Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Professor Aileen MillORCiD
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
© 2020 The Mammal Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. We are entering an era where species declines are occurring at their fastest ever rate, and the increased spread of non-native species is among the top causes. High uncertainty in biological processes makes the accurate prediction of the outcomes of management interventions very challenging. Adaptive management (AM) offers solutions to reduce uncertainty and improve predictability so that the outcomes of interventions can continuously improve. We quantitatively assess the extent to which AM is used for managing vertebrates, with a focus on invasive non-native species (INNS). Using the Web of Science, we evaluated 3992 articles returned by the search terms ‘adaptive management’ or ‘adaptive harvest management’ against seven recommended elements of AM (engagement with stakeholders, defining objectives, forecasting and estimating uncertainty, implementing management, monitoring populations, adjusting management in response to monitoring, and improving forecasting and reducing uncertainty in response to monitoring populations). The use of AM for vertebrates was reported in 56 (1%) of the evaluated studies; including four for managing INNS. Of these, ten studies excluding INNS and no studies of INNS management implemented all seven recommended elements of AM. Those elements infrequently implemented were as follows: the use of analysis or models to forecast and represent uncertainty (44%) and the feedback of monitoring data to improve forecasting and reduce uncertainty (25%). Complete active AM has rarely been implemented and reported for managing INNS, despite the significant advantages it offers. Among studies purporting to have implemented AM, most did not use analyses or models to forecast and represent uncertainty, while most defined objectives, implemented management, and monitored populations. Improvements to ongoing control programmes and much broader adoption of the AM approach are required to increase the efficiency and success of INNS management campaigns and reduce their negative impacts on native species.
Author(s): Richardson S, Mill AC, Davis D, Jam D, Ward AI
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Mammal Review
Year: 2020
Volume: 50
Issue: 2
Pages: 147-156
Print publication date: 01/04/2020
Online publication date: 06/02/2020
Acceptance date: 12/11/2019
ISSN (print): 0305-1838
ISSN (electronic): 1365-2907
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12182
DOI: 10.1111/mam.12182
