Personality-dependent dispersal in the invasive mosquitofish: group composition matters

Understanding/predicting ecological invasions is an important challenge in modern ecology because of their immense economical and ecological costs. Recent studies have revealed that within-species variation in behaviour (i.e. animal personality) can shed light on the invasion process. The general hypothesis is that individuals' personality type may affect their colonization success, suggesting that some individuals might be better invaders than others. We have recently shown that, in the invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), social personality trait was an important indicator of dispersal distance, with more asocial individuals dispersing further. Here, we tested how mean personality within a population, in addition to individual personality type, affect dispersal and settlement decisions in the mosquitofish. We found that individual dispersal tendencies were influenced by the population's mean boldness and sociability score. For example, individuals from populations with more asocial individuals or with more bold individuals are more likely to disperse regardless of their own personality type. We suggest that identifying behavioural traits facilitating invasions, even at the group level, can thus have direct applications in pest management.     

Species traits predict stream-fish invaders in an Appalachian (U.S.A.) river basin

1. We compared the influence of biological traits (morphology, physiology, reproduction, and life history), ecological traits (geographic distribution, habitat associations, food habits), and introduction attributes (propagule pressure, human use of a species, residence time) on invasion success of native and introduced stream fishes during the colonisation and spread stages in an Appalachian (U.S.A.) river basin.
2. Colonisation success was positively related to residence time, benthic feeding, an equilibrium life-history strategy, and nest spawning. Successful spread was associated with tolerance to increased temperature and an equilibrium life-history strategy. The spread of introduced fishes was negatively related to gamefish status. No effect of propagule pressure was detected.
3. Traits linked to invasion success were consistent with the hypothesis that human land-use practices increase the invasibility of highland catchments by creating novel conditions better suited to lowland and equilibrium invaders.
4. We found biological traits to be more useful than ecological traits in predicting invasion success and suggesting invasion mechanisms. Parental care and nest association can facilitate invasions over large spatial extents for both native and introduced fishes. Analyses of suites of traits can reveal mechanisms of invasions and tactics for controlling them; such mechanisms and tactics may be system-specific and scale-dependent.

     

Anomalous invasion dynamics due to dispersal polymorphism and dispersal–reproduction trade-offs

Dispersal polymorphism and mutation play significant roles during biological invasions, potentially leading to evolution and complex behaviour such as accelerating or decelerating invasion fronts. However, life-history theory predicts that reproductive fitness—another key determinant of invasion dynamics—may be lower for more dispersive strains. Here, we use a mathematical model to show that unexpected invasion dynamics emerge from the combination of heritable dispersal polymorphism, dispersal-fitness trade-offs, and mutation between strains. We show that the invasion dynamics are determined by the trade-off relationship between dispersal and population growth rates of the constituent strains. We find that invasion dynamics can be ‘anomalous’ (i.e. faster than any of the strains in isolation), but that the ultimate invasion speed is determined by the traits of, at most, two strains. The model is simple but generic, so we expect the predictions to apply to a wide range of ecological, evolutionary, or epidemiological invasions.     

Ecological genetics of invasive alien species

There is growing realisation that integrating genetics and ecology is critical in the context of biological invasions, since the two are explicitly linked. So far, the focus of ecological genetics of invasive alien species (IAS) has been on determining the sources and routes of invasions, and the genetic make-up of founding populations, which is critical for defining and testing ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. However an ecological genetics approach can be extended to investigate questions about invasion success and impacts on native, recipient species. Here, we discuss recent progress in the field, provide overviews of recent methodological advances, and highlight areas that we believe are of particular interest for future research. First, we discuss the main insights from studies that have inferred source populations and invasion routes using molecular genetic data, with particular focus on the role of genetic diversity, adaptation and admixture in invasion success. Second, we consider how genetic tools can lead to a better understanding of patterns of dispersal, which is critical to predicting the spread of invasive species, and how studying invasions can shed light on the evolution of dispersal. Finally, we explore the potential for combining molecular genetic data and ecological network modelling to investigate community interactions such as those between predator and prey, and host and parasite. We conclude that invasions are excellent model systems for understanding the role of natural selection in shaping phenotypes and that an ecological genetics approach offers great potential for addressing fundamental questions in invasion biology.     

