Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species - Mauritius

Vikash Tataya; Lian Jenna Wong; Shyama Pagad

doi:10.15468/nke0es

Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species - Mauritius

Citation

Tataya V, Wong L J, Pagad S (2020). Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species - Mauritius. Version 1.1. Invasive Species Specialist Group ISSG. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/nke0es accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-11.

Description

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified national checklists of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species at the country, territory, and associated island level. Checklists are living entities, especially for biological invasions given the growing nature of the problem. GRIIS checklists are based on a published methodology and supported by the Integrated Publishing Tool that jointly enable ongoing improvements and updates to expand their taxonomic coverage and completeness. Phase 1 of the project focused on developing validated and verified checklists of countries that are Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Phase 2 aimed to achieve global coverage including non-party countries and all overseas territories of countries, e.g. those of the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. All kingdoms of organisms occurring in all environments and systems are covered. Checklists are reviewed and verified by networks of country or species experts. Verified checklists/ species records, as well as those under review, are presented on the online GRIIS website (www.griis.org) in addition to being published through the GBIF Integrated Publishing Tool.

Purpose

The resource will be a support to countries to make progress to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 -in the development of their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans, their National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan, target setting and monitoring.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The geographic focus of this checklist is Mauritius

Sampling

This annotated checklist is focused on introduced (alien) and invasive species that are known to occur in Mauritius The International Union for Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) describes an Introduced/ Alien and Invasive alien species as follows:
An Introduced or Alien species means a species, subspecies, or lower taxon occurring outside of its natural range (past or present) and dispersal potential (i.e. outside the range it occupies naturally or could not occupy without direct or indirect introduction or care by humans) and includes any part, gametes or propagule of such species that might survive and subsequently reproduce. An Invasive Alien Species is an alien species which becomes established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems or habitat, is an agent of change, and threatens native biological diversity. In GRIIS, species are recorded as having an impact (as 'yes' under 'isInvasive') if there is evidence of the species negatively impacting biodiversity, and including species that are widespread, spreading rapidly or present in high abundance (Pagad et al. 2018). This usage is relevant to the purpose of GRIIS, and consistent with the concept of impact as formulated by Parker et al. (1999) and now widely used (e.g. Didham et al. 2005, Strayer et al. 2006, McGeoch et al. 2010, 2012, Vila et al. 2011), where impact is a function not only of the per capita effect of an individual organism, but is a combined function of the effect, abundance and range size of a species. Impact can of course be defined in different ways, driven by different objectives, such as its usage in EICAT where it is defined as a measurable change to the properties of an ecosystem caused by an alien taxon (Hawkins et al. 2015).

Quality Control

The draft checklist is compiled by collating data and information through a comprehensive literature overview. Additional steps implemented to control the quality of the data are described below. Taxonomic harmonization and normalization using the GBIF taxonomic backbone To harmonize all species names across countries, species lists are subjected to a normalization process in which taxon rank and taxonomic status are identified and assigned. Spelling and other errors in assigning species authorship are also corrected. Data validation The Project Personnel complete a review and validate all the annotations, especially those on provenance and 'invasive' status of the species based on evidence of impact. Data verification The checklist is submitted to a network of country editors for a review of both accuracy of records, annotations, and identification of any significant gaps in the data. Data verification is an iterative process and the activity for a particular version is declared complete on agreement of all relevant country editors (see versioning details below). One of the key tenets of the GRIIS project has been engagement with country editors in the verification process and as custodians of country checklists. While this has been possible in the majority of countries, for a small number of countries this engagement process has not succeeded in delivering a verified checklist. In these cases, the GRIIS Project Personnel have completed the validation of the species records but continue to work towards identifying country experts.

Method steps

Data collation and categorization Data filtering and categorization/ classification Taxonomic harmonization and normalization Data validation Data verification
The published methods underpinning GRIIS and each checklist are described in Pagad et al 2018.

Additional info

Versioning The GRIIS checklists are dynamic and reflect the latest known status of alien and invasive species presence and impacts. The original versions of each country checklist (v1.0) undergo two potential types of updates: 1. Major updates: These happen when batches of new species or records become available, usually addressing multiple taxonomic groups simultaneously. Each checklist is assigned a new version number after a major update (e.g. from v1.0 to v2.0). 2. Incremental updates: These are smaller ongoing updates involving the addition of new species or records based on new publications as well as taxonomic or other updates. Incremental updates to a checklist are associated with a subversion number, e.g. v1.1. The checklist version number is visible/available on the citation.

Taxonomic Coverages

Animalia, Bacteria, Chromista, Fungi, Plantae, Protozoa, Viruses

Animalia
rank: kingdom
Bacteria
rank: kingdom
Chromista
rank: kingdom
Fungi
rank: kingdom
Plantae
rank: kingdom
Protozoa
rank: kingdom
Viruses
rank: kingdom

Geographic Coverages

This annotated checklist is of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species known to occur in Mauritius

