Resumo

SCHIAVINI, Adrián et al. Erradicación de especies invasoras: ciencia, actitud y entendimiento. El castor en tierra del fuego . Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2016, vol.23, n.2, pp.279-288. ISSN 0327-9383.

The management of invasive species involves several challenges, ranging from the need to generate applied knowledge and capacity building abilities to a change in perceptions and behaviors in society. The case of the invasive Canadian beaver, Castor canadensis, illustrates possible approaches to address other invasive species. We reviewed the management history of the beaver and the change of approach that led to an unprecedented bi-national agreement to restore the affected ecosystems by means of the eradication of the species. This agree­ment advances by means of a training process of capacity building and a gradual scaling in the complexity of the work, from pilot areas to the whole current distribution of the species. We highlight how scientific research contributes to the management of the species, presenting details of the ongoing research in three major areas: 1) feasibility of eradication in pilot areas; 2) assessment of vital and dispersion rates and building predictive models of the spread of the invasion, and 3) determination of objective criteria to declare beaver eradication in areas under management. Capacity building is critical for this complex process. Assembling the social capital needed to manage the problem requires a continuous dialogue and agreed agendas among various stakeholders. The scientific sector can assist in this process without imposing unilateral agendas, but identifying the right questions and understanding the particularities of other sectors, the culture of organizations and the time frames needed for practical responses to achieve science-based conservation.

Palavras-chave : Canadian beaver; Eradication; Invasive species; Management; Tierra del Fuego.