Framework and guidelines for implementing the proposed IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT)

By Charlotte L. Hawkins, S. Bacher, F. Essl, P. Hulme, Jonathan M. Jeschke, I. Kühn, S. Kumschick, Wolfgang Nentwig, Jan Pergl, Petr Pyšek and 6 more. 2015

270 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Recently, Blackburn et al. (2014) developed a simple, objective and transparent method for classifying alien taxa in terms of the magnitude of their detrimental environmental impacts in recipient areas. Here, we present a comprehensive framework and guidelines for implementing this method, which we term the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa, or EICAT. We detail criteria for applying the EICAT scheme in a consistent and comparable fashion, prescribe the supporting information that should be supplied along with classifications, and describe the process for implementing the method. This comment aims to draw the attention of interested parties to the framework and guidelines, and to present them in their entirety in a location where they are freely accessible to any potential users.

Subfields: Ecological Modeling, Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c86f3ff9455f453ffcb6442d0ab5988153e6e40d

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Citations in the corpus

The importance of assessing positive and beneficial impacts of alien species (2020, methodology): “…guided the development of some impact assessment frameworks frequently used (Vilà et al. 2019), such as the GISS framework (Nentwig et al. 2016) and the EICAT framework (Blackburn et al. 2014; Hawkins et al 2015; IUCN 2020), which both assess the deleterious impacts of alien species on native taxa.”
Assessing patterns in introduction pathways of alien species by linking major invasion data bases (2017, background): “…that prevention strategies combine speciesspecific approaches (e.g. by way of impact scoring and blacklisting approaches; see, e.g. Blackburn et al. 2014; Hawkins et al. 2015) with effective management of the pathways of unintentional introduction, including extensive surveillance and monitoring.”
Application of the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) to a global assessment of alien bird impacts (2016, methodology): “The environmental impacts of each alien bird species identified from the literature search were categorized into one of 12 impact mechanisms defined in the EICAT guidelines (Hawkins et al., 2015) and summarized in Table 1.”
The status of biological invasions and their management in South Africa (2018, methodology): “Number of permits granted Number of permits refused 1336 Chaitophorus populialba (Boyer de Fonscolombe , 1841 ) No common name found found Unlisted NA NA NE No 0 0 1337 Charidotis auroguttata Boheman Golden spotted tortoise beetle Biological control agent Introduced NA NE Yes 0 0 1338 Charidotis pyg”
A vision for global monitoring of biological invasions (2017, methodology): “al Alien taxa categorized into one of five ‘impact’ categories by applying the standardized classification system (Hawkins et al., 2015) – Number and identity of species in each impact category at a site or in an area of interest – Trends in alien species with the most severe impacts – Lists of prio”