Can behavioral and personality traits influence the success of unintentional species introductions?

Unintentional species invasions are instigated by human-mediated dispersal of individuals beyond their native range. Although most introductions fail at the first hurdle, a select subset pass through each stage of the introduction process (i.e., transport, introduction, establishment and spread) to become successful invaders. Efforts to identify the traits associated with invasion success have predominately focused on deliberate introductions, which essentially bypass the initial introduction stage. Here, we highlight how behavior influences the success or failure of unintentional species introductions across each stage of the introduction process, with a particular focus on transportation and initial establishment. In addition, we emphasize how recent advances in understanding of animal personalities and individual-level behavioral variation can help elucidate the mechanisms underlying the success of stowaways.     

动物入侵的行为机制

行为特征可在外来动物建立种群和扩张过程中发挥重要作用,因此,要正确理解动物入侵,常常需要仔细研究其行为机制。20世纪80年代以来,随着动物入侵规模在世界各地的迅速加剧,有关其行为机制的研究也受到了广泛关注。最近一些研究表明,一些入侵动物种内攻击和觅食等行为具有可塑性,因此它们能够灵活应对多变的环境条件,这对于种群的建立和维持至关重要;入侵动物与土著物种发生行为互作时,往往占据优势,从而取代土著物种,并有助于其地域扩张;入侵动物长距离扩散可以提高其地域扩张速度,许多行为可与扩散行为结合进一步促进扩张。今后需要加强对入侵动物的行为分析,使之全面地融合到生物入侵的研究之中。这不仅可以提高对外来物种入侵的预警和治理能力,而且为探索动物行为的奥秘以及动物间行为互作在物种进化中的意义提供了独特的机会。     

Differences in behavioural traits among native and introduced colonies of an invasive ant

Identifying the factors that promote the success of biological invasions is a key pursuit in ecology. To date, the link between animal personality and invasiveness has rarely been studied. Here, we examined in the laboratory how Argentine ant populations from the species’ native and introduced ranges differed in a suite of behaviours related to species interactions and the use of space. We found correlations among specific behavioural traits that defined an explorative-aggressive syndrome. The Main “European” supercolony (introduced range) more readily explored novel environments, displayed more aggression, detected food resources more quickly, and occupied more space than the Catalonian supercolony (introduced range) and two other Argentine supercolonies (native range). The two native supercolonies also differed in their personalities; one harbouring the less invasive personality, while the other is intermediate between the two introduced supercolonies. Therefore, instead of a binary pattern, Argentine ant supercolonies display a behavioural continuum that is independent on their geographic origin (native/introduced ranges). Our results also suggest that variability in personality traits is correlated to differences in the ecological success of Argentine ant colonies. Differences in group personalities may facilitate the persistence and invasion of animals under novel selective pressures by promoting adaptive behaviours. We stress that the concept of animal personality should be taken into account when elucidating the mechanisms of invasiveness.     

Sex-biased dispersal and the speed of two-sex invasions

Population models that combine demography and dispersal are important tools for forecasting the spatial spread of biological invasions. Current models describe the dynamics of only one sex (typically females). Such models cannot account for the sex-related biases in dispersal and mating behavior that are typical of many animal species. In this article, we construct a two-sex integrodifference equation model that overcomes these limitations. We derive an explicit formula for the invasion speed from the model and use it to show that sex-biased dispersal may significantly increase or decrease the invasion speed by skewing the operational sex ratio at the invasion's low-density leading edge. Which of these possible outcomes occurs depends sensitively on complex interactions among the direction of dispersal bias, the magnitude of bias, and the relative contributions of females and males to local population growth.     

