Defining the Impact of Non‐Native Species JESCHKE, JONATHAN M; BACHER, SVEN; BLACKBURN, TIM M ...
Conservation biology,
October 2014, Volume:
28, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Non‐native species cause changes in the ecosystems to which they are introduced. These changes, or some of them, are usually termed impacts; they can be manifold and potentially damaging to ...ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the impacts of most non‐native species are poorly understood, and a synthesis of available information is being hindered because authors often do not clearly define impact. We argue that explicitly defining the impact of non‐native species will promote progress toward a better understanding of the implications of changes to biodiversity and ecosystems caused by non‐native species; help disentangle which aspects of scientific debates about non‐native species are due to disparate definitions and which represent true scientific discord; and improve communication between scientists from different research disciplines and between scientists, managers, and policy makers. For these reasons and based on examples from the literature, we devised seven key questions that fall into 4 categories: directionality, classification and measurement, ecological or socio‐economic changes, and scale. These questions should help in formulating clear and practical definitions of impact to suit specific scientific, stakeholder, or legislative contexts.
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1. Biological invasions are a threat to biodiversity, society and the economy. There is an urgent need to provide evidence-based assessments of the risks posed by invasive alien species (IAS) to ...prioritize action. Risk assessments underpin IAS policies in many ways: informing legislation; providing justification of restrictions in trade or consumer activities; prioritizing surveillance and rapid response. There are benefits to ensuring consistency in content of IAS risk assessments globally, and this can be achieved by providing a framework of minimum standards as a checklist for quality assurance. 2. From a review of existing risk assessment protocols, and with reference to the requirements of the EU Regulation on IAS (1143/2014) and international agreements including the World Trade Organisation, Convention on Biological Diversity and International Plant Protection Convention, coupled with consensus methods, we identified and agreed upon 14 minimum standards (attributes) a riskassessment scheme should include. 3. The agreed minimum standards were as follows: (1) basic species description; (2) likelihood of invasion; (3) distribution, spread and impacts; (4) assessment of introduction pathways; (5) assessment of impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems; (6) Assessment of impact on ecosystem services; (7) assessment of socio-economic impacts; (8) consideration of status (threatened or protected) of species or habitat under threat; (9) assessment of effects of future climate change; (10) completion possible even when there is a lack of information; (11) documents information sources; (12) provides a summary in a consistent and interpretable form; (13) includes uncertainty; (14) includes quality assurance. In deriving these minimum standards, gaps in knowledge required for completing risk assessments and the scope of existing risk assessment protocols were revealed, most notably in relation to assessing benefits, socio-economic impacts and impacts on ecosystem services but also inclusion of consideration of climate change. 4. Policy implications. W e provide a checklist of components that should be within invasive alien species risk assessments and recommendations to develop risk assessments to meet these proposed minimum standards. Although inspired by implementation of the European Union Regulation on invasive alien species, and as such developed specifically within a European context, the derived framework and minimum standards could be applied globally.
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The global increase in biological invasions is placing growing pressure on the management of ecological and economic systems. However, the effectiveness of current management expenditure is difficult ...to assess due to a lack of standardised measurement across spatial, taxonomic and temporal scales. Furthermore, there is no quantification of the spending difference between pre-invasion (e.g. prevention) and post-invasion (e.g. control) stages, although preventative measures are considered to be the most cost-effective. Here, we use a comprehensive database of invasive alien species economic costs (InvaCost) to synthesise and model the global management costs of biological invasions, in order to provide a better understanding of the stage at which these expenditures occur. Since 1960, reported management expenditures have totalled at least US$95.3 billion (in 2017 values), considering only highly reliable and actually observed costs — 12-times less than damage costs from invasions ($1130.6 billion). Pre-invasion management spending ($2.8 billion) was over 25-times lower than post-invasion expenditure ($72.7 billion). Management costs were heavily geographically skewed towards North America (54%) and Oceania (30%). The largest shares of expenditures were directed towards invasive alien invertebrates in terrestrial environments. Spending on invasive alien species management has grown by two orders of magnitude since 1960, reaching an estimated $4.2 billion per year globally (in 2017 values) in the 2010s, but remains 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than damages. National management spending increased with incurred damage costs, with management actions delayed on average by 11 years globally following damage reporting. These management delays on the global level have caused an additional invasion cost of approximately $1.2 trillion, compared to scenarios with immediate management. Our results indicate insufficient management — particularly pre-invasion — and urge better investment to prevent future invasions and to control established alien species. Recommendations to improve reported management cost comprehensiveness, resolution and terminology are also made.
