ALASKA’S RAT SPILL RESPONSE PROGRAM

The introduction of rodents on an island as a new predator usually interferes with natural island biodiversity, particularly on islands without any native mammalian predators. Many Alaskan islands, and most islands in the Aleutian Island region of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR)...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ebbert, Steven M., Sowls, Arthur, Byrd, G. Vernon
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 2007
Subjects:
Alaska islands
invasive species
rapid response
rodents
rodenticide
seabirds
ship
shipwreck
Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment
Refuge Islands
Aleutian Island
Alaska
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nwrcinvasive/10
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/nwrcinvasive/article/1009/viewcontent/Ebbert332_337_MVIS.pdf
Description
Summary:The introduction of rodents on an island as a new predator usually interferes with natural island biodiversity, particularly on islands without any native mammalian predators. Many Alaskan islands, and most islands in the Aleutian Island region of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), are free of mammalian predators and are vulnerable to invasion by rodents. Rat introduction to islands can put ground-nesting birds, such as seabirds and endemic landbirds, at risk of extirpation. The refuge is also concerned about additional introductions of house mice. As far as we know, the introduction, or “spilling,” of rats onto refuge islands from ships and cargo was accidental, but probably preventable. This paper is about preventing new rodent invasions, especially rats, on Alaskan islands from shipwrecks, and using our experience on AMNWR as a basis for recommendations about improvements in the future.

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