Saddle-Point Approximations,Integrodifference Equations,and Invasions

Invasion, the growth in numbers and spatial spread of a population over time, is a fundamental process in ecology. Governments and businesses expend vast sums to prevent and control invasions of pests and pestilences and to promote invasions of endangered species and biological control agents. Many mathematical models of biological invasions use nonlinear integrodifference equations to describe the growth and dispersal processes and to predict the speed of invasion fronts. Linear models have received less attention, perhaps because they are difficult to simulate for large times. In this paper, we use the saddle-point method, alias the method of steepest descent, to derive asymptotic approximations for the solutions of linear integrodifference equations. We work through five examples, for Gaussian, Laplace, and uniform dispersal kernels in one dimension and for asymmetric Gaussian and radially symmetric Laplace kernels in two dimensions. Our approximations are extremely close to the exact solutions, even for intermediate times. We also employ an empirical saddle-point approximation to predict densities using dispersal data. We use our approximations to examine the effects of censored dispersal data on estimates of invasion speed and population density.     

Invasion speeds in fluctuating environments

Biological invasions are increasingly frequent and have dramatic ecological and economic consequences. A key to coping with invasive species is our ability to predict their rates of spread. Traditional models of biological invasions assume that the environment is temporally constant. We examine the consequences for invasion speed of periodic and stochastic fluctuations in population growth rates and in dispersal distributions.     

植物功能性状与外来植物入侵

揭示影响外来植物入侵性的功能性状及其生态机制是入侵植物生态学的核心任务之一。本文综述了植物功能性状与外来植物入侵性的研究进展, 通过分析植物功能性状对外来植物入侵的贡献以及外来植物的不同入侵阶段对其功能性状的需求, 探讨植物功能性状与外来植物入侵的相关性及其入侵机理。迄今研究较多的影响外来植物入侵性的功能性状主要包括形态性状、生长性状、生理性状、繁殖性状、种子性状、克隆性状、表型可塑性和遗传变异等。这些功能性状对外来植物入侵的贡献随着入侵阶段的不同而变化。在传播到达阶段, 种子性状对入侵具有重要影响; 在定居建群阶段, 与植物抗逆性和适应性相关的生理性状和繁殖性状发挥主要作用; 在扩散入侵阶段, 克隆性状和影响植物竞争能力的生理性状对植物成功入侵具有重要贡献。由于植物入侵性是其功能性状和环境因素互作的结果, 且功能性状的作用随环境因素和入侵阶段不同而异, 因此, 结合外来植物入侵阶段, 并考虑功能性状与环境因子的互作, 是入侵生物学中植物功能性状研究的发展趋势。     

Life-history traits of non-native fishes in Iberian watersheds across several invasion stages: a first approach

Freshwater ecosystems are seriously imperiled by the spread of non-native fishes thus establishing profiles of their life-history characteristics is an emerging tool for developing conservation and management strategies. We did a first approach to determine characteristics of successful and failed non-native fishes in a Mediterranean-climate area, the Iberian Peninsula, for three stages of the invasion process: establishment, spread and integration. Using general linear models, we established which characteristics are most important for success at each invasion stage. Prior invasion success was a good predictor for all the stages of the invasion process. Biological variables relevant for more than one invasion stage were maximum adult size and size of native range. Despite these common variables, all models produced a different set of variables important for a successful invasion, demonstrating that successful invaders have a combination of biological traits that may favor success at all invasion stages. However, some differences were found in relation to published studies on fish invasions in other Mediterranean-climate areas, suggesting that characteristics of the recipient ecosystem are as relevant as the characteristics of the invading species.     

Looking at both sides of the invasion: patterns of colonization in the violet tunicate Botrylloides violaceus

Understanding the ecological and evolutionary forces that shape the genetic structure of invasive populations and facilitate their expansion across a large spectrum of environments is critical for the prediction of spread and management of ongoing invasions. Here, we study the dynamics of postestablishment colonization in the colonial ascidian Botrylloides violaceus, a notorious marine invader. After its initial introduction from the Northwest Pacific, B. violaceus spread rapidly along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, impacting both aquaculture facilities and natural ecosystems. We compare genetic diversity and patterns of gene flow among 25 populations (N=679) from the West and East coasts, and evaluate the contribution of sexual vs. asexual reproduction to this species' invasion success using data from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 13 nuclear polymorphic microsatellite loci. Our results reveal contrasting patterns of spread in the coastal waters of North America. While the West coast was colonized by noncontiguous (long-distance) dispersal, the East coast invasion appears to have occurred through contiguous (stepping-stone) spread. Molecular data further indicate that although dispersal in colonial ascidians is predominantly achieved through sexually produced propagules, aquaculture practices such as high-pressure washing can facilitate fragmentation and potentially exacerbate infestations and spread via asexual propagules. The results presented here suggest that caution should be used against the general assumption that all invasions, even within a single species, exhibit similar patterns of colonization, as highly contrasting dynamics may transpire in different invaded ranges.     