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•Since 1960, management for biological invasions totalled at least $95.3 billion.•Damage costs from invasions were substantially higher ($1130.6 billion).•Pre-invasion management spending is 25-times lower than post-invasion.•Management and damage costs are increasing rapidly over time.•Proactive management substantially reduces future costs at the trillion-$ scale.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Experts agree on the benefits of smart farming for Irish agriculture.•Ambiguity surrounds the risks presented by smart farming for Irish agriculture.•Data sharing and ownership is identified as the ...most urgent concern.•The findings reinforce the call for discourse-based management of risks.
As research and innovation around Smart Farming further advances, there is a need to consider the impact of these technologies including the socio-economic, behavioural and cultural issues that may arise from their adoption. The current study explores the perceived risks and benefits arising from the development of Smart Farming in Ireland and in particular focuses on the different interpretations ascribed to risk issues by different actors. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 21 actors who through their professional positions have some level of responsibility for the growth of Smart Farming in Ireland. Although the participants in the current study were largely in agreement about the benefits presented by Smart Farming for Irish agriculture and society, they held different interpretations and opinions when discussing identified risks. The main concerns related to consumer rejection of technologies, inequitable distribution of risks and benefits within the farming community, adverse socio-economic impacts of increased farmer-technology interactions, and ethical threats presented by the collection and sharing of farmers’ data. The current study reinforces how ambiguity can surround the discussion of risks as individuals form perceptions based on divergent value judgements. The findings reinforce the call for discourse-based management of risks and the embedding of frameworks such as Responsible Research and Innovation within Smart Farming.
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Tropical river fisheries support food security for millions of people but are increasingly threatened by hydropower development. How dams affect these fisheries remains poorly known in most regions. ...Here, we used a functional traits approach to evaluate the extent to which compositions of fishery yields in the Madeira River Basin, the largest sub‐basin in the Amazon, respond to dam construction. We also explored how dams affected the monetary value of yields and fishing‐based income of the communities.
We collected fishing data in 17 locations distributed over 300 km across upstream, reservoir and downstream zones during pre‐and post‐dam construction periods. We interviewed 711 fishers from 13 communities to assess fishing income during pre‐ and post‐dam periods.
Catch‐per‐unit effort (CPUE) declined significantly, that is, by 37%, after dam construction. Multivariate analysis yielded six species clusters according to trait syndromes related to life history, migration, swimming performance/habitat‐use and economic value that were associated with the environmental data characteristic of pre‐ and post‐dam periods. Comparison of CPUE of each cluster indicated that large species with periodic life‐history strategy and regional or long‐distance migratory behaviour were most affected by dam construction, with CPUE declining by, on average, 31%. Declines in yields and shifts in functional composition of the fishery yields resulted in average decline of 21% in the monetary value of functional clusters and 30% in fishing income.
Synthesis and applications. Our study indicates that the implementation of the dams affected the functional composition of yields and reduced catches, negatively affecting the fishing‐based income of communities in the Madeira River. These results imply that hydropower expansion will cause detrimental effects for fisheries and the livelihoods they sustain. Our results underscore the urgent need for considering alternative sources of renewable energy (e.g. solar power and in‐stream turbines) to avoid irreversible socio‐environmental damages of large dam projects. In river reaches where dams are already in operation or under construction, minimizing impacts will require improving operational protocols to reduce hydrological alterations and developing research and technology to improve the functionality of fish passages. In these locations, addressing losses in fishery value and fishing‐based income will also require the implementation of fair compensation measures. Maintaining fish production requires conserving flow pulses and free‐flowing rivers and tributaries critical for completing life cycles of fish species with vulnerable traits.
