Eradications as scientific experiments: progress in simultaneous eradications of two major invasive taxa from a Mediterranean island

• Published in: Pest Management Science
• Main Authors: Ruffino, Lise, Krebs, Elise, Passetti, Aurélie, Aboucaya, Annie, Affre, Laurence, Fourcy, Damien, Lorvelec, Olivier, Barcelo, Alain, Berville, Laurence, Bigeard, Nathalie, Brousset, Lenka, Méringo, Hélène De, Gillet, Pascal, Le Quilliec, Patricia, Limouzin, Yannick, Médail, Frédéric, Meunier, Jean-Yves, Pascal, Marine, Pascal, Michel, Ponel, Philippe, Rifflet, François, Santelli, Coralie, Buisson, Elise, Vidal, Eric
• Other Authors: Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Port-Cros National Park, Écologie et santé des écosystèmes (ESE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Port-Cros National Park, Total Foundation, the European Union (FEDER funds), Conservatoire du Littoral, ‘Ecole Doctorale des Sciences de l’Environnement’ (ED251) and by the Norden Top-Level Research Initiative ‘Effect Studies and Adaptation to Climate Change’ (Centre of Excellence TUNDRA) to LR.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2015
• Subjects: restoration; species interactions; pest management; ecosystem engineers; biological invasions; biosecurity; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01210231; https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.3786

Black rats, Rattus rattus, and mat-forming iceplants, Carpobrotus aff. acinaciformis and Carpobrotus edulis, are pervasive pests on Mediterranean islands. Their cumulative impacts on native biotas alter the functioning of island ecosystems and threaten biodiversity. A report is given here of the first attempt to eradicate both taxa from a protected nature reserve in south-eastern France (Bagaud Island). In order to minimise unwanted hazardous outcomes and produce scientific knowledge, the operations were embedded in a four-step strategy including initial site assessment, planning, restoration and monitoring.[br/]Trapping, which resulted in the removal of 1923 rats in 21 045 trap-nights, made it possible to eliminate a substantial proportion of the resident rat population and to reduce the amount of rodenticide delivered in the second stage of the operation. Forty tons of Carpobrotus spp. were manually uprooted from a total area of 18 000 m(2) yet careful monitoring over a decade is still required to prevent germinations from the seed bank.[br/]Two years after the beginning of the interventions, both eradication operations are still ongoing. Biosecurity measures have been implemented to reduce reinvasion risks of both taxa. With the long-term monitoring of various native plants and animals, Bagaud Island will become a reference study site for scientific purposes.