Understanding trends in biological invasions by introduced mammals in southern South America: a review of research and management

BALLARI, SEBASTIAN A.; ANDERSON, CHRISTOPHER B.; VALENZUELA, ALEJANDRO E. J.

MAMMAL REVIEW

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2016 vol. 46 p. 229 - 240

0305-1838

1. Invasive introduced mammals (IIMs) have ecological and social dimensionsthat require holistic research to integrate academic disciplines with basic andapplied sciences.2. We assessed current knowledge of IIMs to determine trends in their study andmanagement in southern South America.3. A keyword search was used to select indexed papers in the Web of Science.These were reviewed to assess each study?s objective, methodology, country, publicationyear, and taxa. Unpublished ?grey? literature was added to evaluate furthereach species? native range, year of introduction, the reason for its introduction, itsdistribution, dispersal pathways, impacts, and management.4. Most of the 190 peer-reviewed publications were focused on autecology andimpacts of IIMs; less than 4% addressed management or social topics. TwentythreeIIMs have been documented in the study area. The southern Magellanic subpolarforest was the most invaded ecoregion (17 spp.), and the most studiedorders, from 440 records in 190 papers, were Artiodactyla (35%) and Rodentia(28%). Together, livestock and commensals brought during early Europeancolonisation constituted 44% of this assemblage, but hunting was the majorreason behind the introduction of IIMs (30%).5. To enhance policies and institutional frameworks pertaining to biological invasions,we highlight the importance of: 1) recognising the presence and spread ofIIMs in ?pristine? or protected areas; 2) improving controls to prevent new introductionsand escapes; 3) including social and cultural aspects of biological invasionsin research and management plans; 4) reinforcing hunting regulations; 5)establishing long-term programmes to monitor distribution and dispersion; 6)creating mechanisms for scientists and managers to co-produce research andpolicy programmes oriented towards applied issues; 7) developing pilot managementprojects in critical areas; 8) achieving societal involvement in managementprogrammes to ensure public acceptance; and 9) developing prioritisation tools, asresources needed to manage IIMs are often limited.