F. Medina - Montecristo 2010

The impact of introduced carnivores on habitat and
fauna of insular systems: the example of feral cats
(Felis catus)
Félix M. Medina and Manuel Nogales
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Island ecosystems and biological invasions
Ecological characteristics
Great variety of habitats
Extent of ecological niches
Simple trophic webs
Island biota characteristics
Low diversity of species
High level of endemism
Loss of anti-predator behaviour
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Island ecosystems and biological invasions
Myrica faya
Hawai´i
Boiga irregularis
Guam
Anoplopelis gracilipes
Christmas Island
Mus domesticus
Everywhere
Lates niloticus
Victoria Lake
Ammotragus lervia
La Palma Island
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Island ecosystems and biological invasions
Rats Rattus spp.
Stoats Mustela erminea
(Veitch, Clout & Towns, 2011)
(Towns et al., 2006)
Mongooses
Herpestes spp.
(Hays & Conant, 2007)
American mink Neovison vison
(Banks et al., 2008)
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Island ecosystems and biological invasions
Felis silvestris catus
Surface:
2.6 km2
Introduction:
1892 (≈ 1 ind.)
Extinction date:
1905
Eradication:
1910
Stephens Island, New Zealand
Traversia lyalli
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
The diet of feral cats on islands: a review and a call for more studies
Bonnaud, E., F. M. Medina, E. Vidal, M. Nogales, B. Tershy, E. Zavaleta, C. J. Donlan, B. Keitt, M. Le Corre & S. V. Horwath.
2011. Biol Invasions 13: 581-603
58 papers - 72 studies on diet - 40 islands
100
66/68
67/68
57/68
Studies (%)
80
39/68
60
40
20
8/68
0
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Fishes Invertebrates
Frequency of occurrence (%)
Global diet composition
100
80
18/67
60
17/67
41/67
40
15/67
6/67
20
0
Mammals
Birds
Prey
Reptiles
Prey
27 mammals
113 birds
34 reptiles
3 amphibians
2 fishes
69 invertebrates
Fishes Invertebrates
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Bonnaud et al. 2011 Biol Invasions 13: 581-603
Biogeographic patterns
n
Rats
34
Rabbits
34
Mice
34
Birds
34
Reptiles
34
Invertebrates
34
Statistics
R
P
R
P
R
P
R
P
R
P
R
P
Latitude
-0.2284
ns
0.4104
*
0.0920
ns
-0.0995
ns
-04532
**
-0.4164
*
Explicative variables
Distance to
Area
mainland
0.1501
ns
-0.3229
ns
-0.1947
ns
0.4626
**
-0.4216
*
01116
ns
0.0569
ns
0.1781
ns
-0.0996
ns
-0.0891
ns
0.2983
ns
-0.0381
ns
Altitude
Surface x
Altitude
0.0598
ns
0.1939
ns
0.1878
ns
-0.0717
ns
0.01071
ns
0.1652
ns
0.07961
ns
0.2285
ns
0.0386
ns
-0.0836
ns
0.1866
ns
0.0585
ns
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
A global review of the impacts of invasive cats on islands endangered
vertebrates
Medina, F. M., E. Bonnaud, E. Vidal, B. R. Tershy, E. S. Zavaleta, C. J. Donlan, B. S. Keitt, M. Le Corre, S. V. Horwath & M.