Resumo
A pesca em rios tropicais sustenta a segurança alimentar de milhões de pessoas, mas está cada vez mais ameaçada pela expansão hidrelétrica. Entretanto, em diversas regiões, os efeitos das construções das barragens na pesca ainda são pouco conhecidos. Neste estudo, utilizamos uma abordagem de análise com base em traços funcionais para identificar possíveis alterações na composição de espécies de peixes e nas capturas pesqueiras na Bacia do Rio Madeira, a maior sub‐bacia da Amazônia, em resposta à construção de barragens. Além disso, exploramos como as barragens impactaram o valor monetário da pesca e a renda dos pescadores.
Coletamos dados de pesca em 17 localidades distribuídos em mais de 300 km nas zonas montante, reservatório, e jusante das hidrelétricas, durante os períodos pré e pós‐construção das barragens. Também entrevistamos 711 pescadores de 13 comunidades para avaliar a renda pesqueira durante os períodos pré e pós‐barragem.
A captura por unidade de esforço (CPUE) diminuiu significativamente, em 37%, após a construção das hidrelétricas. Análises multivariadas apontaram seis agrupamentos (grupos) de espécies de acordo com síndromes de traços funcionais relacionados à história de vida, migração, desempenho de natação/uso de microhabitat e valor econômico. Esses grupos de espécies foram especificamente associados aos dados ambientais característicos dos períodos pré ou pós‐barramento de acordo com seus traços funcionais. Espécies que atingem maiores comprimentos, e que possuem estratégia de história de vida periódica, além de comportamento migratório (regional ou de longa distância), foram mais fortemente afetadas pela construção de barragens, mostrando declínio médio na CPUE de 31%. Declínios nas capturas pesqueiras e alterações na composição funcional da pesca resultaram em um declínio médio de 30% na renda gerada pela pesca nas comunidades estudadas.
Síntese e aplicações. Nosso estudo indica que a implantação das hidrelétricas e as consequentes mudanças nas condições ambientais reduziram as capturas e alteraram a composição funcional da pesca, afetando negativamente a renda das comunidades estudadas no Rio Madeira. Esses resultados indicam que a expansão da construção de hidrelétricas prejudica a pesca e os meios de subsistência das populações locais. Nossos resultados demonstram a necessidade urgente de considerar o uso de fontes alternativas de energia renovável (por exemplo, energia solar e turbinas posicionadas no rio (‘in‐stream’)) para evitar os danos socioambientais irreversíveis causados por grandes projetos hidrelétricos. Em trechos de rios onde as hidrelétricas já estão em funcionamento ou em construção, minimizar os impactos exigirá melhorias dos protocolos de operação para reduzir as alterações hidrológicas e o desenvolvimento de pesquisa e tecnologia para aperfeiçoar a funcionalidade das passagens para peixes. Nesses locais, medidas de compensação justas devem ser implementadas para reaver perdas no valor da pesca e na renda pesqueira das comunidades. Manter a produção pesqueira requer conservar os pulsos de inundação e conectividade dos rios e tributário os quais são essenciais para o desenvolvimento dos ciclos de vida das espécies de peixes com características vulneráveis.
Our study indicates that the implementation of the dams affected the functional composition of yields and reduced catches, negatively affecting the fishing‐based income of communities in the Madeira River. These results imply that hydropower expansion will cause detrimental effects for fisheries and the livelihoods they sustain. Our results underscore the urgent need for considering alternative sources of renewable energy (e.g. solar power and in‐stream turbines) to avoid irreversible socio‐environmental damages of large dam projects. In river reaches where dams are already in operation or under construction, minimizing impacts will require improving operational protocols to reduce hydrological alterations and developing research and technology to improve the functionality of fish passages. In these locations, addressing losses in fishery value and fishing‐based income will also require the implementation of fair compensation measures. Maintaining fish production requires conserving flow pulses and free‐flowing rivers and tributaries critical for completing life cycles of fish species with vulnerable traits.
