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We can eliminate invasions or live with them. Successful management projects

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Abstract

Pessimism about the prospects of eradicating invasive species or managing them at acceptably low densities is fostered by publicity about failures, but it is often unwarranted. Many species, including insects, plants, and aquatic invaders of various taxa, have been eradicated, and a variety of management techniques have maintained others at low densities for long periods. Many of these projects entailed low-tech, scorched-earth approaches, often using mechanical, physical, or chemical means. Others required sophisticated scientific research. There are at best rough guidelines rather than general rules about what approach to undertake. It is therefore important in each case to consider the full range of possible methods for eradication or long-term control, including the possibility of marshalling a massive amount of physical labor.

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Acknowledgment

Richard Mack and an anonymous referee provided insightful comments on an early draft of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Daniel Simberloff

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Simberloff, D. We can eliminate invasions or live with them. Successful management projects. Biol Invasions 11, 149–157 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9317-z

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