Network Governance for Invasive Species Management

Abstract

Invasive species management depends not only on biological and economic issues but also on how governance institutions influence cooperation from networks of stakeholders. We use the “contingency” framework for network governance to analyze why eradication of invasive Spartina in San Francisco Bay has been more successful than many other eradication efforts. The core argument is that invasive Spartina features antecedent conditions that favor a centralized network as the best governance approach, as demonstrated by a quantitative survey of Spartina stakeholders. This centralized policy network, with a clearly defined core of actors with the expertise, authority, and resources, produces effective cooperation. The contingency framework has implications for invasive species management more generally, as well as other conservation issues featuring dynamic spatial ecological processes.