Identifying knowledge gaps in the research and management of invasive species in India

Ninad Avinash Mungi; Monica Kaushik; Nitya Prakash Mohanty; Rajat Rastogi; J. Antony Johnson; Qamar Qureshi

doi:10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8

Identifying knowledge gaps in the research and management of invasive species in India

Ninad Avinash Mungi^*, Monica Kaushik, Nitya Prakash Mohanty, Rajat Rastogi, J. Antony Johnson, Qamar Qureshi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biology - Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

India, a megadiverse tropical country is grappling with the issue of biological invasions. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is committed for managing its major biological invasions by 2020. Lack of prioritization of invasive species for control and management is the biggest hurdle for achieving this commitment. We reviewed 21 High Concern Invasive Species (HiCIS) across four major ecosystems (terrestrial mainland, island, freshwater, and marine) in India, utilizing the prioritization framework for understanding the existing knowledge and gaps. We reviewed the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature on HiCIS for information on their ecology, impacts, and management. Prioritization framework provided “priority scores” and “confidence scores” to each HiCIS, where priority score comprised of the species’ ecology and its management lacunae. Confidence score represented the reliability of the priority score. We found that invasions on terrestrial mainland ecosystem in India are the most studied invasions followed by freshwater, island, and marine ecosystem. Priority score of a given HiCIS was positively correlated with its impacts on biodiversity (R = 0.63), physical environment (R = 0.70), and ecosystem services (R = 0.60). This correlation supports scientific focus on deleterious species. The study also indicates policies and guidelines in place for management of invasions as a part of a larger scheme or Legal Act, resulting in their obscurity to the managers, and hindering management of HiCIS. This quantitative synthesis provides a model framework for countries struggling with channelizing management efforts to an overwhelmingly large number of invasive species.

Original language	English
Journal	Biologia
Volume	74
Issue	6
Pages (from-to)	623-629
Number of pages	7
ISSN	0006-3088
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8
Publication status	Published - 15 Jun 2019

Keywords

Conservation policy
India
Invasive species
Prioritization

Access to Document

10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8

Cite this

@article{fcae5fb78b294305a6860cb2cd9d0486,

title = "Identifying knowledge gaps in the research and management of invasive species in India",

abstract = "India, a megadiverse tropical country is grappling with the issue of biological invasions. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is committed for managing its major biological invasions by 2020. Lack of prioritization of invasive species for control and management is the biggest hurdle for achieving this commitment. We reviewed 21 High Concern Invasive Species (HiCIS) across four major ecosystems (terrestrial mainland, island, freshwater, and marine) in India, utilizing the prioritization framework for understanding the existing knowledge and gaps. We reviewed the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature on HiCIS for information on their ecology, impacts, and management. Prioritization framework provided “priority scores” and “confidence scores” to each HiCIS, where priority score comprised of the species{\textquoteright} ecology and its management lacunae. Confidence score represented the reliability of the priority score. We found that invasions on terrestrial mainland ecosystem in India are the most studied invasions followed by freshwater, island, and marine ecosystem. Priority score of a given HiCIS was positively correlated with its impacts on biodiversity (R = 0.63), physical environment (R = 0.70), and ecosystem services (R = 0.60). This correlation supports scientific focus on deleterious species. The study also indicates policies and guidelines in place for management of invasions as a part of a larger scheme or Legal Act, resulting in their obscurity to the managers, and hindering management of HiCIS. This quantitative synthesis provides a model framework for countries struggling with channelizing management efforts to an overwhelmingly large number of invasive species.",

keywords = "Conservation policy, India, Invasive species, Prioritization",

author = "Mungi, {Ninad Avinash} and Monica Kaushik and Mohanty, {Nitya Prakash} and Rajat Rastogi and {Antony Johnson}, J. and Qamar Qureshi",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences.",

year = "2019",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8",

language = "English",

volume = "74",

pages = "623--629",

journal = "Biologia",

issn = "0006-3088",

publisher = "Walterde Gruyter GmbH",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying knowledge gaps in the research and management of invasive species in India

AU - Mungi, Ninad Avinash

AU - Kaushik, Monica

AU - Mohanty, Nitya Prakash

AU - Rastogi, Rajat

AU - Antony Johnson, J.

AU - Qureshi, Qamar

PY - 2019/6/15

Y1 - 2019/6/15

N2 - India, a megadiverse tropical country is grappling with the issue of biological invasions. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is committed for managing its major biological invasions by 2020. Lack of prioritization of invasive species for control and management is the biggest hurdle for achieving this commitment. We reviewed 21 High Concern Invasive Species (HiCIS) across four major ecosystems (terrestrial mainland, island, freshwater, and marine) in India, utilizing the prioritization framework for understanding the existing knowledge and gaps. We reviewed the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature on HiCIS for information on their ecology, impacts, and management. Prioritization framework provided “priority scores” and “confidence scores” to each HiCIS, where priority score comprised of the species’ ecology and its management lacunae. Confidence score represented the reliability of the priority score. We found that invasions on terrestrial mainland ecosystem in India are the most studied invasions followed by freshwater, island, and marine ecosystem. Priority score of a given HiCIS was positively correlated with its impacts on biodiversity (R = 0.63), physical environment (R = 0.70), and ecosystem services (R = 0.60). This correlation supports scientific focus on deleterious species. The study also indicates policies and guidelines in place for management of invasions as a part of a larger scheme or Legal Act, resulting in their obscurity to the managers, and hindering management of HiCIS. This quantitative synthesis provides a model framework for countries struggling with channelizing management efforts to an overwhelmingly large number of invasive species.

AB - India, a megadiverse tropical country is grappling with the issue of biological invasions. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is committed for managing its major biological invasions by 2020. Lack of prioritization of invasive species for control and management is the biggest hurdle for achieving this commitment. We reviewed 21 High Concern Invasive Species (HiCIS) across four major ecosystems (terrestrial mainland, island, freshwater, and marine) in India, utilizing the prioritization framework for understanding the existing knowledge and gaps. We reviewed the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature on HiCIS for information on their ecology, impacts, and management. Prioritization framework provided “priority scores” and “confidence scores” to each HiCIS, where priority score comprised of the species’ ecology and its management lacunae. Confidence score represented the reliability of the priority score. We found that invasions on terrestrial mainland ecosystem in India are the most studied invasions followed by freshwater, island, and marine ecosystem. Priority score of a given HiCIS was positively correlated with its impacts on biodiversity (R = 0.63), physical environment (R = 0.70), and ecosystem services (R = 0.60). This correlation supports scientific focus on deleterious species. The study also indicates policies and guidelines in place for management of invasions as a part of a larger scheme or Legal Act, resulting in their obscurity to the managers, and hindering management of HiCIS. This quantitative synthesis provides a model framework for countries struggling with channelizing management efforts to an overwhelmingly large number of invasive species.

KW - Conservation policy

KW - India

KW - Invasive species

KW - Prioritization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059868994&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8

DO - 10.2478/s11756-018-00186-8

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85059868994

SN - 0006-3088

VL - 74

SP - 623

EP - 629

JO - Biologia

JF - Biologia

IS - 6

ER -

Identifying knowledge gaps in the research and management of invasive species in India

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this