IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pcbi00/1011996.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimizing strategies for slowing the spread of invasive species

Author

Listed:
  • Adam Lampert

Abstract

Invasive species are spreading worldwide, causing damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture, and human health. A major question is, therefore, how to distribute treatment efforts cost-effectively across space and time to prevent or slow the spread of invasive species. However, finding optimal control strategies for the complex spatial-temporal dynamics of populations is complicated and requires novel methodologies. Here, we develop a novel algorithm that can be applied to various population models. The algorithm finds the optimal spatial distribution of treatment efforts and the optimal propagation speed of the target species. We apply the algorithm to examine how the results depend on the species’ demography and response to the treatment method. In particular, we analyze (1) a generic model and (2) a detailed model for the management of the spongy moth in North America to slow its spread via mating disruption. We show that, when utilizing optimization approaches to contain invasive species, significant improvements can be made in terms of cost-efficiency. The methodology developed here offers a much-needed tool for further examination of optimal strategies for additional cases of interest.Author summary: In light of the global spread of invasive species that threaten ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture, and human health, we developed an advanced computer algorithm to identify the optimal strategy to slow the spread of established invaders. In particular, the algorithm finds the most cost-effective way to allocate resources for treatment across different locations. The algorithm is generic and is suitable for a wide variety of population dynamical models and treatment methods. We tested the algorithm using both a broad-based model and a specific model focused on the spongy moth in North America. Our findings revealed significantly improved strategies for slowing the spread of invasive species. The algorithm thus offers a promising tool for improving environmental conservation and assisting policymakers in facing the challenges posed by invasive species.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Lampert, 2024. "Optimizing strategies for slowing the spread of invasive species," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pcbi00:1011996
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011996
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011996
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011996&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011996?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Born, Wanda & Rauschmayer, Felix & Brauer, Ingo, 2005. "Economic evaluation of biological invasions--a survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 321-336, November.
    2. Rout, Tracy M. & Moore, Joslin L. & Possingham, Hugh P. & McCarthy, Michael A., 2011. "Allocating biosecurity resources between preventing, detecting, and eradicating island invasions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 54-62.
    3. Epanchin-Niell, Rebecca S. & Wilen, James E., 2012. "Optimal spatial control of biological invasions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 260-270.
    4. F. Stuart Chapin III & Erika S. Zavaleta & Valerie T. Eviner & Rosamond L. Naylor & Peter M. Vitousek & Heather L. Reynolds & David U. Hooper & Sandra Lavorel & Osvaldo E. Sala & Sarah E. Hobbie & Mic, 2000. "Consequences of changing biodiversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6783), pages 234-242, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca A. Clement & Hyoseok Lee & Nicholas C. Manoukis & Yelena M. Pacheco & Fallon Ross & Mark S. Sisterson & Christopher L. Owen, 2025. "Addressing Biological Invasions in Agriculture with Big Data in an Informatics Age," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-34, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. İ. Esra Büyüktahtakın & Robert G. Haight, 2018. "A review of operations research models in invasive species management: state of the art, challenges, and future directions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 271(2), pages 357-403, December.
    2. Dalmazzone, Silvana & Giaccaria, Sergio, 2014. "Economic drivers of biological invasions: A worldwide, bio-geographic analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 154-165.
    3. Epanchin-Niell, Rebecca S. & Liebhold, Andrew M., 2015. "Benefits of invasion prevention: Effect of time lags, spread rates, and damage persistence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 146-153.
    4. Eli Fenichel & Timothy Richards & David Shanafelt, 2014. "The Control of Invasive Species on Private Property with Neighbor-to-Neighbor Spillovers," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 59(2), pages 231-255, October.
    5. Onal, Sevilay & Akhundov, Najmaddin & Büyüktahtakın, İ. Esra & Smith, Jennifer & Houseman, Gregory R., 2020. "An integrated simulation-optimization framework to optimize search and treatment path for controlling a biological invader," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    6. Jansson, Åsa, 2013. "Reaching for a sustainable, resilient urban future using the lens of ecosystem services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 285-291.
    7. Ariane Amin & Johanna Choumert, 2015. "Development and biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A spatial analysis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(1), pages 729-744.
    8. Pistorius, Till & Schaich, Harald & Winkel, Georg & Plieninger, Tobias & Bieling, Claudia & Konold, Werner & Volz, Karl-Reinhard, 2012. "Lessons for REDDplus: A comparative analysis of the German discourse on forest functions and the global ecosystem services debate," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 4-12.
    9. Markus Groth, 2009. "The transferability and performance of payment-by-results biodiversity conservation procurement auctions: empirical evidence from northernmost Germany," Working Paper Series in Economics 119, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    10. Mußhoff, O. & Hirschauer, N., 2013. "Planspiele als experimentelle Methode der Politikfolgenabschätzung: Das Beispiel der Stickstoffextensivierung," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 48, March.
    11. Pritchard, Rose & Ryan, Casey M. & Grundy, Isla & van der Horst, Dan, 2018. "Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity and Rural Livelihoods: Findings From Six Villages in Zimbabwe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 115-124.
    12. Wojciech Bierza & Joanna Czarnecka & Agnieszka Błońska & Agnieszka Kompała-Bąba & Agnieszka Hutniczak & Bartosz Jendrzejek & Jawdat Bakr & Andrzej M. Jagodziński & Dariusz Prostański & Gabriela Woźnia, 2023. "Plant Diversity and Species Composition in Relation to Soil Enzymatic Activity in the Novel Ecosystems of Urban–Industrial Landscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, April.
    13. Han-Shen Chen & Wan-Yu Liu & Chi-Ming Hsieh, 2017. "Integrating Ecosystem Services and Eco-Security to Assess Sustainable Development in Liuqiu Island," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-14, June.
    14. Rai, Rajesh Kumar & Scarborough, Helen, 2012. "Estimating the public benefits of mitigating damages caused by invasive plant species in a subsistence economy," 2012 Conference (56th), February 7-10, 2012, Fremantle, Australia 124421, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    15. Enrique Calfucura & Eugenio Figueroa, 2016. "Using benefits and costs estimations to manage conservation: Chile’s protected areas," Working Papers wp418, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    16. Arnold J. Bomans & Peter Roessingh, 2024. "Decision Change: The First Step to System Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-22, March.
    17. Emily L. Pascoe & Sajid Pareeth & Duccio Rocchini & Matteo Marcantonio, 2019. "A Lack of “Environmental Earth Data” at the Microhabitat Scale Impacts Efforts to Control Invasive Arthropods That Vector Pathogens," Data, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-14, September.
    18. Kim Meyer Hall & Heidi J. Albers & Majid Alkaee Taleghan & Thomas G. Dietterich, 2018. "Optimal Spatial-Dynamic Management of Stochastic Species Invasions," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 70(2), pages 403-427, June.
    19. Lee, Joung Hun & Iwasa, Yoh, 2012. "Optimal investment for enhancing social concern about biodiversity conservation: A dynamic approach," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 177-186.
    20. Deepa Moni Doley & Paramananda Barman, 2023. "Importance of communicating biodiversity for sustainable wildlife management: a review," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 13(2), pages 321-329, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pcbi00:1011996. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ploscompbiol (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.