Bibliographic Citations

Hamer, M., Victor, J., Smith, G.F. (2012). Best Practice Guide for Compiling, Maintaining and Disseminating National Species Checklists, version 1.0, released in October 2012. Copenhagen: Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 40 pp, ISBN: 87-92020-48-8, Accessible at http://www.gbif.org/orc/?doc_id=4752. -
Pagad S, Genovesi P, Carnevali L, Schigel D, McGeoch MA (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data, 5, 170202. https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2017202 -
Parker I, Simberloff D, Lonsdale W. et al. (1999) Impact: Toward a Framework for Understanding the Ecological Effects of Invaders. Biological Invasions 1, 3–19 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010034312781 -
Didham RK, Tylianakis JM, Hutchison MA, Ewers RM, Gemmell NJ. (2005) Are invasive species the drivers of ecological change? Trends Ecol Evol. 2005 Sep;20(9):470-4. Epub 2005 Jul 21. -
Strayer DL, Eviner VT, Jeschke JM, Pace ML. (2006) Understanding the long-term effects of species invasions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21(11):645-51 -
McGeoch MA, Butchart SHM, Spear D, Marais E. Kleynhans EJ, Symes A, Chanson J, Hoffmann M. (2010) Global indicators of biological invasion: species numbers, biodiversity impact and policy responses. Diversity and Distributions Volume16, Issue1 January 2010. -
McGeoch, M.A., Spear, D., Kleynhans, E.J. & Marais, E. 2012. Uncertainty in invasive alien species listing. Ecological Applications 22, 959-971. 10.1890/11-1252.1 -
Vilà M, Espinar JL, Hejda M, Hulme PE, Jarošík V, Maron JL, Pergl J, Schaffner U, Sun Y, Pyšek P. (2011) Ecological impacts of invasive alien plants: a meta‐analysis of their effects on species, communities and ecosystems. Ecology Letters Volume14, Issue7 July 2011 Pages 702-708 -
Hawkins CL, Bacher S, Essl F, Hulme PE, Jeschke JM, Kühn I, Kumschick S, Nentwig W, Pergl J, Pyšek P, Rabitsch W, Richardson DM, Vilà M, Wilson JRU, Genovesi P, Blackburn TM. (2015) Framework and guidelines for implementing the proposed IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) Diversity and Distributions Volume21, Issue11 November 2015 Pages 1360-1363 -
Baret, S., et al. (2013). Threats to paradise? Plant Invasions in protected areas of the Western Indian Ocean Islands. Plant invasions in protected areas, Springer: 423-447. -
Davis, P. and M. Barnes (1991). "The butterflies of Mauritius." Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 30(3-4): 145-161. -
de Boer, E. J., et al. (2013). "Rapid succession of plant associations on the small ocean island of Mauritius at the onset of the Holocene." Quaternary Science Reviews 68: 114-125. -
Fowler, S., et al. (1999). Biological control of weeds in Mauritius: past successes revisited and present challenges. Proceedings of the X international symposium on biological control of weeds, Citeseer. -
Government of Mauritius (2008). National Invasive Alien Species Strategy for the Republic of Mauritius 2008-2017 -
Kueffer, C. and P. Vos (2003). "Woody invasive species: a regional assessment." Invasive Alien Species and Terrestrial Ecosystem Rehabilitation in Western Indian Ocean Island States: 22. -
Kull Christian, A., et al. (2008). "Invasive Australian acacias on western Indian Ocean islands: a historical and ecological perspective." African journal of ecology 46(4): 684-689. -
Lindsay, S. (2002). "Conservation of ferns in Mauritius: a small island with big problems." FERN GAZETTE 16(6/8): 470-470. -
Mauremootoo, J., et al. (2019). "Invasive species management in Mauritius: from the reactive to the proactive–the National Invasive Species Management Strategy and its implementation." Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge(62): 503. -
Mauremootooa, M. J. and M. C. Towner-Mauremootoob (2002). "Restoring paradise: alien species management for the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems in Mauritius and Rodrigues." Prevention and Management of Invasive Alien Species: 55. -
Monty, M. F., et al. (2013). "Invasive alien plants elicit reduced production of flowers and fruits in various native forest species on the tropical island of Mauritius (Mascarenes, Indian Ocean)." Tropical Conservation Science 6(1): 35-49. -
Moulton, M. P., et al. (1996). "Passeriform introductions to the Mascarenes (Indian Ocean): An assessment of the role of competition." Ecologie 27(3): 143. -
Russell, J. C., et al. (2016). "Introduced mammals on western Indian Ocean islands." Global Ecology and Conservation 6: 132-144. -
STRAHM, W. (2001). "22 Invasive species in Mauritius: examining the past and charting the future." Invasive Species and Biodiversity Management 24: 325. -
Virah-Sawmy, M., et al. (2009). "Rapid degradation of a Mauritian rainforest following 60 years of plant invasion." Oryx 43(4): 599-607. -

Contacts

Vikash Tataya
originator
position: Conservation Director, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Co-Chair, Mascarene Islands Plant Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, IUCN
Mauritius Wildlife Foundation
MU
email: vtatayah@mauritian-wildlife.org

Lian Jenna Wong
originator
position: Research Assistant
Biodiversity Data Management Ltd
NZ
email: biodivdatamgt@gmail.com

Shyama Pagad
originator
position: Deputy Chair- Information
IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
NZ
email: s.pagad@auckland.ac.nz

Shyama Pagad
metadata author
position: Deputy Chair- Information
IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
NZ
email: s.pagad@auckland.ac.nz

Shyama Pagad
user
position: Deputy Chair- Information
IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
NZ
email: s.pagad@auckland.ac.nz

Shyama Pagad
administrative point of contact
position: Deputy Chair- Information
IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
NZ
email: s.pagad@auckland.ac.nz