What is the evidence that invasive species are a significant contributor to the decline or loss of threatened species? A
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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL
Open Access
What is the evidence that invasive species are a significant contributor to the decline or loss of threatened species? A systematic review map Philip D Roberts1*, Hilda Diaz-Soltero2, David J Hemming1, Martin J Parr1, Nicola H Wakefield1 and Holly J Wright1
Abstract Background: Invasive species have been reported as one of the leading causes of species extinction. However, the evidence to support or contest their effects on the decline and/or extinction of threatened species has been largely unavailable and few efforts have been made to collate such information. In order to develop national and international policies addressing the loss of threatened species, and to prioritise research and mitigation efforts, the evidence needs to be systematically reviewed and mapped to determine the importance of such effects. Methods/design: The searching of online publication databases, grey literature and other resources, such as recovery plans of endangered species, aims to gather existing evidence on whether invasive species are a significant contributor to the decline and/or extinction of threatened species. This study focuses on US species under threat. The methods used to carry out the systematic review will address the following two fundamental questions: (a) what proportion of threatened species have an invasive species as a significant contributor to their decline and (b) through what mechanisms do invasive species contribute towards the decline of native species? The pool of resources gathered will be analysed for relevance and quality using a pre-defined scoring system. A systematic map will be produced, summarising information from individual studies. Where possible, data will be extracted from included studies and synthesised using meta-analysis. Keywords: Invasive species, Alien species, Threatened species, Impact, Decline, Extinction, Mechanism
Background There is a broad scientific consensus that invasive species are likely to play a crucial and devastating role in species extinction. At the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (COP10) it was stated that: “Invasive species are the second biggest driving force of species extinction, after the effects of human activity (habitat loss, overexploitation, and pollution).” This extinction process seems likely to accelerate, with climate change acting as one of its driving factors, as it may expand the ranges of many invasive species. However, while there are good ecological reasons for expecting that invasive species are playing a central role * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 CABI, Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
in the loss of native species, the evidence to support or contest that idea has not been collected or examined systematically at either a national or international level, and even the evidence source behind the COP10 statement has not been cited. For example, within the United States (USA)
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