Incorporating climate change into invasive species management: insights from managers

Date
2020-02
Authors
Beaury, Evelyn M.
Fusco, Emily J.
Jackson, Michelle R.
Laginhas, Brittany B.
Morelli, Toni Lyn
Allen, Jenica M.
Pasquarella, Valerie J.
Bradley, Bethany A.
Version
OA Version
Published version
Citation
Evelyn M Beaury, Emily J Fusco, Michelle R Jackson, Brittany B Laginhas, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jenica M Allen, Valerie J Pasquarella, Bethany A Bradley. 2020. "Incorporating climate change into invasive species management: insights from managers." Biological Invasions, Volume 22, Issue 2, pp. 233 - 252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02087-6
Abstract
Invasive alien species are likely to interact with climate change, thus necessitating management that proactively addresses both global changes. However, invasive species managers’ concerns about the effects of climate change, the degree to which they incorporate climate change into their management, and what stops them from doing so remain unknown. Therefore, we surveyed natural resource managers addressing invasive species across the U.S. about their priorities, concerns, and management strategies in a changing climate. Of the 211 managers we surveyed, most were very concerned about the influence of climate change on invasive species management, but their organizations were significantly less so. Managers reported that lack of funding and personnel limited their ability to effectively manage invasive species, while lack of information limited their consideration of climate change in decision-making. Additionally, managers prioritized research that identifies range-shifting invasive species and native communities resilient to invasions and climate change. Managers also reported that this information would be most effectively communicated through conversations, research summaries, and meetings/symposia. Despite the need for more information, 65% of managers incorporate climate change into their invasive species management through strategic planning, preventative management, changing treatment and control, and increasing education and outreach. These results show the potential for incorporating climate change into management, but also highlight a clear and pressing need for more targeted research, accessible science communication, and two-way dialogue between researchers and managers focused on invasive species and climate change.
Description
License
" The Author(s) 2019. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder."