Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean
International audience Rats are among the worst invasive alien predators. They prey upon eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults of seabirds, leading to the decline of many populations. Rats have invaded 93% of the islands in the western Indian Ocean, which is an avian biodiversity hotspot. Europa Island...
Published in: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760/document https://hal.science/hal-03708760/file/ACE-ECO-2022-2174-1.pdf https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 |
id |
ftccsdartic:oai:HAL:hal-03708760v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) |
op_collection_id |
ftccsdartic |
language |
English |
topic |
conservation eradication management population viability analysis predation seabird [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology [SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosis |
spellingShingle |
conservation eradication management population viability analysis predation seabird [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology [SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosis Saunier, Merlene Amy, Maxime Barbraud, Christophe Pinet, Patrick Ringler, David Russell, James Le Corre, Matthieu Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
topic_facet |
conservation eradication management population viability analysis predation seabird [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology [SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosis |
description |
International audience Rats are among the worst invasive alien predators. They prey upon eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults of seabirds, leading to the decline of many populations. Rats have invaded 93% of the islands in the western Indian Ocean, which is an avian biodiversity hotspot. Europa Island, Mozambique Channel, is a major seabird breeding site, where at least 1,000,000 pairs bred at the end of 20th century, including the endemic white-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus europae). This species and the red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) are vulnerable to predation by black rat (Rattus rattus), barn owl (Tyto alba), and pied-crow (Corvus albus) on Europa Island. In this study, we estimate the current population sizes of these tropicbird species and their breeding success. The impact of predators on tropicbird nests was quantified with camera traps. Finally, we model the dynamics of these populations under three management scenarios (no action, complete rat eradication, and targeted control of rats around nests). In 2019, 1,027 pairs of red-tailed and 100 pairs of white-tailed tropicbirds bred on Europa Island, which indicates an annual decline of 5% and 17% since 2009, respectively. Breeding success of red-tailed tropicbirds and white-tailed tropicbirds was extremely low (0.08 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.03 respectively). Rats were detected at most surveyed nests and were the main predators of eggs and chicks. Pied-crows and barn owls also depredated nests occasionally. Population viability analysis projected a local extinction in 32–85 years for the red-tailed tropicbird, and in 11–50 years for white-tailed tropicbirds without conservation intervention. The complete eradication of rats would result in a rapid recovery of both populations. Rat control around nests only would result in population recovery only if 74% of the nests of white-tailed and 63% of the nests of red-tailed tropicbirds are free of rats. Les rats font partie des prédateurs étrangers les plus invasifs. Ils se nourrissent d’œufs, ... |
author2 |
Ecologie marine tropicale dans les Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE Réunion ) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) Kiore Services School of Biological Sciences Auckland University of Auckland Auckland |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Saunier, Merlene Amy, Maxime Barbraud, Christophe Pinet, Patrick Ringler, David Russell, James Le Corre, Matthieu |
author_facet |
Saunier, Merlene Amy, Maxime Barbraud, Christophe Pinet, Patrick Ringler, David Russell, James Le Corre, Matthieu |
author_sort |
Saunier, Merlene |
title |
Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
title_short |
Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
title_full |
Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean |
title_sort |
seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from europa island, western indian ocean |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760/document https://hal.science/hal-03708760/file/ACE-ECO-2022-2174-1.pdf https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 |
geographic |
Indian |
geographic_facet |
Indian |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
ISSN: 1712-6568 Avian Conservation and Ecology https://hal.science/hal-03708760 Avian Conservation and Ecology, 2022, 17 (1), pp.32. ⟨10.5751/ACE-02174-170132⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760/document https://hal.science/hal-03708760/file/ACE-ECO-2022-2174-1.pdf doi:10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 |
container_title |
Avian Conservation and Ecology |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1792054149203886080 |
spelling |
ftccsdartic:oai:HAL:hal-03708760v1 2024-02-27T08:45:05+00:00 Seabird predation effects and population viability analysis indicate the urgent need for rat eradication from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean Une analyse des effets de la prédation des oiseaux de mer et de la viabilité de la population révèle unbesoin urgent d’éradication des rats dans l’île Europa, dans l’ouest de l’océan Indien Saunier, Merlene Amy, Maxime Barbraud, Christophe Pinet, Patrick Ringler, David Russell, James Le Corre, Matthieu Ecologie marine tropicale dans les Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE Réunion ) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) Kiore Services School of Biological Sciences Auckland University of Auckland Auckland 2022 https://hal.science/hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760/document https://hal.science/hal-03708760/file/ACE-ECO-2022-2174-1.pdf https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 en eng HAL CCSD Resilience Alliance info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760 https://hal.science/hal-03708760/document https://hal.science/hal-03708760/file/ACE-ECO-2022-2174-1.pdf doi:10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 1712-6568 Avian Conservation and Ecology https://hal.science/hal-03708760 Avian Conservation and Ecology, 2022, 17 (1), pp.32. ⟨10.5751/ACE-02174-170132⟩ conservation eradication management population viability analysis predation seabird [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology [SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosis info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2022 ftccsdartic https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02174-170132 2024-01-28T00:30:47Z International audience Rats are among the worst invasive alien predators. They prey upon eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults of seabirds, leading to the decline of many populations. Rats have invaded 93% of the islands in the western Indian Ocean, which is an avian biodiversity hotspot. Europa Island, Mozambique Channel, is a major seabird breeding site, where at least 1,000,000 pairs bred at the end of 20th century, including the endemic white-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus europae). This species and the red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) are vulnerable to predation by black rat (Rattus rattus), barn owl (Tyto alba), and pied-crow (Corvus albus) on Europa Island. In this study, we estimate the current population sizes of these tropicbird species and their breeding success. The impact of predators on tropicbird nests was quantified with camera traps. Finally, we model the dynamics of these populations under three management scenarios (no action, complete rat eradication, and targeted control of rats around nests). In 2019, 1,027 pairs of red-tailed and 100 pairs of white-tailed tropicbirds bred on Europa Island, which indicates an annual decline of 5% and 17% since 2009, respectively. Breeding success of red-tailed tropicbirds and white-tailed tropicbirds was extremely low (0.08 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.03 respectively). Rats were detected at most surveyed nests and were the main predators of eggs and chicks. Pied-crows and barn owls also depredated nests occasionally. Population viability analysis projected a local extinction in 32–85 years for the red-tailed tropicbird, and in 11–50 years for white-tailed tropicbirds without conservation intervention. The complete eradication of rats would result in a rapid recovery of both populations. Rat control around nests only would result in population recovery only if 74% of the nests of white-tailed and 63% of the nests of red-tailed tropicbirds are free of rats. Les rats font partie des prédateurs étrangers les plus invasifs. Ils se nourrissent d’œufs, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) Indian Avian Conservation and Ecology 17 1 |