The Potential Conservation Value of Non-Native Species

• Published in: Conservation biology 2011-06, Vol.25 (3), p.428-437
• Main Authors: SCHLAEPFER, MARTIN A., SAX, DOV F., OLDEN, JULIAN D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Conservation biology; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Ecological genetics; Ecological invasion; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Environmental conservation; especies exóticas; especies invasoras; especies no nativas; evolución; evolution; exotic species; Extinction, Biological; Food Chain; Habitat conservation; Introduced Species; Invasive species; Life Sciences; management; manejo; non-native species; Population Dynamics; restauración; restoration; Review; Species; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01646.x

Non-native species can cause the loss of biological diversity (i.e., genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity) and threaten the well-being of humans when they become invasive. In some cases, however, they can also provide conservation benefits. We examined the ways in which non-native species currently contribute to conservation objectives. These include, for example, providing habitat or food resources to rare species, serving as functional substitutes for extinct taxa, and providing desirable ecosystem functions. We speculate that non-native species might contribute to achieving conservation goals in the future because they may be more likely than native species to persist and provide ecosystem services in areas where climate and land use are changing rapidly and because they may evolve into new and endemic taxa. The management of non-native species and their potential integration into conservation plans depends on how conservation goals are set in the future. A fraction of non-native species will continue to cause biological and economic damage, and substantial uncertainty surrounds the potential future effects of all non-native species. Nevertheless, we predict the proportion of non-native species that are viewed as benign or even desirable will slowly increase over time as their potential contributions to society and to achieving conservation objectives become well recognized and realized. Las especies exóticas pueden causar la pérdida de diversidad biológica (i. e., diversidad genética, de especies y ecosistemas) y amenazar el bienestar de humanos cuando se vuelven invasoras. Sin embargo, en algunos casos también pueden proporcionar beneficios de conservación. Examinamos las formas en que las especies exóticas contribuyen actualmente a objetivos de conservación. Estos incluyen, por ejemplo, proporcionar hábitat o recursos alimenticios para especies raras, fungir como sustitutos funcionales de taxa extintos y proporcionar funciones ecosistémicas deseables. Especulamos que las especies exóticas pueden contribuir a lograr metas de conservación en el futuro porque su probabilidad de persistir y proporcionar servicios ecosistémicos es mayor que la de especies nativas en áreas donde el clima y el uso de suelos están cambiando rápidamente y porque pueden evolucionar hacia taxa nuevos y endémicos. El manejo de especies exóticas y su potencial integración en planes de conservación depende de cómo se definen las metas de conservación en el futuro. Una fracció