scholarly journals The economic burden of protecting islands from invasive alien species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Bodey ◽  
Elena Angulo ◽  
Alok Bang ◽  
Celine Bellard ◽  
Jean Fantle-Lepczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
Overseas Territories

Biological invasions represent a key threat to island ecosystems, with pronounced impacts across environments and economies. The ecological impacts have received substantial focus, but the economic costs have lacked synthesis at spatial and temporal scales. Here we utilise the InvaCost database, the most comprehensive global assessment of published economic costs of invasive species, to assess reported spend by cost types and socioeconomic sectors, and to examine temporal trends in spending, across islands that differ in their political geography - nation states, overseas territories or offshore islands of continental countries. We based this assessment on 1473 unique cost entries comprising 2914 annual costs totalling almost US$100 million in area-corrected costs between 1965-2020. We find that offshore islands of continental countries incur the greatest total and management costs. However, nation states incurred the greatest damage costs whilst substantially financing management actions, and spent an overall greater proportion of their GDP. In contrast, spending within overseas territories was significantly lower in all respects. The most impacted sector was authorities and stakeholders, demonstrating the key role of government in addressing island invasions. Temporal trends revealed continual increases in spending across all island types. This likely reflects ongoing introduction rates globally alongside an increased recognition of the importance of islands as biodiversity hotspots, and an appetite to tackle invasive species at larger and more socially complex scales. However, the high economic costs of invasions on islands substantiates the need to prevent them in order to avoid this dire threat to biodiversity and its burden on limited conservation resources.

scholarly journals Economic costs of biological invasions in the United Kingdom

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 299-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Angela C. Bartlett ◽  
Anna J. Turbelin ◽  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Cost Information ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
Financial Expenditure ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Uk

Although the high costs of invasion are frequently cited and are a key motivation for environmental management and policy, synthesised data on invasion costs are scarce. Here, we quantify and examine the monetary costs of biological invasions in the United Kingdom (UK) using a global synthesis of reported invasion costs. Invasive alien species have cost the UK economy between US$6.9 billion and $17.6 billion (£5.4 – £13.7 billion) in reported losses and expenses since 1976. Most costs were reported for the entire UK or Great Britain (97%); country-scale cost reporting for the UK's four constituent countries was scarce. Reports of animal invasions were the costliest ($4.7 billion), then plant ($1.3 billion) and fungal ($206.7 million) invasions. Reported damage costs (i.e. excluding management costs) were higher in terrestrial ($4.8 billion) than aquatic or semi-aquatic environments ($29.8 million), and primarily impacted agriculture ($4.2 billion). Invaders with earlier introduction years accrued significantly higher total invasion costs. Invasion costs have been increasing rapidly since 1976, and have cost the UK economy $157.1 million (£122.1 million) per annum, on average. Published information on specific economic costs included only 42 of 520 invaders reported in the UK and was generally available only for the most intensively studied taxa, with just four species contributing 90% of species-specific costs. Given that many of the invasive species lacking cost data are actively managed and have well-recognised impacts, this suggests that cost information is incomplete and that totals presented here are vast underestimates owing to knowledge gaps. Financial expenditure on managing invasions is a fraction (37%) of the costs incurred through damage from invaders; greater investments in UK invasive species research and management are, therefore, urgently required.

scholarly journals The magnitude, diversity, and distribution of the economic costs of invasive terrestrial invertebrates worldwide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David RENAULT ◽  
Elena ANGULO ◽  
Ross Cuthbert ◽  
Phillip J. HAUBROCK ◽  
César CAPINHA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Invasive Insects ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrates ◽  
Management Interventions

Abstract Invasive species are a major driver of global biodiversity loss, hampering conservation efforts and disrupting ecosystem functions and services. While accumulating evidence has documented ecological impacts of invasive species across major geographic regions, habitat types and taxonomic groups, appraisals for economic costs have remained relatively sparse. This has hindered effective cost-benefit analyses that inform expenditure on management interventions to prevent, control, and eradicate invasive species. Terrestrial invertebrates are a particularly pervasive and damaging group of invaders, with many species compromising primary economic sectors such as agriculture and health. The present study provides synthesised quantifications of economic costs caused by invasive terrestrial invertebrates on the global scale and across a range of descriptors, using the InvaCost database. Invasive terrestrial invertebrates reportedly cost the global economy US$ 1.26 trillion over the investigated period (1960–2020), mostly due to invasive insects (> 90%). Overall, costs were not equally distributed geographically, with North America (76%) reporting the greatest costs, with far lower costs reported in Europe (4%) Asia (4%), Africa (3%), South America (2%), and Oceania (1%). These costs mostly resulted from direct resource damages and losses (76%), particularly to agriculture and forestry; relatively little (4%) was invested in management. A minority of monetary costs was directly observed (43%), but costs were mostly sourced from highly reliable estimates (58%). Economic costs displayed an increasing trend with time, with an average annual cost of US$ 20.67 billion since 1960, but reporting lags reduced costs in recent years. The massive global economic costs of terrestrial invertebrates require urgent consideration and investment by policymakers and managers, in order to prevent and remediate the economic and ecological impacts of these and other invasive species groups.

