Neither cat nor hare: Native biodiversity under threat of invasive species in Peru

Antonio Tovar CDC-UNALM (Peru)

latn@lamolina.edu.pe Omaha, Nebraska, April 2011

Invasive Species in the Peruvian Legislation

Agriculture,

forestry and wildlife legislation define:

exotica native or from another country " and

introduced intentionally or unintentionally

IUCN:

"specie outside its natural range" (UICN 2000)

Ignores political boundaries Outside their natural distribution range A penguin in the high Andes or the a vicua in the Amazon are considered exotic in spite of being Peruvian

What is an invasive alien species ?

Plastic

species, adaptable, competes aggressively with native species

South

America: Highly invasive species:

American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) European hare (Lepus europaeus) Salt cedar trees (Tamarix spp)

Ideal Conditions for invasive species

Present

in corridors with continuty: conditions favorable for establishment

Persistence

of human intervention in increases the risk of invasion: valleys, gentle slopes, areas with persistent fires
Invasive

species in a country tend to be invasive in countries with similar climatic conditions

European red deer Cervus elaphus, Plague in Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand

Not all exotic species are invasive

Rule 10: One in 10 is naturalized, one out of the 10 naturalized will become an invasive species
Foto: http://www.avesdelima.com Gorrin europeo en Lima

Invasion process: First Barrier

Geographic Barrier The ocean, a mountain range, a river Species overcome obstacles voluntary or accidental Become Invasive

Invasion process: Second Barrier

Environmental barrier Environmental constraints influence the reproductive capacity of invasive species Species reproduce and form a population that regenerates: a stablished species"
Foto: UICN. Perro en Archipilago de Galpagos

Invasion process: Third Barrier

Dispersal barrier: stops expansion of established species

Environmental characteristics: presence of natural enemies lack of dispersal agents inadequate food An invasive species is one that overcomes this barrier and moves extensively over the new environment
Foto: INRENA. Liebre europea (Lepus europaeus)

Effects of some invasive species

Human

Health: Eg, mosquitoes and malaria in Brazil: 20's of XX century: causing 20,000 deaths
Local

and national economy Eg. European Hare in Chile, Argentina and Australia: Feed on grain, forage, vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves, twigs, bark

Goats in Isabella Island, Galapagos (Zalba & Ziller 2005)

Ecosystem functioning: goats in Galapagos Survival of native species: eg. Cats vs. tree kangaroos "walabis" in Australia

Invasive emblematic fauna of the World

Australia,

New Zealand and Tasmania: domestic cats, pigs, foxes, rabbits, deer.
Galapagos

Archipelago: Goats, pigs and dogs.

Andes:
South East

trout in highland lakes and rivers.

America: European Hare.

of Africa: Nile perch (Lates niloticus) in Lake Victoria: extinction of dozens of endemic species of Cichlid fish.
South

America: Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus): Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela

Invasive alien fish in Peru

"Trout

(Oncorhynchus mykiss = Salmo gairdneri) Andean Lakes and ponds

"Argentine

silverside (Odontestes bonariensis), Andean

lagoons Guppi (Poecilia reticulatus = Lebistes reticulatus) in the Upper Amazon region has been used to control mosquito Anopheles (malaria) "Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Source Nile River: Fish farms in the Peruvian Amazon.

Invasive fish in Lake Titicaca (Bolivia and Peru)

"Rainbow

trout" Oncorhynchus mykiss and "salmon trout" Salmo trutta (introduced in 1941 - 42).
"Canadian

Trout" Salvelinus fontinalis and "American lake trout" Salvelinus namaycush (in 1950)
"Argentine

Silverside Odontestes bonariensis (in 1946)

Effects
Predators and competitors of native fish like Orestias spp. and Trichomycterus spp.

Introduction Ichthyophtirius multifilis (protozoan parasite of salmonids).

Habitat structure

Invasive species in Peru

Is

the trout is an invasive species? It appears so.

Does

eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) an invasive species? Is confined to plantation areas, but information is missing.
Is

the paiche (piraruc) an invasive species? In the Amazon, south of Peru, where it was introduced, Arapaima gigas seems so, but field data is requiered.

Complex issue
Experts do not always agree on the invasive nature of a species ..... Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) leads to changes in composition and structure of Andean aquatic ecosystems

regardless value to the local socioeconomy)

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus): Confined to forest plantations and does not compete aggressively with other species European hare (Lepus europaeus): a separate issue ...

European hare (Lepus europaeus) in southern Peru

The hare is not any kind of pest

(Foto: INRENA)

European hare (Lepus europaeus)

Entered Peru from the south Early 90's Found in 5 or 6 areas: sea level up to 4,500 meters. Expansion velocity: 50 km / year. Coming years: Agricultural areas, Central Coast of Peru. Economic losses Most dangerous emerging invasive species for the national agriculture: ability of multiply and spread. We still have time to control it....

Emerging diseases such as dengue fever in Peru (20.000 cases in 2010), are vector-borne invaders expanding as mosquito Aedes aegypti

Is American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus = Rana catesbeiana) in Peru?

American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus = Rana catesbeiana)

Large frog (20 cm and 750 grams) and very voracious Native to North America introduced for the purpose of raising food varying success in several countries: Asia, Europe and South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Peru). Most countries: escaped from confinement places and established local populations of great vigor and aggressiveness. Can eat any animal that fits in its mouth (fish, birds, rodents, scorpions, insects, other amphibians).

Does american bull frog exists in Peru?

Introduced three times: 20 years Northern Coast of Lima: Little information: after two years it multiplied (desert ecosystem), but 20 years later we do not know ... Northern Amazon: Some individual managed to escape, but herpetologists found no evidence of survival in natural environments

Mountainous area of Lima: to be confirmed if they persist in the wild

Why bullfrog should not be introduced in Peru?

Alien species: became invasive in places introduced

Voracious species: problems for small representatives of native fauna

Identified as one of the largest carriers and distributors of the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), worldwide, one of the major causes of global amphibian extinction.
A curious fact is that Peruvians herpetologists not openly acknowledge the presence of bullfrogs in the country, but two lists recently published include it among the Peruvian herpetofauna

What do we need?
Information:

research, databases, maps, knowledge of habitat and habits

There is preliminary database (support IABIN)
Interagency

working group of invasive species (MINAM, IMARPE, SENASA, PRODUCE, universities and others)
Education Strict

and local capacity building

regulations, sanitary control, border coordination, protocols of introduction

Apply

information: control of invasive species ("habitat is everything")

Be

realistic: once entered a species can not be eradicated

Conclutions
Invasive species in Peru such as trout, European hare, mosquito Aedes aegypti and others have become invasive (affecting the economy and human health), they have found suitable conditions for its establishment and population development.

The problem is not new but we are just becoming aware of it and taking actions in this regard.
It requires the collaboration of governmental, animal and plant merchants, farmers, gardeners, scientists and others to prevent the entry and spread of alien species to the ecosystems in Peru.

More Information

Invasive Species Specialists Working Group http://www.issg.org/ Global Invasive Species Information Network http://www.gisin.org/

Other: Invasive species Group (Latinoamrica)

http://groups.google.com.pe/group/especies_invasoras

Fotos extradas de Internet y otros

Thank you

latn@lamolina.edu.pe