Control Strategies
After the species successfully establishes, the decision-maker may employ several control strategies: eradicate the population, slow the spread of the population through spatial control strategies, or take no action. As in the other stages of the invasion process, a species’ ability to successfully spread relates to its biological characteristics and the interaction with its surrounding habitat and species. Unlike previous stages, there may be more available information on the species’ characteristics at this stage, which can inform decision-making. From an ecological perspective, eradication may yield the most desirable outcome. However, it may be costly to achieve under conditions such as larger spatial scales or substantial population sizes. Consequently, eradication attempts often fail to reach their objectives. Sections that follow focus on the spatial aspects of control and the efficacy of eradication as a control strategy.
- Spatial Control Strategies : Invasive species management is inherently about the management of land, or space.
- Eradication as an Optimal Strategy : Eradication as a control strategy yields the most desirable outcome--total elimination of the invasive species from the habitat--but this strategy often fails due to numerous obstacles that impede complete removal, leading many to question the circumstances when eradication is feasible and optimal.
Encyclopedia ID: p3066
