Using public surveys to rapidly profile biological invasions in hard‐to‐monitor areas

Understanding the impact and dynamics of invasive alien species (IAS) is essential for tailoring appropriate management plans. This information can be difficult to obtain in the short term, and intrinsic difficulties of monitoring hard‐to‐reach areas may hamper prompt estimation of IAS distributions...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal conservation 2023-08, Vol.26 (4), p.477-491
Main Authors: Licata, F., Mohanty, N. P., Crottini, A., Andreone, F., Harison, R. F., Randriamoria, T. M., Freeman, K., Muller, B., Birkinshaw, C., Tilahimena, A., Ficetola, G. F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dispersal
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Environmental impact
impacts
Introduced species
invasion dynamics
Invasive species
invasive species monitoring
Madagascar
Occupancy
occupancy modeling
Perception
Polynomials
Public opinion
public perception
Surveys
Toads
Urban areas
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Understanding the impact and dynamics of invasive alien species (IAS) is essential for tailoring appropriate management plans. This information can be difficult to obtain in the short term, and intrinsic difficulties of monitoring hard‐to‐reach areas may hamper prompt estimation of IAS distributions. Using the case of the invasive Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) in Madagascar, we show how public surveys coupled with a multi‐analytical approach can promptly provide accurate information on invasion dynamics and impacts. On the basis of key‐informant responses, we built polynomial regressions to investigate the spatiotemporal invasion patterns, false‐positive occupancy models to estimate species occupancy, and mixed‐effect models to evaluate the public perception and attitudes. The invasion followed a linear expansion of approx. 2 km year−1, with human‐mediated dispersal facilitating the spread of the species. Toad occupancy decreased towards the invasion front and increased in the southern portion of its range. Negative perception decreased in urban areas, where people were less concerned by toad impacts on ecosystems, and in recently invaded localities, suggesting density‐ or time‐dependent effects. We also identified 12 potential impacts, with “loss of domestic apiaries”, “poisoning of poultry” and “decline of snakes” standing out for prevalence and potential severity. Our results bring important insights into the invasion dynamics and the human‐toad interactions in Madagascar, highlighting the versatility of public surveys to obtain essential information for invasion science and management, which can be especially useful in hard‐to‐monitor regions of the world with a low in‐country capacity to counter invasive species. Understanding the impact and dynamics of biological invasions is essential for tailoring appropriate management plans. This information can be difficult to obtain in the short term, especially in hard‐to‐monitor areas. In this study, we use the illustrative case of the invasive Asian common toad in Madagascar to show how public surveys coupled with a multi‐analytical approach can rapidly provide the minimum suite of information required to characterise a biological invasion. If properly used, public surveys can serve to reconstruct the spatiotemporal dynamics of invasions, estimate the occupancy probability of the invasive species, and evaluate the public perception and attitude towards the invasive species, ultimately obtain
ISSN:1367-9430
1469-1795
DOI:10.1111/acv.12835