Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park
Mediterranean islands host unique ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. However, knowledge regarding the precise impact of invasive species on local biodiversity remains limited for many of these systems. Here we report on the negative impacts of invasive wild boars (<i...
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/498 |
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| author | Jean-Marie Ballouard Cécile Kauffman Aurélien Besnard Mathieu Ausanneau Manon Amiguet Gopal Billy Sébastien Caron Guillaume Fosseries Thomas Ferrari Vincent Mariani Gilles Garnier Laurent Maxime Francis Dorr David Geoffroy Xavier Bonnet |
| author_facet | Jean-Marie Ballouard Cécile Kauffman Aurélien Besnard Mathieu Ausanneau Manon Amiguet Gopal Billy Sébastien Caron Guillaume Fosseries Thomas Ferrari Vincent Mariani Gilles Garnier Laurent Maxime Francis Dorr David Geoffroy Xavier Bonnet |
| author_sort | Jean-Marie Ballouard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mediterranean islands host unique ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. However, knowledge regarding the precise impact of invasive species on local biodiversity remains limited for many of these systems. Here we report on the negative impacts of invasive wild boars (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) on native snakes on islands in the Mediterranean basin. Capture-mark-recapture was initiated in 2012 on two snake species (Montpellier snake, <i>Malpolon monspessulanus</i> and Ladder snake, <i>Zamenis scalaris)</i> across two islands of Port-Cros National Park. Several wild boars, an invasive species, reached the islands in 2007. They remained confined to small areas of the islands for several years. In Port-Cros, the numbers of wild boars suddenly increased in 2015, and rapidly colonized the whole island damaging vast land surfaces. In Porquerolles, wild boars did not proliferate. This offered an opportunity to examine the impact of wild boar outbreak with a Before-After Control-Impact design (BACI). Snake counts and mark-recapture modeling showed that demographic traits were stable before 2016 for both snake species on both islands. As well as abundance, recruitment, and population growth rate of Montpellier snakes significantly declined where wild boars proliferated but remained constant on the island where they did not. Wild boars probably impacted snake numbers through habitat destruction and direct killing. The rapid decline of snakes (apex predators) and intensive uprooting that strongly damage ground dwelling species (plants, animals) suggest that wild boars represent a serious threat to island biodiversity. As elsewhere around the world, these invasive ungulates proliferate in the Mediterranean basin, they are proficient swimmers and exhibit a remarkably high invasive potential. We recommend vigilance and fast eradication to prevent population outburst; even a few a localized non-proliferating individuals contain the latent potential for devastating outbreaks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:25Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-3dbb528592f24353b41a70399dcc97b42023-11-22T17:59:47ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-10-01131049810.3390/d13100498Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National ParkJean-Marie Ballouard0Cécile Kauffman1Aurélien Besnard2Mathieu Ausanneau3Manon Amiguet4Gopal Billy5Sébastien Caron6Guillaume Fosseries7Thomas Ferrari8Vincent Mariani9Gilles Garnier10Laurent Maxime11Francis Dorr12David Geoffroy13Xavier Bonnet14CRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, 34293 Montpellier, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceCRCC Centre for Research and Conservation of Chelonians, SOPTOM, Var, 1065 Routes du Luc, 83660 Carnoules, FranceParc National de Port-Cros, Allée du Castel Sainte-Claire, BP 70220, CEDEX, 83418 Hyères, FranceParc National de Port-Cros, Allée du Castel Sainte-Claire, BP 70220, CEDEX, 83418 Hyères, FranceParc National de Port-Cros, Allée du Castel Sainte-Claire, BP 70220, CEDEX, 83418 Hyères, FranceParc National de Port-Cros, Allée du Castel Sainte-Claire, BP 70220, CEDEX, 83418 Hyères, FranceCEBC, UMR-7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, FranceMediterranean islands host unique ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. However, knowledge regarding the precise impact of invasive species on local biodiversity remains limited for many of these systems. Here we report on the negative impacts of invasive wild boars (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) on native snakes on islands in the Mediterranean basin. Capture-mark-recapture was initiated in 2012 on two snake species (Montpellier snake, <i>Malpolon monspessulanus</i> and Ladder snake, <i>Zamenis scalaris)</i> across two islands of Port-Cros National Park. Several wild boars, an invasive species, reached the islands in 2007. They remained confined to small areas of the islands for several years. In Port-Cros, the numbers of wild boars suddenly increased in 2015, and rapidly colonized the whole island damaging vast land surfaces. In Porquerolles, wild boars did not proliferate. This offered an opportunity to examine the impact of wild boar outbreak with a Before-After Control-Impact design (BACI). Snake counts and mark-recapture modeling showed that demographic traits were stable before 2016 for both snake species on both islands. As well as abundance, recruitment, and population growth rate of Montpellier snakes significantly declined where wild boars proliferated but remained constant on the island where they did not. Wild boars probably impacted snake numbers through habitat destruction and direct killing. The rapid decline of snakes (apex predators) and intensive uprooting that strongly damage ground dwelling species (plants, animals) suggest that wild boars represent a serious threat to island biodiversity. As elsewhere around the world, these invasive ungulates proliferate in the Mediterranean basin, they are proficient swimmers and exhibit a remarkably high invasive potential. We recommend vigilance and fast eradication to prevent population outburst; even a few a localized non-proliferating individuals contain the latent potential for devastating outbreaks.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/498Before-After Control-Impact designinvasive species<i>Malpolon monspessulanus</i><i>Zamenis scalaris</i>population surveyreptiles |
| spellingShingle | Jean-Marie Ballouard Cécile Kauffman Aurélien Besnard Mathieu Ausanneau Manon Amiguet Gopal Billy Sébastien Caron Guillaume Fosseries Thomas Ferrari Vincent Mariani Gilles Garnier Laurent Maxime Francis Dorr David Geoffroy Xavier Bonnet Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park Diversity Before-After Control-Impact design invasive species <i>Malpolon monspessulanus</i> <i>Zamenis scalaris</i> population survey reptiles |
| title | Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park |
| title_full | Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park |
| title_fullStr | Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park |
| title_short | Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park |
| title_sort | recent invaders in small mediterranean islands wild boars impact snakes in port cros national park |
| topic | Before-After Control-Impact design invasive species <i>Malpolon monspessulanus</i> <i>Zamenis scalaris</i> population survey reptiles |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/498 |
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