About this Research Topic

Background

Background:

Invasive squirrels have caused a range of impacts on biodiversity and related ecosystem services. They have driven declines in native species through pathogen spillover and competition, and have caused economic damages to forests and plantations. Compared to other rodents, squirrel invasions differ in the motivations and pathways of introduction. New species of squirrels are being introduced from the pet trade. This leads to distinctive patterns of introduction and spread, and to the establishment of multiple and complex interactions with other species, including humans. Tackling the environmental problem of squirrel invasions is thus interesting from a broad socio-ecological perspective, it poses unique challenges, and it requires knowledge on the autecology of species, invasion processes and mechanisms, preventive strategies and management of established populations. The current evidence base on impacts and management of alien squirrels shows taxonomic, geographic, and disciplinary biases.

Alien squirrel introductions occur worldwide, and introduced squirrels have very different geographical origins. Several American species have been translocated within the same continent or introduced outside America, to Europe, Africa, and even Australia, as in the case of the Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis. On the other hand, some Asian squirrels of the Callosciurus genus are very popular pets, and they have been successfully introduced to South America and Europe. In all these contexts, on the ground management of alien squirrels (and the conservation of native species) is often surrounded by controversy and public opposition. Techniques range from active trapping to native predator introduction. Animals are sometimes rehomed, sterilized or humanely killed using a variety of methods. Grasping the reasons that shape public support and understanding the perceptions of target groups towards control programmes is essential to their success. Detailed analysis of the socio-ecological drivers of squirrel invasions is needed to fully understand introduction and invasion processes and is vital to shaping management strategies for ecosystem restoration and the protection of native squirrels.

Topics and types of contributions:

We are interested in research that can inform preventive and risk management strategies for alien squirrels and we expect contributions from any regions. We particularly welcome applied contributions from ongoing management projects, and unpublished impact or risk assessments. Furthermore, we aim to bring together studies describing ecological interactions of alien squirrels that can inform risk assessments and management, including research at the interface between ecology and mathematical disciplines, adopting modelling approaches to shed light on the dynamics of complex multi-species systems. We also encourage inter- and transdisciplinary research linking social and ecological perspectives such as papers describing human dimensions of squirrel management. We welcome original research papers, perspectives, reviews or mini-reviews, as well as manuscripts describing actual case studies or novel approaches on the following subjects:
(i) risk management strategies for squirrel introductions including surveillance and early warning systems;
(ii) reports of the results of management interventions;
(iii) impacts of alien squirrels across impact domains and mitigation strategies;
(iv) socio-ecological perspectives and human dimensions of alien squirrels and their management;
(v) ecological interactions, top-down and bottom-up regulatory mechanisms in natural systems following the introduction of alien squirrels including dynamics of disease, competition and predation
(vi) impact and risk assessment of alien squirrels provided they follow an evidence-based approach e.g. using risk assessment protocols that include species distribution modelling.

Keywords: conservation, invasive species, risk, restoration, Sciuridae

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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