Fruit type,life form and origin determine the success of woody plant invaders in an urban landscape

The spread of alien plant species is a critical ecological event worldwide, but the forces that control this spread are not well documented. Alien plant species are well known to disrupt ecological services of native ecosystems, change the composition of native habitats, and often lead to the extirpation of native flora and fauna. Here, we report on life history patterns of plant species with rapidly spreading and declining ranges in North America’s major urban region. We tested for differences in life history traits between the 466 native and alien woody flora of the New York metropolitan area. We also examined the relationship between life history traits and change in distribution in the New York metropolitan area between 1900 and 2000. Native and alien species of the New York metropolitan area differ with respect to pollination vector and breeding system. However, pollination vector and breeding system are not associated with success, defined here as increasing range spread in the urban environment; instead, fruit type (dispersal), life form and origin are important determinants of success. Alien species that are deciduous trees, shrubs or vines with fleshy fruit are the most successful in increasing their distribution in this urban landscape. Newly introduced species with these characteristics are expected to have a better chance at establishing in similar urban landscapes and should be targets for intensive management. The ability to predict which alien species will become invasive is also a valuable tool for the prevention of invasions by newly introduced plant species.     

Personality-dependent dispersal cancelled under predation risk

Dispersal is a fundamental life-history trait for many ecological processes. Recent studies suggest that dispersers, in comparison to residents, display various phenotypic specializations increasing their dispersal inclination or success. Among them, dispersers are believed to be consistently more bold, exploratory, asocial or aggressive than residents. These links between behavioural types and dispersal should vary with the cause of dispersal. However, with the exception of one study, personality-dependent dispersal has not been studied in contrasting environments. Here, we used mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) to test whether personality-dependent dispersal varies with predation risk, a factor that should induce boldness or sociability-dependent dispersal. Corroborating previous studies, we found that dispersing mosquitofish are less social than non-dispersing fish when there was no predation risk. However, personality-dependent dispersal is negated under predation risk, dispersers having similar personality types to residents. Our results suggest that adaptive dispersal decisions could commonly depend on interactions between phenotypes and ecological contexts.     

From introduction to nuisance growth: a review of traits of alien aquatic plants which contribute to their invasiveness

Invasive alien aquatic plant species (IAAPs) cause serious ecological and economic impact and are a major driver of changes in aquatic plant communities. Their invasive success is influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors. Here, we summarize the existing knowledge on the biology of 21 IAAPs (four free-floating species, eight sediment-rooted, emerged or floating-leaved species, and nine sediment-rooted, submerged species) to highlight traits that are linked to their invasive success. We focus on those traits which were documented as closely linked to plant invasions, including dispersal and growth patterns, allelopathy and herbivore defence. The traits are generally specific to the different growth forms of IAAPs. In general, the species show effective dispersal and spread mechanisms, even though sexual and vegetative spread differs strongly between species. Moreover, IAAPs show varying strategies to cope with the environment. The presented overview of traits of IAAPs will help to identify potential invasive alien aquatic plants. Further, the information provided is of interest for developing species-specific management strategies and effective prevention measures.

     

Contrasting levels of evolutionary potential in populations of the invasive plant Polygonum cespitosum

