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Managing apparent competition between the feral pigs and native foxes of Santa Cruz Island

Richard Melstrom

Ecological Economics, 2014, vol. 107, issue C, 157-162

Abstract: This paper presents a model of pest impacts in a multispecies framework. Strong detrimental relationships often form between pest populations and other biota, damaging ecosystem services and reducing social welfare. Under these circumstances, optimal pest management must account for the interactions between pests and other species. The bioeconomic model of competition developed in this manuscript is illustrated using the case of feral pigs (Sus scrofa) on Santa Cruz Island, California. The presence of the pigs, an introduced species, resulted in the near extirpation of the native island fox (Urocyon littoralis) before managers intervened and removed the pigs from the island. The application compares a policy of pig eradication with one of perpetual control, which is found to involve initially over-culling the pigs relative to the equilibrium level. To protect the foxes of Santa Cruz Island, the results suggest that pig eradication rather than pig control is the optimal strategy.

Keywords: Exotic species; Invasive species; Pests; Bioeconomics; Multispecies system; Feral pigs; Island foxes; Channel Islands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C61 Q20 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:107:y:2014:i:c:p:157-162

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.07.004

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