Activities per year
Abstract
Despite a growing catalogue of eradication projects, documented successful
vertebrate eradications on the mainland remain scarce. Reporting on successful
campaigns is crucial to counter pessimism on ambitious programmes to tackle
invasive species and to allow conservation practitioners, wildlife managers and
scientist to learn from previous experience. Moreover, there is a need for basic
information on the effectiveness of control methods and management strategies
that can be used. In this note we report on a successful low-tech eradication
campaign of a local population of Pallas’s squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus, a
species of tree squirrel with documented ecological and socio-economic impacts
in its invasive range. The population was eradicated from a suburban park of
about fifteen hectares using baited mesh wire life traps, in five consecutive
capture campaigns between October 2005 and January 2011. Using maximum
likelihood estimation from catch-effort data we calculated initial densities in
the park at 3 squirrels ha-1. Although control started quickly and the extent of
the invasion was limited, the campaign took over five years and required an
estimated investment of over €200,000 including 1,5 years of post-eradication
surveying. We provide basic data on the methods used to eradicate this invasive
rodent. Critical success factors and possible improvements with respect to the
specific context of this case are discussed. Adding this species to the list of
species of EU concern currently under development could provide incentive to
minimise impact of this tree squirrel at the continental scale.
vertebrate eradications on the mainland remain scarce. Reporting on successful
campaigns is crucial to counter pessimism on ambitious programmes to tackle
invasive species and to allow conservation practitioners, wildlife managers and
scientist to learn from previous experience. Moreover, there is a need for basic
information on the effectiveness of control methods and management strategies
that can be used. In this note we report on a successful low-tech eradication
campaign of a local population of Pallas’s squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus, a
species of tree squirrel with documented ecological and socio-economic impacts
in its invasive range. The population was eradicated from a suburban park of
about fifteen hectares using baited mesh wire life traps, in five consecutive
capture campaigns between October 2005 and January 2011. Using maximum
likelihood estimation from catch-effort data we calculated initial densities in
the park at 3 squirrels ha-1. Although control started quickly and the extent of
the invasion was limited, the campaign took over five years and required an
estimated investment of over €200,000 including 1,5 years of post-eradication
surveying. We provide basic data on the methods used to eradicate this invasive
rodent. Critical success factors and possible improvements with respect to the
specific context of this case are discussed. Adding this species to the list of
species of EU concern currently under development could provide incentive to
minimise impact of this tree squirrel at the continental scale.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Thematic list
- Mammals
- Invasive species (management)
- Invasive species (nature management)
- Invasive species (species diversity)
- Invasive species (fauna management)
EWI Biomedical sciences
- B003-ecology
- B005-zoology
Taxonomic list
- mammals (Mammalia)
- rodents (Rodentia)
Policy
- species directed nature management
Geographic list
- Atlantic Flanders
- West Flanders
Activities
- 1 Organisation and participation in conference, workshop, training, seminar, meeting
-
Workshop management of Pallas's squirrel
Tim Adriaens (Speaker)
27-Feb-2023 → 2-Mar-2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organisation and participation in conference, workshop, training, seminar, meeting
-
Editorial: Ecology, impact, and management of squirrel invasions
La Morgia, V., Mazzamuto, M. V. & Adriaens, T., 11-Aug-2023, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11, p. 1-3 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Successful eradication of an invasive alien Pallas’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus Pallas 1779) population in the Netherlands with support of the local community
La Haye, M. J. J., Janssen, R., Adriaens, T., Huysentruyt, F., Voskamp, P. J., Lammers, W. & Dijkstra, V., 7-Feb-2023, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11, 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Pallas’s squirrel eradication in Belgium
Adriaens, T., 2019, Invasive Alien Species Colonisation Prevention: Your guide to early detection and rapid response. Robinson, N. & Shuttleworth, C. (eds.). Nottinghamshire, p. 155-161 7 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Contribution to book not published by INBO
Open AccessFile