Freshwater Biodiversity Toolbox
Barriers To Restrict Invasive Species – Dams or Locks
Invasive species adversely impact their introduced environments by causing environmental, ecological, and economic damages. Due to the reproductive biology and competitive strength of many invasive species, they can be extremely difficult or impossible to eradicate once established. Many practitioners must therefore implement conservation strategies that limit their spread if their establishment cannot be prevented. Using physical barriers such as dams or locks that interrupt habitat connectivity is useful for controlling invasions in riverine environments if they are impassable to invasive fish or macroinvertebrates. These barriers can temporarily prevent or delay further spread of an invasive species and can be used in combination with other removal or control methods (e.g., chemicals, biocontrol). Physical barriers also protect and create refuge areas for native species. The following syntheses examine both the construction of barriers such as dams or locks or modifications to existing structures.
Rating:
All syntheses scored poorly across all elements of CEESAT with the exception of Zielinski et al. (2019), which utilized a diverse array of sources in their synthesis (e.g., grey literature, peer-reviewed scientific literature) but scored low in all other areas.
All syntheses were scored highly according to RASCAT, demonstrating high applicability and relevancy to a Canadian freshwater context. Syntheses scored Gold or Green in all elements except in regards to the applicability of the syntheses to practitioners, where most syntheses did not provide appropriate considerations of implications, practical advice, or recommendations.
