Scientific evidence should dominate in any management decision dealing with alien species. It is also essential for all stakeholders to agree on the terminology used to avoid undesirable misinterpretations. A well‐known example is the use of the term “invasive,” which has two basic meanings, one as a biogeographic criterion and the other as an impact criterion. The aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) is a North African ungulate introduced in Spain, which was labeled “invasive” by Spanish authorities due to misreading of the term used by early studies. Indeed, to date, there are no conclusive empirical data showing negative effects of the aoudad on native flora and fauna. Recent studies have shown that its closest native ungulate, the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), has expanded throughout territories already occupied by the aoudad, without any apparent conflict. Aoudad diet selection studies also show them to be markedly grazers, so its role in the Mediterranean trophic network might be similar to that of extinct wild ungulates that fed in natural meadows, maintaining landscapes heterogeneous. New opportunities for its study are opening, particularly in Iberian semiarid lands. Unfortunately though, its current simplistic definition as an invasive species keeps in suspense its eventual eradication throughout the country.

中文翻译：

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入侵物种的误解和管理不当：西班牙有蹄类动物的悖论案例

在处理外来物种的任何管理决策中，科学证据均应占主导地位。所有利益相关者也必须就所使用的术语达成一致，以避免不必要的误解。一个著名的例子是“侵入性”一词的使用，它有两个基本含义，一个是生物地理标准，另一个是影响标准。aoudad（Ammotragus lervia）是一种在西班牙引入的北非有蹄类动物，由于对早期研究使用的术语的误读，西班牙当局将其标记为“侵入性”。确实，到目前为止，还没有确凿的经验数据表明金尾鱼对当地动植物的负面影响。最近的研究表明，其最接近的有蹄类动物伊比利亚高地山羊（Capra pyrenaica），已扩展到已被aoudad占领的整个领土，而没有任何明显的冲突。饮食选择研究还显示它们是明显的放牧者，因此其在地中海营养网中的作用可能与以天然草地为食的绝种野生有蹄类动物相似，从而保持了景观的异质性。研究的新机会正在打开，特别是在伊比利亚半干旱地区。但是，不幸的是，其目前对入侵物种的简单定义一直悬而未决，最终在全国范围内根除。