title: Selection of invasive wild pig countermeasures using multicriteria decision analysis.
abstract: Wild pigs are a widespread invasive species that pose significant environmental and social risks. A number of wild pig eradication and control measures exist, but many eradication campaigns are ultimately unsuccessful. Decision making regarding how to design and execute an eradication plan is difficult because of multiple costs and benefits spanning various decision criteria that are associated with different eradication and control countermeasures. Moreover, multiple stakeholders are often involved with differing and sometimes competing objectives, and wild pigs are adaptive adversaries, meaning that the ideal countermeasure may change over time. In this paper, we propose the use of formal decision analytic tools which can structure decision problems into a set of relevant criteria, countermeasures, and stakeholder preferences to facilitate the evaluation of tradeoffs. We operationalize this method in a simple Excel-based decision tool and conclude with a path forward regarding how to successfully implement such tools for effective wild pig control.
authors.affiliation: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA. Electronic address: matthew.c.brondum@usace.army.mil.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brondum
authors.affiliation: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.affiliation: Louisiana Tech University, 305 Wisteria St, Ruston, LA 71272, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.affiliation: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA.
authors.forename: Buddy L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Goatcher
authors.affiliation: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Linkov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003657:Decision Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D058865:Introduced Species; D012306:Risk; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine
keywords: Adaptive management; Decision analysis; Feral pig; Integrated pest management; Invasive species; Nuisance species; Sus scrofa; Wild pig