scholarly journals Economic costs of invasive species in Germany

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 225-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Andrea Sundermann ◽  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
Marina Golivets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
American Mink ◽  
National Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Management Actions

Invasive alien species are a well-known and pervasive threat to global biodiversity and human well-being. Despite substantial impacts of invasive alien species, quantitative syntheses of monetary costs incurred from invasions in national economies are often missing. As a consequence, adequate resource allocation for management responses to invasions has been inhibited, because cost-benefit analysis of management actions cannot be derived. To determine the economic cost of invasions in Germany, a Central European country with the 4th largest GDP in the world, we analysed published data collected from the first global assessment of economic costs of invasive alien species. Overall, economic costs were estimated at US$ 9.8 billion between 1960 and 2020, including US$ 8.9 billion in potential costs. The potential costs were mostly linked to extrapolated costs of the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus, the black cherry Prunus serotina and two mammals: the muskrat Ondatra zibethicus and the American mink Neovison vison. Observed costs were driven by a broad range of taxa and mostly associated with control-related spending and resource damages or losses. We identified a considerable increase in costs relative to previous estimates and through time. Importantly, of the 2,249 alien and 181 invasive species reported in Germany, only 28 species had recorded economic costs. Therefore, total quantifications of invasive species costs here should be seen as very conservative. Our findings highlight a distinct lack of information in the openly-accessible literature and governmental sources on invasion costs at the national level, masking the highly-probable existence of much greater costs of invasions in Germany. In addition, given that invasion rates are increasing, economic costs are expected to further increase. The evaluation and reporting of economic costs need to be improved in order to deliver a basis for effective mitigation and management of invasions on national and international economies.

scholarly journals Economic costs of invasive alien species across Europe

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 153-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Anna J. Turbelin ◽  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Ana Novoa ◽  
Nigel G. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
The Uk

Biological invasions continue to threaten the stability of ecosystems and societies that are dependent on their services. Whilst the ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) have been widely reported in recent decades, there remains a paucity of information concerning their economic impacts. Europe has strong trade and transport links with the rest of the world, facilitating hundreds of IAS incursions, and largely centralised decision-making frameworks. The present study is the first comprehensive and detailed effort that quantifies the costs of IAS collectively across European countries and examines temporal trends in these data. In addition, the distributions of costs across countries, socioeconomic sectors and taxonomic groups are examined, as are socio-economic correlates of management and damage costs. Total costs of IAS in Europe summed to US$140.20 billion (or €116.61 billion) between 1960 and 2020, with the majority (60%) being damage-related and impacting multiple sectors. Costs were also geographically widespread but dominated by impacts in large western and central European countries, i.e. the UK, Spain, France, and Germany. Human population size, land area, GDP, and tourism were significant predictors of invasion costs, with management costs additionally predicted by numbers of introduced species, research effort and trade. Temporally, invasion costs have increased exponentially through time, with up to US$23.58 billion (€19.64 billion) in 2013, and US$139.56 billion (€116.24 billion) in impacts extrapolated in 2020. Importantly, although these costs are substantial, there remain knowledge gaps on several geographic and taxonomic scales, indicating that these costs are severely underestimated. We, thus, urge increased and improved cost reporting for economic impacts of IAS and coordinated international action to prevent further spread and mitigate impacts of IAS populations.

scholarly journals Building a synthesis of economic costs of biological invasions in New Zealand

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Bodey ◽  
Zachary T. Carter ◽  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Melissa J. Welsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Invasive Species Management ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
Forestry Management ◽  
Game Animals

