Recovery of the Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonotus) following the removal of invasive mammals

Published source details Donlan C.J., Campbell K., Cabrera W., Lavoie C., Carrion V. & Cruz F. (2007) Recovery of the Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonotus) following the removal of invasive mammals. Biological Conservation, 138, 520-524.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Control mammalian predators on islands for rails Action Link
	Control or remove habitat-altering mammals Action Link

Control mammalian predators on islands for rails

A controlled before-and-after study on Santiago Island (585 km²), Galapagos, Ecuador (Donlan et al. 2007) found that densities of Galapagos rails Laterallus spilonotus increased following the eradication of feral mammals between 1998 and 2006 (279 rails found at 8.5-17.9 rails/ha in 2004-5 vs. 18 rails at 0-1.4 rails/ha in 1986-7). Over the same period, there was a smaller increase in rails detected on Ferdandina Island, which has remained free from invasive mammals (no rails detected during surveys in 1986-7 although some were heard outside survey times, 11 rails detected in 2004-5) and a decrease on Isabella Island, which retains feral goats, pigs and donkeys (13 rails in 247 survey plots at eight sites in 2004-5 vs. 24 rails in 60 survey plots in 1986-7). Donkeys Equus asinus, 17,000 pigs Sus scrofa and 70,000 goats Capra hircus were removed.
Control or remove habitat-altering mammals

A controlled before-and-after study on Santiago Island (585 km²), Galapagos, Ecuador (Donlan et al. 2007) found that densities of Galapagos rails Laterallus spilonotus increased following the eradication of feral mammals (including habitat-altering species) between 1998 and 2006. This study is discussed in ‘Control mammalian predators on islands’.