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Abstract The 2019 oil spill was the biggest in Brazilian history. Oil was found along more than 3,000 km of the Brazilian coastline, mainly in the Northeast, in more than 1,000 localities. This ...article analyzes the disaster’s damage using a sample of interviewers who were impacted - fishers, tourism and beach hawkers - distributed along 40 of the affected municipalities in the Northeast Region of Brazil. The socio-economic indicators obtained by the research show that the impacts were not homogeneous between the segments and cities researched. Localities specialized in tourism and with a workforce relatively more specialized in fishing were the most affected. Accordingly, the populations of fishers and beach hawkers suffered the most severe impacts in terms of income reduction and the sale of products. These agents report a negative impact of the disaster on their work activities of 73% (fishers) and 65% (beach vendors), while the lodging and food sectors reported losses in about 38% of the cases. The interviewees’ health indicators demonstrated that the volunteers at the oil spill clean- up suffered damage due to the exposure experienced, evidencing the public health emergency dimension of the disaster.
Palm oil is an important commodity contributing to livelihoods of many communities, GDP of governments and the achievement of several sustainable development goals (SDG) including no poverty, zero ...hunger, and decent work and economic growth. However, its cultivation and continuous expansion due to high and increasing demand has led to many negative effects and subsequent calls to make production sustainable. To this end, information is needed to understand the negative and positive impacts on both the environment and human wellbeing to respond appropriately. Sustainability in palm oil trade entails having a global supply chain based on environmentally friendly and socially acceptable production and sourcing. Much has been done in understanding and responding to impacts on the environment but not so much on social impacts partly due to a lack of information. The direct (socio-economic) and indirect (through ecosystem services) impacts of palm oil trade were reviewed using peer-reviewed literature and the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJA). Our results show that most of the 57 case studies were conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia where 85% of global production of palm oil occurs. The results show both negative (109) and positive (99) direct impacts on humans. Indirect impacts through ecosystems services were predominantly negative (116) as were the direct negative impacts. The most frequently studied direct negative impacts were conflicts (25%), housing conditions (18%) and land grabbing (16%) while the most frequently studied direct positive impacts were income generation (33%) and employment (19%). Ongoing initiatives to make the palm oil sector sustainable such as the RSPO are focused on the environment but need to pay more attention to (related) social impacts. To make palm oil production sustainable and to meet SDGs such as ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing as well as responsible consumption and production, negative social impacts of palm oil trade need to be addressed.
•Palm oil trade has both positive and negative impacts on human wellbeing.•Palm oil trade improves livelihoods of local communities by improving their incomes.•Negative social impacts of palm oil trade are overwhelming and ongoing.•Both smallholders and agro-industries contribute to positive and negative impacts.•Palm oil certification standards need to urgently address social impacts.
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“One hundred worst” lists of alien species of the greatest concern proved useful for raising awareness of the risks and impacts of biological invasions amongst the general public, politicians and ...stakeholders. All lists so far have been based on expert opinion and primarily aimed at representativeness of the taxonomic and habitat diversity rather than at quantifying the harm the alien species cause. We used the generic impact scoring system (GISS) to rank 486 alien species established in Europe from a wide range of taxonomic groups to identify those with the highest environmental and socioeconomic impact. GISS assigns 12 categories of impact, each quantified on a scale from 0 (no impact detectable) to 5 (the highest impact possible). We ranked species by their total sum of scores and by the number of the highest impact scores. We also compared the listing based on GISS with other expert-based lists of the “worst” invaders. We propose a list of 149 alien species, comprising 54 plants, 49 invertebrates, 40 vertebrates and 6 fungi. Among the highest ranking species are one bird (
Branta canadensis
), four mammals (
Rattus norvegicus, Ondatra zibethicus, Cervus nippon, Muntiacus reevesi
), one crayfish (
Procambarus clarkii
), one mite (
Varroa destructor
), and four plants (
Acacia dealbata, Lantana camara, Pueraria lobata, Eichhornia crassipes
). In contrast to other existing expert-based “worst” lists, the GISS-based list given here highlights some alien species with high impacts that are not represented on any other list. The GISS provides an objective and transparent method to aid prioritization of alien species for management according to their impacts, applicable across taxa and habitats. Our ranking can also be used for justifying inclusion on lists such as the alien species of Union concern of the European Commission, and to fulfill Aichi target 9.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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