Abstract Biological invasions are a major component of anthropogenic environmental change, incurring substantial economic costs across all sectors of society and ecosystems. However, the economic costs of invasions have been disparately reported, lacking synthesis across taxonomic and sectorial scales. Using the newly compiled InvaCost database, we analyse reported economic damage and management costs incurred by biological invasions in New Zealand — a country renowned for its approaches to invasive species management — from 1968 to 2020. In total, US$69 billion (NZ$97 billion) is currently reported over this ~50 year period, with approximately US$9 billion of this considered highly reliable, observed (c.f. projected) costs. Most (82%) of these observed economic costs are associated with damage, with comparatively little invested in management (18%). Reported costs are increasing over time, with damage averaging US$120 million per year and exceeding management expenditure in all decades. Where specified, most reported costs are from terrestrial plants and animals, with damages most often borne by primary industries such as agriculture and forestry. Management costs are associated more with interventions by authorities and stakeholders. However, some known ecologically (c.f. economically) impactful invasive species are notably absent from estimated damage costs, and management costs are not reported for a number of game animals and agricultural pathogens. Given these gaps for known and potentially damaging invaders, we urge improved cost reporting at the national scale, including improving public accessibility through increased access and digitisation of records, particularly in overlooked socioeconomic sectors and habitats. This also further highlights the importance of investment in management to curtail future damages across all sectors.

scholarly journals Economic costs of invasive alien ants worldwide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Angulo ◽  
Benjamin D Hoffmann ◽  
Liliana Ballesteros-Mejia ◽  
Ahmed Taheri ◽  
Paride Balzani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Cost Information ◽  
Invasive Ants ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Proactive Management ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
Geographic Coverage

Abstract Invasive ants are amongst the most destructive and widespread invaders across the globe; they can strongly alter invaded ecosystems and are responsible for the displacement of numerous native ant species. Several studies have reported that invasive ants can lead to substantial economic costs. In this study, we search, describe and analyze 1,621 reported costs of invasive ants using the InvaCost database. Economic costs, reported since 1930 for 12 ant species in 27 countries, totaled US$ 56.92 billion. The largest costs were associated with two species, Solenopsis invicta and Wasmannia auropunctata (US$ 36.91 and 19.91 billion respectively); and two countries, USA and Australia (US$ 28.62 and 27.94 billion respectively). Potential costs (i.e., expected or predicted costs) constituted the vast majority of the reported costs (80.4%). Overall, damage costs amounted to 96.3% of the total cost, impacting mostly the agriculture, public and social welfare sectors, whereas management costs primarily resulted from post-invasion management (US$ 1.78 billion), with much lower amounts dedicated to prevention (US$ 235.62 million). Beside the taxonomic bias, cost information lacked for ~ 77% of the invaded countries per species, and the geographic coverage of costs was only ~ 18% within invaded countries with costs reported. Our synthesis suggests that the global costs of invasive ants are massive but largely underreported, and thus most likely grossly underestimated. We advocate for more and improved cost reporting of invasive ants through better collaborations between managers, practitioners and researchers, a crucial basis for adequately informing future budgets and improving proactive management actions of invasive ants.

scholarly journals Economic costs of invasive alien species in Spain

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 267-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Angulo ◽  
Liliana Ballesteros-Mejia ◽  
Ana Novoa ◽  
Virginia G. Duboscq-Carra ◽  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Informed Decision Making ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Management Effectiveness ◽  
Lead Agency ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Damage Costs ◽  
European Regulations ◽  
Regional Governments

Economic assessments for invasive alien species (IAS) are an urgent requirement for informed decision-making, coordinating and motivating the allocation of economic and human resources for the management of IAS. We searched for economic costs of IAS occurring in Spain, by using the InvaCost database and requesting data to regional governments and national authorities, which resulted in over 3,000 cost entries. Considering only robust data (i.e. excluding extrapolated, potential (not-incurred or expected) and low reliability costs), economic costs in Spain were estimated at US$ 261 million (€ 232 million) from 1997 to 2022. There was an increase from US$ 4 million per year before 2000 to US$ 15 million per year in the last years (from € 4 to 13 million). Robust data showed that most reported costs of IAS in Spain (> 90%) corresponded to management costs, while damage costs were only found for 2 out of the 174 species with reported costs. Economic costs relied mostly on regional and inter-regional administrations that spent 66% of costs in post-invasion management actions, contrary to all international guidelines, which recommend investing more in prevention. Regional administrations unequally reported costs. Moreover, 36% of the invasive species, reported to incur management costs, were not included in national or European regulations (i.e. Black Lists), suggesting the need to review these policies; besides, neighbouring regions seem to manage different groups of species. We suggest the need of a national lead agency to effectively coordinate actions, facilitate communication and collaboration amongst regional governments, national agencies and neighbouring countries. This will motivate the continuity of long-lasting management actions and the increase in efforts to report IAS costs by regional and inter-regional managers which will adequately provide information for future budgets gaining management effectiveness.

