摘要
岛屿蕴含着与其面积不成比例的地球生物多样性,但是,岛屿生物多样性有很大一部分丧失了,这很大程度上是由于外来哺乳动物的冲击。幸运的是,倘若有强有力的手段防止生物灭绝、重建生态系统,那么,可以例行地清除岛屿上的外来哺乳动物。鉴于目前超过80%的世界主要岛群存在外来哺乳动物并且它们构成了对地球生物多样性的首要威胁,推广可重现的、可依比例缩放的行动模式以清除岛屿外来哺乳动物便十分重要了。这里我们报告过去10年来应用于西墨西哥群岛的一种成功的行动模式。非政府组织、理论生物学家、墨西哥政府机构,以及当地个人在3个群岛海进行了通力合作,产生了重大的重建成效。从26个岛屿清除了42个外来哺乳动物种群。对于每一生物群体(colony)花费21 615美元,每一分类(taxon)花费49 370美元,分别有201个海鸟群体、88个陆地特有分类得到了保护。这些保护行动的成功要归功于一种可操作的行动模式,它有3个主要的构成部分:1)将研究、重点设定、资助、公众教育、政策制定、能力建设、保护行动、监测及评估结合在一起的三国通力协作;2)主动的、专门的自然资源管理机构;3)墨西哥和美国学术研究人员的有效参与。现在需要的是:一份将所需的额外资助、能力、技术进步及政策问题综合起来的,本地区其余岛屿清除外来哺乳动物的详细计划。西墨西哥的岛屿保护提供了一种有效的方法,这种方法可以很容易地应用于其它保护努力十分有限的多岛海区域。
Islands harbor a disproportionate amount of the earth'sbiodiversity,but a significant portion has been lost due in large part to the impacts of invasive mammals.Fortunately,invasive mammals can be routinely removed from islands,providing a powerful tool to prevent extinctions and restore ecosystems.Given that invasive mammals are still present on more than 80% of the world's major islands groups and remain a premier threat to the earth's biodiversity,it is important to disseminate replicable,scaleable models to eradicate invasive mammals from islands.We report on a successful model from western Me$xico during the past decade.A collaborative effort between nongovernmental organizations,academic biologists,Mexican government agencies,and local individuals has resulted in major restoration efforts in three island archipelagos.Forty-two populations of invasive mammals have been eradicated from 26 islands.For a cost of USD 21615 per colony and USD 49 370 per taxon,201 seabird colonies and 88 endemic terrestrial taxa have been protected, respectively.These conservation successes are a result of an operational model with three main components:i) a tri-national collaboration that integrates research,prioritization, financing,public education,policy work,capacity building,conservation action,monitoring, and evaluation;ii) proactive and dedicated natural resource management agencies;and iii) effective partnerships with academic researchers in Me$xico and the United States.What is now needed is a detailed plan to eradicate invasive mammals from the remaining islands in the region that integrates the needed additional financing,capacity,technical advances, and policy issues.Island conservation in western Me$xico provides an effective approach that can be readily applied to other archipelagos where conservation efforts have been limited.
