A framework for prioritising present and potentially invasive mammal species for a national list

Sandro Bertolino,Leonardo Ancillotto,Laura Scillitani,Giulia Sozio,Stefania Gasperini,Lucilla Carnevali,Jacopo Cerri,Anna Loy,Giulia Benassi,Dario Capizzi,Emiliano Mori,Marco Lucchesi,Andrea Monaco,Paola Bartolommei,Gentile Francesco Ficetola,Piero Genovesi,Mattia Falaschi

doi:10.3897/neobiota.62.52934

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has recently adopted a regulation on invasive alien species that foresees the possibility of developing lists of species of National Concern. We developed a prioritisation process for alien mammals already established in Italy, but not yet included in the EU list (n = 6 species) and a systematic horizon-scanning procedure to obtain ranked lists for those species that are already introduced worldwide or traded in Italy (n = 213). Experts were asked to score these species, by evaluating their likelihood of establishment and spread and the magnitude of their potential impacts on biodiversity, economy, human-health and society. The manageability of each species was also evaluated, both for the proritisation and the horizon-scanning processes. We produced five lists that ranked species according to their potential spread and impacts and their manageability. These will allow policy-makers to select outputs according to a balance between risk assessment and risk management, establishing priorities for alien species management at the national level.

Highlights

Establishing a proactive strategy on invasive alien species – i.e. species that are nonnative to an area and which may cause environmental or economic harm or adversely affect human health – requires a clear focus on prevention (Simpson et al 2009)
Bioclimatic models were produced for all the species that were included in the horizon scanning and prioritisation
Four maps are reported in Fig. 3: for two species (Apodemus uralensis, Bison bison) the predicted suitability of Italian territory was considered low, while, for other two (Sciurus anomalus, Sylvilagus floridanus), it was high

Summary

Introduction

Establishing a proactive strategy on invasive alien species – i.e. species that are nonnative to an area and which may cause environmental or economic harm or adversely affect human health – requires a clear focus on prevention (Simpson et al 2009). Effective prevention strategies require the identification of those species which are not yet present in a country, but which are likely to enter in the short-medium period, through active pathways (Simpson et al 2009). This can be done through horizon-scanning protocols. To be included in the list, species have to meet a number of criteria: first, to be alien to the territory of the European Union (excluding the outermost regions); second, to have been assessed as invasive or potentially invasive through a risk assessment. The Union list was based on available risk assessments compliant with the minimum standards (Roy et al 2017), but subsequently, a horizon-scanning approach was used to rank species to be subjected to risk assessment (Roy et al 2015)

Methods

Results

Conclusion