Publications by authors named "David Echeverri Lopez"
Article Synopsis
- The introduction of hippos in Colombia has led to a rapidly growing population, which is currently estimated at 91 and increasing at about 9.6% annually.
- Population control strategies for hippos are projected to cost 1-2 million USD, but may still leave hippos present for up to 100 years.
- Delaying management actions for a decade could raise costs significantly, highlighting the importance of timely intervention in managing invasive species.
Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe keystone roles of mega-fauna in many terrestrial ecosystems have been lost to defaunation. Large predators and herbivores often play keystone roles in their native ranges, and some have established invasive populations in new biogeographic regions. However, few empirical examples are available to guide expectations about how mega-fauna affect ecosystems in novel environmental and evolutionary contexts.
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