Invasive species: Impacts, control, and eradication

The flora and fauna of oceanic islands are extremely vulnerable to invasive introduced species. Galapagos giant tortoise species, many critically endangered due to overexploitation by whalers and others, have been negatively impacted by several invasive species over the last two centuries. This chapter reviews the introduced species that impact giant tortoises: their arrival, establishment, and impacts on tortoises and their habitats, and targeted control, eradication, and conservation efforts of the last 60 years. The species reviews are followed by summaries of three major eradication projects aimed at the restoration of island ecosystems and the giant tortoises that inhabit them.