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Introducing a sniffer dog team in French Polynesia and reviewing regulations in Wallis and Futuna has strengthened biosecurity measures to better prevent the introduction of invasive alien species (IAS). In order to protect a local biodiversity characterised by a high level of endemism and threatened by these introductions, the two territories decided to strengthen the prevention and control methods available to them.

Des actions de lutte contre les espèces végétales envahissantes et de restauration de la biodiversité ont été menées sur le site UNESCO de Taputapuātea, situé sur l’île de Raiatea en Polynésie française. En valorisant le lien entre les patrimoines naturel et culturel, le projet a impulsé une dynamique de gestion écologique visant à renforcer la flore indigène, voire endémique. Grâce au travail de coordination d’un écologue présent sur le site pendant quatre ans, les actions de sensibilisation et de formation ont permis la montée en compétence et un engagement accru des communautés locales. Sur la base d’un travail de prospection de la biodiversité locale et des espèces envahissantes présentes, des actions de retrait ont été menées sur quatre espèces végétales cibles avant de procéder à la réinstallation de plants patrimoniaux. Un travail de valorisation d’un site restauré a également été réalisé par une association locale, avec l’aménagement d’un sentier pédagogique. Aujourd’hui, les acteurs locaux disposent de compétences renforcées et peuvent s’appuyer sur les équipements et serres fournis afin de poursuivre la production de plants patrimoniaux. La révision du plan de gestion du site UNESCO pourra ainsi bénéficier de leurs capacités, tandis que des financements ponctuels pourraient soutenir des actions à court terme. FICHE FINALE DE CAPITALISATION DU PROJET PROTEGE, financé par l'Union Européenne.

La mise en place d’une brigade de chiens de détection en Polynésie française et le processus de révision de la règlementation à Wallis et Futuna ont permis de renforcer les mesures de biosécurité pour une meilleure prévention des introductions d’espèces exotiques envahissantes (EEE). Afin de protéger une biodiversité locale caractérisée par un fort taux d’endémisme et menacée par ces introductions, les deux territoires ont souhaité renforcer les moyens de contrôle et de prévention à leur disposition. FICHE FINALE DE CAPITALISATION DU PROJET PROTEGE, financé par l'Union Européenne.

Seabirds drastically transform the environmental conditions of the sites where they establish their breeding colonies via soil, sediment, and water eutrophication (hereafter termed ornitheutrophication). Here, we report worldwide amounts of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) excreted by seabirds using an inventory of global seabird populations applied to a bioenergetics model. We estimate these fluxes to be 591 Gg N y?1 and 99 Gg P y?1, respectively, with the Antarctic and Southern coasts receiving the highest N and P inputs. We show that these inputs are of similar magnitude to others considered in global N and P cycles, with concentrations per unit of surface area in seabird colonies among the highest measured on the Earth’s surface. Finally, an important fraction of the total excreted N (72.5 Gg y?1) and P (21.8 Gg y?1) can be readily solubilized, increasing their short-term bioavailability in continental and coastal waters located near the seabird colonies.

Invasive ants are a diverse group of aggressive, competitive, dominating ant species that can rapidly establish and spread. Several ant species are amongst the most serious global invasive species. Their broad diets, nesting habits, ability to breed rapidly, high densitites and adaptibility to varied habitats make them excellent invaders. Agricultural economic, environmental and social wellbeing are threatened by these ants, many of which have been introduced to, and established in, many countries

Biotic connectivity between ecosystems can provide major transport of organic matter and nutrients, influencing ecosystem structure and productivity, yet the implications are poorly understood owing to human disruptions of natural flows. When abundant, seabirds feeding in the open ocean transport large quantities of nutrients onto islands, enhancing the productivity of island fauna and flora. Whether leaching of these nutrients back into the sea influences the productivity, structure and functioning of adjacent coral reef ecosystems is not known. Here we address this question using a rare natural experiment in the Chagos Archipelago, in which some islands are rat-infested and others are rat-free. We found that seabird densities and nitrogen deposition rates are 760 and 251 times higher, respectively, on islands where humans have not introduced rats. Consequently, rat-free islands had substantially higher nitrogen stable isotope (?15N) values in soils and shrubs, reflecting pelagic nutrient sources. These higher values of ?15N were also apparent in macroalgae, filter-feeding sponges, turf algae and fish on adjacent coral reefs. Herbivorous damselfish on reefs adjacent to the rat-free islands grew faster, and fish communities had higher biomass across trophic feeding groups, with 48% greater overall biomass. Rates of two critical ecosystem functions, grazing and bioerosion, were 3.2 and 3.8 times higher, respectively, adjacent to rat-free islands. Collectively, these results reveal how rat introductions disrupt nutrient flows among pelagic, island and coral reef ecosystems. Thus, rat eradication on oceanic islands should be a high conservation priority as it is likely to benefit terrestrial ecosystems and enhance coral reef productivity and functioning by restoring seabird-derived nutrient subsidies from large areas of ocean.

