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Recovery and current status of seabirds on the Baja California Pacific Islands, Mexico, following restoration actions
Biodiversity Conservation, BRB
Available Online

Aguilar-Vargas, A.

,

Aguirre-Muñoz, A.

,

Aztorga-Ornelas, A.

,

Bedolla-Guzmán, Y.

,

Bravo-Hernández, E.

,

Corrales-Sauceda, M.

,

Cárdenas-Tapia, A.

,

Fabila-Blanco, A.

,

Félix-Lizárraga, M.

,

Hernández-Montoya, J.

,

Hernández-Ríos, A.

,

Latofski-Robles, M.

,

Luna-Mendoza, L.

,

Méndez-Sánchez, F.

,

Ortiz-Alcaraz, A.

,

Rojas-Mayoral, E.

,

Solís-Carlos, F.

,

Torres-García, F.

2019
The Baja California Pacifc Islands, Mexico, are globally important breeding sites for 22 seabird species and subspecies. In the past, several populations were extirpated or reduced due to invasive mammals, human disturbance, and contaminants. Over the past two decades, we have removed invasive predators and, for the last decade, we have been implementing a Seabird Restoration Programme on eight groups of islands: Coronado, Todos Santos, San Martín, San Jerónimo, San Benito, Natividad, San Roque, and Asunción. This programme includes monitoring; social attraction techniques; removal of invasive vegetation; reducing human disturbance; and an environmental learning and biosecurity programme. Here, we summarise historical extirpations and recolonisations during the last two decades of restoration actions, and we update the status of breeding species after more than a decade. To date, from 27 historically extirpated populations, 80% have returned since the ?rst eradication in 1995. Social attraction techniques were key in recolonisations of Cassin’s auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), royal tern (Thalasseus maximus), and elegant tern (T. elegans). A total of 19 species breed on these islands, four more species than a decade ago, including 12 new records. The most abundant seabirds, black-vented shearwater (Puffnus opisthomelas), Cassin’s auklet, western gull (Larus occidentalis), and Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), have shown a remarkable population increase. Current threats include the potential reintroduction of invasive mammals, guano mining, recreational activities, pollution, and commercial ?sheries. To maintain these conservation gains in the long-term it is necessary to continue implementing restoration actions and reinforcing protection on these important natural protected areas.
Improving the efficiency of aerial rodent eradications by means of the numerical estimation of rodenticide density
Biodiversity Conservation, BRB
Available Online

Aguirre-Muñoz, A.

,

Méndez-Sánchez, F.A.

,

Rojas-Mayoral, B.

,

Rojas-Mayoral, E.

2019
Invasive rodents are present on approximately 80% of the world’s islands and constitute one of the most serious threats to island biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The eradication of rodents is central to island conservation eff orts and the aerial broadcast of rodenticide bait is the preferred dispersal method. To improve the efficiency of rodent eradication campaigns, the generation of accurate and real-time bait density maps is required. Creating maps to estimate the spatial dispersion of bait on the ground has been carried out using traditional GIS methodologies, which are based on limiting assumptions and are time intensive. To improve accuracy and expedite the evaluation of aerial operations, we developed an algorithm for the numerical estimation of rodenticide density (NERD). The NERD algorithm performs calculations with increased accuracy, displaying results almost in real-time. NERD describes the relationship between bait density, the mass fl ow rate of rodenticide through the bait bucket, and helicopter speed and produces maps of bait density on the ground. NERD also facilitates the planning of helicopter fl ight paths and allows for the instant identification of areas with low or high bait density. During the recent and successful rodent eradication campaign on Banco Chinchorro in Mexico, carried out during 2015, NERD results were used to enable dynamic decision-making in the fi eld and to ensure the efficient use of resources.