High predatory efficiency and abundance drive expected ecological impacts of a marine invasive fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM DeRoy ◽  
R Scott ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
HJ MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Red Grouper ◽  
Per Capita

The ecological impacts of invasive species are highly variable and mediated by many factors, including both habitat and population abundance. Lionfish Pterois volitans are an invasive marine species which have high reported detrimental effects on prey populations, but whose effects relative to native predators are currently unknown for the recently colonized eastern Gulf of Mexico. We used functional response (FR) methodology to assess the ecological impact of lionfish relative to 2 functionally similar native species (red grouper Epinephelus morio and graysby grouper Cephalopholis cruentata) foraging in a heterogeneous environment. We then combined the per capita impact of each species with their field abundance to obtain a Relative Impact Potential (RIP). RIP assesses the broader ecological impact of invasive relative to native predators, the magnitude of which predicts community-level negative effects of invasive species. Lionfish FR and overall consumption rate was intermediate to that of red grouper (higher) and graysby grouper (lower). However, lionfish had the highest capture efficiency of all species, which was invariant of habitat. Much higher field abundance of lionfish resulted in high RIPs relative to both grouper species, demonstrating that the ecological impact of lionfish in this region will be driven mainly by high abundance and high predator efficiency rather than per capita effect. Our comparative study is the first empirical assessment of lionfish per capita impact and RIP in this region and is one of few such studies to quantify the FR of a marine predator.

Recommendations for Sustainable Cetacean-Based Tourism in French Territories: A Review on the Industry and Current Management Actions

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-235
Author(s):  
Josephine Chazot ◽  
Ludovic Hoarau ◽  
Pamela Carzon ◽  
Jeanne Wagner ◽  
Stéphanie Sorby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Whale Watching ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Overseas Territories ◽  
Socioeconomic Benefits

Whale-watching activities provide important socioeconomic benefits for local communities and constitute powerful platform incentives for marine mammals' protection or more broadly marine environments. However, these activities can cause adverse effects on targeted populations, with considerable downside associated risks of injuries and fatality for whale watchers during inwater interactions. France with its overseas territories has the second largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in which more than half of existing cetacean species are encountered. In these territories, recreational and commercial whale watching, including swim-with cetacean activities, have recently developed. Yet few studies focused on these activities and their associated impacts across French territories, leading to an unclear assessment of the situation. To address this issue, we reviewed cetaceans' occurrence within the French EEZ, whale-watching industry, targeted species, local management of marine mammal-based tourism activities, and regulations in France mainland and some overseas territories (Reunion Island, Mayotte, and French Polynesia). Fortyeight species are encountered in the French EEZ, and 15 are targeted by whale-watching activities. A total of 185 operators, including 34% offering swim-with-cetaceans tours, offered trips in France and overseas in 2019. While several more or less restrictive regulations exist locally, our results indicate that French's national legal framework for marine mammals' protection remains inadequate and insufficient to cope with the recent development of this activity. As conservation biologists, managers, and stakeholders from these French territories, we cooperated to provide general guidelines for a sustainable development of whale watching at a national scale. We urge (1) to legally acknowledge and regulate whale-watching commercial activities; (2) to create a national legal framework regarding whale watching and swim-with marine mammals practices, while accounting for local distinctiveness and disparities across regions; (3) to conduct more research to evaluate local short- and long-term impacts on targeted marine mammal populations as well as the socioeconomic benefits; and (4) to reinforce synergetic relations between the different stakeholders.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF A 5-YEAR-OLD REHABILITATED RIPARIAN FOREST: IS IT ALREADY SUSTAINABLE?

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-610
Author(s):  
Vinícius Londe ◽  
Hildeberto Caldas de Sousa ◽  
Alessandra Rodrigues Kozovits
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Minas Gerais State ◽  
Hemispherical Photographs ◽  
Exotic Invasive ◽  
Exotic Invasive Plants ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTAs important as the establishment of projects of ecological restoration is its assessment post-implementation to know whether the area is becoming self-sustainable or need to be redirected. In this way, this study aimed to know the current situation of a 5-year-old rehabilitated riparian forest,inserted in an anthropogenic impacted region,at the das Velhas River, Minas Gerais State, studying the canopy openness and recruitment of seedlings as plant indicators. 15 plots were allocated in the forest, where hemispherical photographs were taken to analyze the canopy openness and evaluate all seedlings from 0.30 m to 1.30 m height.Canopy openness ranged from 23.7% to 38.8% between seasons and only 192 seedlings were found,from 13 species, five of them exotic and aggressive. Although canopy openness was low, it seems that lateral penetration of light has been favoring the development and dominancy of plants from invasive species, whereas few native ones have been recruited. The exotic/invasive plants may compromise the success of restoration mainly by competition with native planted species. The outcomes evidenced an unsustainability of the riparian forest and the requirement of some management actions to control exotic and invasive plants and ensure the preservation of the area and its ecological roles over time.

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