Abstract The ongoing biodiversity crisis, often referred to as the ‘sixth mass extinction’, is driven by anthropogenic pressures and is causing unprecedented species loss. Invasive alien species, a major threat to terrestrial biodiversity, can exploit ecological niches and disrupt trophic interactions in tropical island forests. However, data on terrestrial communities in these systems remain scarce. We used camera traps to characterize the ground-dwelling faunal assemblages of the tropical forests of Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island hosting several bird and mammal species, including domestic cats, dogs, raccoons and mongooses. We studied the spatial distribution and relative abundance of exotic species and assessed the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on their abundance and distribution. Several native and endemic birds were detected, including Geotrygon mystacea , endemic to the Caribbean; Turdus lherminieri , restricted to four Lesser Antillean islands; and Melanerpes herminieri , endemic to Guadeloupe. Among the mammals recorded, all were invasive species, including Rattus spp. , Urva auropunctata , Procyon lotor , Felis catus and Canis lupus familiaris . Despite the diversity of terrestrial assemblages, invasive species, particularly rats and the small Indian mongoose, dominated all forest types. Cluster analysis identified six distinct communities, primarily structured by elevation and temperature. The most species-rich communities were dominated by invasive mammals, particularly rats and mongooses. These findings highlight the need to prioritize invasive mammal control, strengthen long-term ecological monitoring, and improve coordinated management actions to protect native and endemic forest vertebrates in Guadeloupe and across the Caribbean. Graphical abstract
Jean-Pierre et al. (Sun,) studied this question.