Ecological traps for large‐scale invasive species control: Predicting settling rules by recolonising American mink post‐culling

摘要: Management programmes seeking to reduce the density of invasive species must overcome compensatory processes, such as recolonisation by dispersers from non- or partially controlled areas. However, scale and drivers dispersal in contexts are poorly known. We investigated patterns American mink re-invading 20,000 km2 their non-native range during a culling programme led citizen conservationists. Using multinomial models, we estimated contributions dependence, proxies for patch quality distance natal on settlement. Seventy-seven per cent dispersed settled non-natal patches. Dispersal distances were large with settlement probabilities only reduced half at c. 60 km, 20% dispersing >80 km. Females more attracted high-quality patches, mostly found low altitudes. Males favoured patches intermediate current densities consistently high quality. Synthesis applications. We predicted post-culling mobile carnivore over spatial using information relative obtained management interventions, largely carried out This was possible through continued monitoring area designed feed into adaptive process control project. High mobility dictates should take place very scales minimise re-invasion uncontrolled Our research shows both males females previously consistent occupation, which provides degree predictability recolonisation. Targeting that attractive immigrant requires knowledge density. Creating so-called ecological traps face ongoing immigration peripheral areas promising tool effectively species.