Spatial prioritization for widespread invasive species control: Trade-offs between current impact and future spread.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Invasive Species Management

Background:

• Spatially explicit prioritization of invasive species control is complex, involving trade-offs between immediate and future benefits.
• Widespread invasive species pose significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function, necessitating strategic management approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify spatially explicit management priorities for invasive willow in eastern Australia, balancing current biodiversity threats with future spread risks.
• To examine the trade-offs between different management goals, including immediate biodiversity protection and limiting future invasion via downstream and wind dispersal.
• To develop a transparent framework for invasive species management decisions by quantifying trade-offs under various control scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Utilized systematic conservation planning software (Zonation) to prioritize management actions across over 100,000 catchments.
• Integrated spatial data on biodiversity (native vegetation, threatened species), ecological conditions, management costs, and predicted willow distribution.
• Incorporated two distinct potential dispersal mechanisms (downstream and wind) to model future invasion scenarios.

Main Results:

• Prioritizing willow management to mitigate downstream spread showed minimal reduction in biodiversity protection.
• Accounting for future wind dispersal threats resulted in a more pronounced trade-off with threatened biodiversity protection.
• Considering both downstream and wind dispersal mechanisms simultaneously revealed the strongest trade-offs with biodiversity conservation.

Conclusions:

• Integrating current and future invasive species management goals can substantially enhance conservation outcomes.
• The developed approach provides land managers with insights into trade-offs, facilitating more transparent and informed decision-making.
• This spatial prioritization framework is adaptable for managing other widespread invasive species effectively.