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Integrating expert opinion and traditional ecological knowledge in invasive alien species management: Corbicula in Eastern Europe as a model

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Abstract

The rate of alien species introduction is on the rise and seems unstoppable at a global scale. Once an alien species has been introduced to a new system, early detection and rapid eradication is the only cost-effective alternative to containment and long-term control. Here, we provide an integrative approach combining three sources of information to assist the management of invasive alien species. We used the Asian clam Corbicula sp. invasion in the Lower Danube as a model. First, the reference distribution data for the species was obtained through a crowdsourcing campaign, including a bibliographic review, public repositories and unpublished data. Next, we weighted the importance of different introduction pathways and dispersal vectors, focusing on the opinion and experience of an expert panel. Finally, information retrieved with semi-structured interviews was contrasted against the present distribution of the species. The expert panel highlighted the opening of the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in 1992 as the most probable pathway of Corbicula introduction in the Lower Danube. However, the bibliographic review and interviews pointed to an earlier introduction event throughout the Danube Delta. In the subsequent spread phase, all three sources of information refer to zoochory, but also human mediated activities, as the vectors responsible for Corbicula dispersal to Danube tributaries. Our study presents a methodology on how expert opinion and traditional ecological knowledge can be effectively integrated to identify introduction pathways and dispersal vectors that facilitate the spread of invasive alien species. This approach can be used for enhancing collaboration between academic and research institutions and for raising stakeholders’ awareness to be used in management.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Daniela Irimia for her unconditional support performing the personal interviews and who is largely responsible for its successful outcome. Many thanks to Dr. I. Sîrbu for the unpublished distribution data and his insightful contribution to this paper. We wish to thank the team of experts listed in Online Resource 1 who contributed to this work. We also would like to thank all stakeholders who participated in the interviews. Financial support came from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (ECOST-STSM-Request-CA17122-42495). NF-R was supported by a post-doctoral fellowship (Xunta de Galicia Plan I2C 2017-2020, 09.40.561B.444.0) from the government of the autonomous community of Galicia. ABP was partly supported by the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation—Core Program (Program Nucleu)—“Danube River: Evolution of morphological, sedimentological, geoecological and estimating anthropogenic pollution” and “Multidisciplinary research regarding the effects produced by the anthropic interventions on the Danube Delta and the coastal area and the possibilities of rehabilitation of the environment” carried out by the NIRD GeoEcoMar. The work of DC was partly supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation, CCCDI-UEFISCDI, Project Number PN-III-Pl-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0721/2018, within PNCDI III. Funding was provided by Ministerul Educaţiei şi Cercetării Ştiinţifice (Grant No. w/o no.). We are very grateful to two anonymous reviewers, whose suggestions substantially improved the manuscript.

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Ferreira-Rodríguez, N., Pavel, A.B. & Cogălniceanu, D. Integrating expert opinion and traditional ecological knowledge in invasive alien species management: Corbicula in Eastern Europe as a model. Biol Invasions 23, 1087–1099 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02420-4

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