The amount of quantitative genetic variation within an invasive species influences its ability to adapt to conditions in the new range and its long-term persistence. Consequently, this aspect of genetic diversity (or evolutionary potential) can be a key factor in the success of species invasions. Previous studies have compared the evolutionary potential of populations in introduced versus native ranges of invasive species, but to date no study has examined differences among introduced-range populations of such species in levels of quantitative genetic variation expressed in ecologically relevant environments. We assessed quantitative variation of fitness, life-history, and functional traits in six geographically separate introduced-range populations of the invasive annual Polygonum cespitosum, by comparing norms of reaction for a large sample of genotypes (16–19 per population) expressed in response to two glasshouse environments simulating contrasting habitats in this new range. Patterns of reaction norm diversity varied considerably among the 6 populations studied. Two populations showed very little quantitative genetic variation in both environments. In contrast, two other populations contained significant genetic variation for fitness and life-history traits in the form of genotypes with low performance in both habitats. Finally, two populations showed significant norm of reaction diversity in the form of cross-over interaction: genotypes that performed relatively well in one environment did poorly in the other. Differences among populations in potential selective response are likely to affect the dynamics and future spread of P. cespitosum, since specific populations will likely contribute differently to the invasion process. More generally, our results suggest that the evolutionary component of long-term invasion success may depend on population rather than on species-level processes.     

Comparable ecological dynamics underlie early cancer invasion and species dispersal, involving self-organizing processes

Occupancy of new habitats through dispersion is a central process in nature. In particular, long-distance dispersal is involved in the spread of species and epidemics, although it has not been previously related with cancer invasion, a process that involves cell spreading to tissues far away from the primary tumour.Using simulations and real data we show that the early spread of cancer cells is similar to the species individuals spread and we suggest that both processes are represented by a common spatio-temporal signature of long-distance dispersal and subsequent local proliferation. This signature is characterized by a particular fractal geometry of the boundaries of patches generated, and a power-law scaled, disrupted patch size distribution. In contrast, invasions involving only dispersal but not subsequent proliferation (“physiological invasions”) like trophoblast cells invasion during normal human placentation did not show the patch size power-law pattern. Our results are consistent under different temporal and spatial scales, and under different resolution levels of analysis.We conclude that the scaling properties are a hallmark and a direct result of long-distance dispersal and proliferation, and that they could reflect homologous ecological processes of population self-organization during cancer and species spread. Our results are significant for the detection of processes involving long-range dispersal and proliferation like cancer local invasion and metastasis, biological invasions and epidemics, and for the formulation of new cancer therapeutical approaches.     

Personality-dependent dispersal: characterization, ontogeny and consequences for spatially structured populations

Dispersal is one of the most fundamental components of ecology, and affects processes as diverse as population growth, metapopulation dynamics, gene flow and adaptation. Although the act of moving from one habitat to another entails major costs to the disperser, empirical and theoretical studies suggest that these costs can be reduced by having morphological, physiological or behavioural specializations for dispersal. A few recent studies on different systems showed that individuals exhibit personality-dependent dispersal, meaning that dispersal tendency is associated with boldness, sociability or aggressiveness. Indeed, in several species, dispersers not only develop behavioural differences at the onset of dispersal, but display these behavioural characteristics through their life cycle. While personality-dependent dispersal has been demonstrated in only a few species, we believe that it is a widespread phenomenon with important ecological consequences. Here, we review the evidence for behavioural differences between dispersers and residents, to what extent they constitute personalities. We also examine how a link between personality traits and dispersal behaviours can be produced and how personality-dependent dispersal affects the dynamics of metapopulations and biological invasions. Finally, we suggest future research directions for population biologists, behavioural ecologists and conservation biologists such as how the direction and the strength of the relationship between personality traits and dispersal vary with ecological contexts.     

Invasion theory and biological control

Recent advances in the mathematical theory of invasion dynamics have much to offer to biological control. Here we synthesize several results concerning the spatiotemporal dynamics that occur when a biocontrol agent spreads into a population of an invading pest species. We outline conditions under which specialist and generalist predators can influence the density and rate of spatial spread of the pest, including the rather stringent conditions under which a specialist predator can successfully reverse a pest invasion. We next discuss the connections between long distance dispersal and invasive spread, emphasizing the different consequences of fast spreading pests and predators. Recent theory has considered the effects of population stage-structure on invasion dynamics, and we discuss how population demography affects the biological control of invading pests. Because low population densities generally characterize early stages of an invasion, we discuss the lessons invasion theory teaches concerning the detectability of invasions. Stochasticity and density-dependent dynamics are common features of many real invasions, influencing both the spatial character (e.g. patchiness) of pest invasions and the success of biocontrol agents. We conclude by outlining theoretical results delineating how stochastic effects and complex dynamics generated by density dependence can facilitate or impede biological pest control.