Mercury Islands and their role in understanding seabird island restoration

Towns, David R.; Borrelle, Stephanie B.; Thoresen, Joshua; Buxton, Rachel T.; Evans, Annette

doi:10.20417/nzjecol.40.27

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(80 reference statements)

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“…This project paved the way for a comprehensive understanding of seabird island ecosystem dynamics and the impacts of predator invasion upon them (Mulder et al 2011). David Towns and colleagues (Towns et al 2016) describe how the 25 year history of rat eradications and research on the Mercury Islands contribute to our knowledge of seabird islands.…”

Section: Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fifty years of rodent eradications in New Zealand: another decade of advances

Russell¹,

Broome²

2016

NZ J Ecol

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New Zealand has just passed half a century of rodent eradications on islands. Confirmation of the first rat eradication in New Zealand on Maria Island/Ruapuke coincided with the devastating rat invasion on Big South Cape Island/Taukihepa. We review the early history of rodent management in New Zealand leading up to and including the Big South Cape Island/Taukihepa ship rat invasion, and document the development and implementation of rodent eradication technologies on New Zealand islands up to the present day. In the last decade major advances have been made in multi-species eradications including rodents, community engagement, mouse eradication, transferring techniques to mainland eco-sanctuaries, and developing new tools for rodent management. The challenge of rodent biosecurity to prevent reinvasion which loomed large only a decade ago, is now being addressed through a combination of research and robust management procedures. Increased emphasis is now being placed on documenting species and ecosystem recoveries following rodent eradication. We identify the major challenges to further expansion of rodent eradication throughout New Zealand as working with multiple stakeholders on inhabited islands, efficiencies of scale on very large islands, and the implementation of cost-effective barrier technologies on the New Zealand 'mainland'.

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Section: Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fifty years of rodent eradications in New Zealand: another decade of advances

Russell¹,

Broome²

2016

NZ J Ecol

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“…For example, seabirds transfer nutrients from marine to terrestrial ecosystems, disperse seeds that become attached to their feathers, and modify the environment via processes such as nest burrowing and trampling. Indeed, ecosystems driven by seabird activity have recently been recognized in various oceanic islands (Mulder et al 2011; Towns et al 2016). Despite their importance, seabirds comprise some of the most vulnerable taxa on islands; in many cases, their numbers have declined and some species have become locally extinct across their distributions (Croxall et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recovery or change? Differences between in seabird fauna in island ecosystems before alien mammal disturbance and after alien mammal eradication

Kawakami

Horikoshi²

2021

Restoration Ecology

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Seabirds are important to island ecosystems because of their ecological functions; however, they are threatened by alien mammal invasions. Where alien mammals have been eradicated, seabird numbers, and ranges have often increased. Whether or not this constitutes recovery, however, is debatable because the post‐eradication seabird fauna might be different from the pre‐disturbance fauna that in most cases has not been recorded. Thus, identifying the pre‐disturbance seabird fauna is essential to determine a conservation goal. With this as our aim, we examined and radiocarbon‐dated avian bone remains found in a limestone cave on Minamijima, an islet on the Ogasawara Islands. The islet was invaded by goats Capra hircus and black rats Rattus rattus after 1830, and seabirds had declined. Since the 1970s, the alien mammals have been eradicated, and numbers of Wedge‐tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus, Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii, and Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster have increased. However, the dominant species in the avian remains were Bonin Petrels Pterodroma hypoleuca, Bryan's Shearwaters Pu. bryani, and Bannerman's Shearwaters Pu. bannermani. The radiocarbon ages of the bones were approximately 6,000–600 years BP. Therefore, seabird fauna was largely changed by the invasion and eradication of alien mammals. Our results indicate that the post‐eradication increase in seabirds is not a recovery, although the current inhabitants are native seabirds. The recent dominant species are likely to have thrived because they are cosmopolitan and competitive, and they prefer open habitats produced by goat grazing. We suggest that avian remains surveys should be exploited for ecosystem restoration.

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“…; Rocamora & Henriette ; Towns et al. ). Had practitioners and society decided not to eradicate invasive mammals from islands, many more endemic species would have become extinct (Butchart et al.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In response to the overwhelming impact of invasive mammalian predators on island ecosystems (Blackburn et al 2004), conservation practitioners have implemented eradication programs to conserve threatened species and populations and to restore island ecosystem functioning. Decades of evidence from island eradication and restoration programs consistently demonstrate that well-implemented lethal control achieves biodiversity benefits (Lavers et al 2010;Veitch et al 2011;Rocamora & Henriette 2015;Towns et al 2016). Had practitioners and society decided not to eradicate invasive mammals from islands, many more endemic species would have become extinct (Butchart et al 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%