Critical issues and new challenges for research and management of invasive plants in the Pacific Islands

• DOI: 10.1071/pc140146
• Publication Date: 2016-05-26T00:16:56Z
• Authors: Jean-Yves Meyer
• Keywords: Biota; Prioritization

Invasive alien species are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity and ecosystem functions worldwide, with well-documented, detrimental impacts on the native biota of Oceania. Despite their high number rapid increase in Pacific Islands, invasive plants (IAP) have received less attention by researchers, managers, general public compared animals (e.g., predatory mammals). Indeed, although lists IAP natural agroecosystems been set up most countries territories, ecological socio-economical still not well documented and/or popularized. Very few eradication successes reported, postcontrol monitoring cost-benefit analysis often missing. Moreover, published studies conducted Hawaiian Galápagos islands. This essay is call for more research management efforts Oceania, especially small tropical Islands. Focal areas should only include bioecology, control strategies methods prioritization systems (including risk assessments), but also better understanding ecosystems functioning (e.g. forest dynamics resilience), integration past present anthropogenic disturbances. The importance “novel” ecosystems, where habitats partially or totally modified humans, potential effects climate change terrestrial be addressed, new conservation defined order try halt erosion highly vulnerable ecosystems.