Nogales. 2011. Global Change Biol. 17: 3505-3510
120 islands
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina et al. (2011). Global Change Biology 17 : 3503-3510
EW
2
2
CR
10
25
3
38
EN
6
34
7
47
VU Total
4
25
42 123
8
27
56 175
Leiocephalus carinatus armouri
Reptiles
Birds
Mammals
Total
EX
2
20
9
31
Leiocephalus
eremitus
Zoothera
terrestris
Nesoryzomys
darwini
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina et al. (2011). Global Change Biology 17 : 3503-3510
Chelonias mydas
Gallotia gomerana
Cyclura carinata
Pterodroma madeira
Puffinus mauretanicus
Copsychus sechellarum
Dipodomys insularis
Isoodon auratus
Number of events on islands
120
100
Solenodon cubanus
80
60
40
20
0
COMPLEX
HIGH
Reptiles
Birds
EXTINCT
Mammals
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Underlying impacts of invasive cats on islands: not only a question of
predation Medina, F. M., E. Bonnaud, E. Vidal & M. Nogales. 2014. Biodivers. Conserv. 23: 327-342
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina et al., 2014. Biodivers. Conserv. 23: 327-342
(Riera et al. 2002)
(Traveset & Riera 2005)
Disruption of seed dispersal systems
Podarcis lilfordi
Balearic Islands, Meditarranean
Daphne rodriguezii
Podarcis pityusensis
Balearic Islands, Meditarranean
(Valido 1999)
Cneorum tricoccon
Gallotia galloti
Neochamaelea pulverulenta
Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean
G. simonyi
G. gomerana
G. intermedia
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina et al., 2014. Biodivers. Conserv. 23: 327-342
(Nogales et al. 1996)
Disruption of seed dispersal systems
Especies
Plocama pendula
Rubia fruticosa
Scilla haemorrhoidalis
Neochamaelea pulverulenta
Withania aristata
Opuntia dillenii
Opuntia ficus-barbarica
Juniperus turbinata
Plocama pendula
Nº de semillas
194
12 (61)
4
3
14
66
(1)
(71)
Rubia fruticosa
% semillas dañadas % FO
1
7,5
- (-)
3,5 (6,5)
1,0
1,5
7,1
1,5
15,2
19,0
(-)
(0,4)
1,4
(6,9)
Juniperus turbinata
Opuntia dillenii
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Disruption of seed dispersal systems
Gallotia galloti
Felis catus
Plocama pendula
Rubia fruticosa
Juniperus turbinata
Opuntia dillenii
Plocama pendula
Rubia fruticosa
Juniperus turbinata
Opuntia dillenii
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Great ability of dispersion
Efficient predators
Food plasticity
Promiscuity
High fecundity
Successful creating feral populations
Incorporation to insular trophic webs
The feral cat is one of most
pernicious introduced
predators on islands
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Review of feral cat eradications on islands
Campbell, K.J., Harper, G., Algar, D. Hanson, C.C., Keitt, B.S. & Robinson, S. 2011. Pages 37- 46 in Veitch, C.R., Clout, M.N. &
Towns, D.R. eds. Island invasives: eradication and management. International Union for Conservation of Nature
87 successful campaigns on 83 islands worldwide
19% feral cat eradication campaigns failed on 15 islands
Causes of failures:
Lack of institutional support to complete the action
The use of inappropriate methods
Inappropriate timing of those methods
Eradication methods:
Leg-hold traps (68%)
Hunting (59%)
Primary poisoning (31%)
Cage traps (29%)
Dogs (24%)
Advanced methods:
Aerial baiting techniques
GPS and GIS methods
Alternative toxins
Marked and sterilized cat
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina & Nogales (2009). Biodiver. Conserv. 18: 829-846
Cat control programmes in the Canaries
Lobos islet
(Ardura & Calabuig, 1993)
(M. González, pers. com.)
