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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
1. Biological invasions have emerged as one of the main drivers of biodiversity
change and decline, and numbers of species classed as alien in parts of their
ranges are rapidly rising. The European Union established a dedicated regulation to limit the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS), which is focused on
the species on a Union List of IAS of particular concern. However, no previous study has specifically addressed the ecology of invasive alien mammals
included on the Union List.
2. We performed a systematic review of published literature on these species.
We retrieved 262 publications dealing with 16 species, and we complemented
these with the most up-to-date information extracted from global databases
on IAS.
3. We show that most of the study species reached Europe as pets and then
escaped from captivity or were intentionally released. On average each year
in the period 1981–2020, 1.2 species were recorded for the first time as aliens
in European countries, and most species are still expanding their alien ranges
by colonising neighbouring territories. France is the most invaded nation,
followed by Germany, Italy, and the Russian Federation, and the muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus, the American mink Neovison vison, and the raccoon dog
Nyctereutes procyonoides are the most widespread species, having invaded at
least 27 countries each. Invasive mammals of European Union concern are
threatening native biodiversity and human well-being: worryingly, 81% of the
16 study species are implicated in the epidemiological cycle of zoonotic
pathogens.
4. Containing secondary spread to further countries is of paramount importance
to avoid the establishment of new populations of invasive mammals and the
related impacts on native communities, ecosystem services, and human health. 5. We present a compendium on the ecology and impacts of invasive mammals
of European Union concern. It can be used to assist environmental policies,
identify and subsequently fill knowledge gaps, and inform stakeholders.
Description
Keywords
Biological invasions Environmental impact Europe Invasive mammals Pathways of introduction Spread Zoonotic diseases
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Tedeschi, Lisa, Biancolini, Dino, Capinha, César, Rondinini, Carlo, & Essl, Franz. (2022). Introduction, spread, and impacts of invasive alien mammal species in Europe. Mammal Review, 52(2), 252-266. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12277
Publisher
Wiley