Changes in island ecosystems after eradication of invasive alien species: Proposal for management scenarios considering environmental heterogeneity

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25241025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental and ecological symbiosis
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Naoki Kachi 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 教授 (30124340)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 川上 和人 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 野生動物研究領域, 主任研究員 (50353652) ; 平舘 俊太郎 国立研究開発法人農業環境技術研究所, 生物多様性研究領域, 上席研究員 (60354099) ; 吉田 勝彦 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 生物・生態系環境研究センター, 主任研究員 (70332244)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OSAWA Takeshi 独立行政法人農業環境技術研究所, 農業環境インベントリーセンター, 主任研究員 (40554332)
• Research Collaborator: HATA Kenji 首都大学東京, 大学院理工学研究科, 特任研究員 (60468147)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 生態系 / 外来生物 / 駆除 / 海洋島 / 土壌化学特性 / 海鳥

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For restoration and managements of ecosystems degraded by anthropogenic disturbances such as invasion of invasive species, we evaluated effects of invasive exotic mammals on ecosystem function in oceanic islands and predicted changes in ecosystems after their eradication in consideration of spatial heterogeneity of biotic and abiotic environmental factors by field survey in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands and computer simulation. Our results suggested local scale variation of species-specific distributions of seabirds, soil chemical properties with soil erosion, establishment of plant species. The simulation based on constructed model predicted that eradication of non-native mammals promotes accumulation of soil nutrients with recovery of seabird nesting and loss of soil nutrients associating with soil erosion caused by vegetation degradation, which results in recovery of vegetation at some sites as well as not at other sites.

Free Research Field

植物生態学