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Evaluation system for management measures of invasive alien species

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Abstract

The introduction and spread of invasive alien species is a serious threat to ecosystem structures, functions and services worldwide. At enormous cost and effort, attempts are being made to stop and reduce the ongoing appearance of alien species in ecosystems to protect the regional and native biodiversity. Still, management of invasive alien species in particular is often not successful. One reason is a lack of robust toolkits for the management of these species. Guidance on measures which are efficient and effective and which have no negative impact on the environment and human health is urgently needed for decision-making. As a result of an expert workshop, we present a set of three evaluation criteria: effectiveness, ecological impact, and impact on human health. These criteria allow an evaluation of management measures for the prevention, eradication, control and utilisation/disposal of invasive alien species for nature conservation purposes. We applied this evaluation system for 168 invasive and potentially invasive alien species of five taxonomic groups (fungi, non-vascular plants, vascular plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) involving 3619 different management measures. The evaluation of management measures and resulting recommendations for their application are a necessary basis for appropriate, ecologically necessary and professionally sound management. This new approach provides an essential framework for future decisions on management measures, for example in accordance with the provisions of the new Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all practitioners and members of our survey for sharing their knowledge and experience with us. We thank three anonymous reviewers for their comments to improve the manuscript. And we thank Stuart W. Blackman who improved our English writing. This project was supported by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety as Research and Development Project number FKZ 3513 86 0200.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technische Universität Dresden, Professorship of Biodiversity and Nature Protection, Pienner Str. 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany

    Doreen Schmiedel & Eckehard-G. Wilhelm

  2. Technische Universität Dresden, Professorship of Forest Zoology, Pienner Str. 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany

    Mechthild Roth & Cornelia Scheibner

  3. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Konstantinstraße 110, 53179, Bonn, Germany

    Stefan Nehring

  4. Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Faculty of Forest and Environment, Applied Ecology and Zoology, Alfred-Möller Str. 1, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    Susanne Winter

Authors
  1. Doreen Schmiedel
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  2. Eckehard-G. Wilhelm
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  3. Mechthild Roth
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  4. Cornelia Scheibner
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  5. Stefan Nehring
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  6. Susanne Winter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Doreen Schmiedel.

Additional information

Communicated by Dirk Sven Schmeller.

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Schmiedel, D., Wilhelm, EG., Roth, M. et al. Evaluation system for management measures of invasive alien species. Biodivers Conserv 25, 357–374 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1054-5

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