Many neglected tropical zoonotic pathogens are maintained by introduced mammals, and on islands the most common introduced species are rodents, cats, and dogs. Management of introduced mammals, including control or eradication of feral populations, which is frequently done for ecological restoration, could also reduce or eliminate the pathogens these animals carry. Understanding the burden of these zoonotic diseases is crucial for quantifying the potential public health benefits of introduced mammal management. However, epidemiological data are only available from a small subset of islands where these introduced mammals co-occur with people. We examined socioeconomic and climatic variables as predictors for disease burdens of angiostrongyliasis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis, and rabies from 57 islands or island countries. We found strong correlates of disease burden for leptospirosis, Toxoplasma gondii infection, angiostrongyliasis, and toxocariasis with more than 50% of the variance explained, and an average of 57% (range = 32–95%) predictive accuracy on out-of-sample data. We used these relationships to provide estimates of leptospirosis incidence and T. gondii seroprevalence infection on islands where nonnative rodents and cats are present. These predicted estimates of disease burden could be used in an initial assessment of whether the costs of managing introduced mammal reservoirs might be less than the costs of perpetual treatment of these diseases on islands.

Invasive alien species (IAS) are animals, plants or other organisms that are introduced into places outside their natural range, negatively impacting native biodiveristy, ecosystem services or human well-being. IAS are one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss and species extinctions and are also a global threat to food security and livelihoods. IAS are compounded by climate change. Climate change facilitates the spread and establishement of many alien species and creates new opportunities for them to become invasive. IAS can reduce the resilience of natural habitats, agricultural systems and urban areas to climate change. Conversely, climate change reduces the resilience of habitats to biological invasions. It is essential that IAS be incorporated in to climate change policies. This includes biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of IAS to new regions as a result of climate change, and rapid response measures to monitor and eradicate alien species that may become invasive due to climate change.

Invasive alien species (IASs) on islands have broad impacts across biodiversity, agriculture, economy, health and culture, which tend to be stronger than on continents. Across small-island developing states (SIDSs), although only a small number of IASs are widely distributed, many more, including those with greatest impact, are found on only a small number of islands. Patterns of island invasion are not consistent across SIDS geographic regions, with differences attributable to correlated patterns in island biogeography and human development. We identify 15 of the most globally prevalent IASs on islands. IAS impacts on islands are exacerbated through interactions with a number of other global change threats, including over-exploitation, agricultural intensification, urban development and climate change. Biosecurity is critical in preventing IAS invasion of islands. Eradication of IASs on islands is possible at early stages of invasion, but otherwise is largely restricted to invasive mammals, or otherwise control is the only option. Future directions in IAS management and research on islands must consider IASs within a broader portfolio of threats to species, ecosystems and people’s livelihoods on islands. We advocate for stronger collaborations among island countries and territories faced with the same IASs in similar socio-ecological environments.

Insects have presented human society with some of its greatest development challenges by spreading diseases, consuming crops and damaging infrastructure. Despite the massive human and financial toll of invasive insects, cost estimates of their impacts remain sporadic, spatially incomplete and of questionable quality. Here we compile a comprehensive database of economic costs of invasive insects. Taking all reported goods and service estimates, invasive insects cost a minimum of US$70.0 billion per year globally, while associated health costs exceed US$6.9 billion per year. Total costs rise as the number of estimate increases, although many of the worst costs have already been estimated (especially those related to human health). A lack of dedicated studies, especially for reproducible goods and service estimates, implies gross underestimation of global costs. Global warming as a consequence of climate change, rising human population densities and intensifying international trade will allow these costly insects to spread into new areas, but substantial savings could be achieved by increasing surveillance, containment and public awareness.