
Tershy
Bernie R
BR
Toro-Benito
Jorge
J
Wolf
Shaye
S
Wood
Bill
B
D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D008322:Mammals; D008800:Mexico; D013045:Species Specificity