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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 35(3)

The roles of risk assessment in the control of invasive vertebrates

Mark C. Andersen
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.

B Email: manderse@nmsu.edu

Wildlife Research 35(3) 242-248 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07107
Submitted: 1 August 2007  Accepted: 24 December 2007   Published: 20 May 2008

Abstract

Vertebrate pest species are an economically and ecologically important subset of the broader environmental problem of invasive alien species. Risk assessment has been shown to be a useful paradigm for identifying and comparing potential solutions to environmental problems in a variety of contexts, including problems associated with invasive species. Here I briefly review the important components of the risk assessment paradigm, and discuss potential applications of risk assessment approaches to several aspects of the control of invasive vertebrate pest species, including import and export controls to prevent establishment, evaluation of control measures for established species, and assessment of the severity of potential non-target impacts of control measures. Risk assessment can contribute to the solution of vertebrate pest problems by connecting science to policy and management decisions, by identifying and alleviating values-based controversies, and by integrating public participation and stakeholder involvement into science-based decision-making.


Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the New Mexico Agricultural Experimental Station.


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