(Martín et al., 2002)
4.4
4.4
10.2
10.2
Xerophytic
shrub
Xerophytic
shrub
Sep 1992
19 - 23 May 1997
21 - 29 Ago 2002
6
0
3
Traps
poison
Mus domesticus
May 1998
1
Traps
Mus domesticus
Bulweria bulwerii
Calonectris diomedea
Puffinus assimilis
Pelagodroma marina
Hydrobates pelagicus
Oceanodroma castro
Alegranza (Martín et al., 2002)
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Medina & Nogales (2009). Biodiver. Conserv. 18: 829-846
Cat control programmes in the Canaries
369.8
≈1
Xerophytic
shrub
La Gomera
17 - 30 Sep 1999
2000 - 2001
Traps
7
58
Mus domesticus
Rattus rattus
Traps
27 Mus domesticus
5 Rattus rattus
Traps
35 Mus domesticus
Rattus norvegicus
Rattus rattus
Gallotia gomerana
(Illera, 1999)
(Mateo, 2001)
268.7 ≈ 40
El Hierro
Xerophytic shrub
Temperate forest
2001 - 2005
Gallotia simonyi
(Rodríguez-Domínguez et al., 2007)
2034.4 0.25 Xerophytic shrub Nov 04 - Feb 05
Tenerife
(Rando, 2005)
Gallotia intermedia
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Feral cats and biodiversity conservation: the urgent prioritization of island
management
Nogales, M., E. Vidal, F. M. Medina, E. Bonnaud, B. R. Tershy, K. J. Campbell & E. S. Zavaleta. 2013. Bioscience 63: 804-810.
Islands
Mangere (New Zealand)
Raoul (New Zealand)
Stephens (New Zealand)
Montserrat (Baja California)
Baltra (Galapagos Islands)
Mejía (Baja California)
San Roque (Baja California)
Species
Anthornis melanocephala
Cabalus modestus
Pterodroma cervicalis cervicalis
Traversia lyalli
Turnagra capensis minor
Xenicus longipes*
Chaetodipus baileyi fornicatus
Nesoryzomys indefessus
Peromyscus guardia mejia
Peromyscus maniculatus cineritius
Group
Bird
“
“
“
“
“
Mammal
“
“
“
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Nogales et al., 2013. Bioscience 63: 804-810
Marion Island (290 km2) is the largest island
Dirk Hartog (620 km2) in Western Australia are planned
Ascension, 900 inhabitants
List of CR species threatened by feral cats
Islands
Pine Cay
Little Cayman
Anegada
Alejandro Selkirk
Floreana
Amsterdam
Socorro
Guadalupe
Fatu Hiva
Robinson Crusoe
Santa Margarita
San Lorenzo Sur
CR species
Cyclura carinata
Cyclura nubila caymanensis
Cyclura pinguis
Aphrastura masafuerae
Camarhynchus pauper
Pterodroma phaeopygia
Diomedea amsterdamensis
Mimus graysoni
Puffinus auricularis
Oceanodroma macrodactyla
Pomarea whitneyi
Sephanoides f. fernandensis
Dipodomys margaritae
Peromyscus interparietalis
Common names
Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana
Little Caymans Iguana
Anegada Rock Iguana
Masafuera Rayadito
Galápagos Medium Tree-finch
Galápagos Petrel
Amsterdam Albatross
Socorro Mockingbird
Townsend's Shearwater
Guadalupe Storm-petrel
Fatuhiva Monarch
Juan Fernández Firecrown
Margarita Island Kangaroo Rat
San Lorenzo Deer mouse
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
Conclusions
(Campbell et al., 2011)
(Nogales et al., 2013)
Efficient implementation of multiple species eradications is one of the primary
technical challenge.
Biosecurity aimed at preventing introductions or reintroductions must also be
key components of island management strategies.
The use of legislation, spay and neuter, identification by micro-chipping,
registration of pets and prohibition or control of importation, will become more
common as eradications on inhabited islands involve feral populations of species
that are also kept as pets or farm animals.
Funding and social issues appear to be the
main factors limiting many eradications
occurring.
Working with communities will be a key
component of eradicating cats from inhabited
islands.
«Le specie aliene invasive, una grave minaccia per i sistemi insulari: esperienze di gestione a confronto»
«Invasive alien species, a major threat to insular ecosystems: comparing management options and experiences»
Portoferraio, 31 marzo/march – 2 aprile/april 2014
The impact of introduced carnivores on habitat and fauna of insular systems: the example of feral cats (Felis catus)
Félix M. Medina & Manuel Nogales
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