A benefit–risk analysis for biological control introductions based on the protection of native biodiversity

作者：George E. Heimpel, Paul K. Abram, Charlotte E. Causton, Sabrina L. Celis, Moshe Coll, Ian C.W. Hardy, Marc Mangel, Nicholas J. Mills, Michal Segoli · 发表于：Ecological Applications · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/eap.3012 · 被引用次数：19 · 研究领域：Biological Control of Invasive Species、Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、African Botany and Ecology Studies

The release of biological control agents has been an important means of controlling invasive species for over 150 years. While these releases have led to the sustainable control of over 250 invasive pest and weed species worldwide, a minority have caused environmental harm. A growing recognition of the risks of biological control led to a focus on risk assessment beginning in the 1990s along with a precipitous decline in releases. While this new focus greatly improved the safety of biological control, it came at the cost of lost opportunities to solve environmental problems associated with invasive species. A framework that incorporates benefits and risks of biological control is thus needed to understand the net environmental effects of biological control releases. We introduce such a framework, using native biodiversity as the common currency for both benefits and risks. The model is based on interactions among four categories of organisms: (1) the biological control agent, (2) the invasive species (pest or weed) targeted by the agent, (3) one or more native species that stand to benefit from the control of the target species, and (4) one or more native species that are at risk of being harmed by the released biological control agent. Conservation values of the potentially benefited and harmed native species are incorporated as well, and they are weighted according to three axes: vulnerability to extinction, the ecosystem services provided, and cultural significance. Furthe...