Prunus serotina in Italy: a challenging candidate for the national list of priority invasive alien species

Abstract

In accordance with the European regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS), the black cherry tree (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) has recently been indicated as one of the 96 species proposed for the development of the national list of priority invasive alien species in Italy. The species, native to North America, is recognised as one of the most harmful IAS in Europe, given its high spread potential and the associated ecological and economic impacts reported in its alien range. Although P. serotina is recognised as a pest within the EU, plants are still available on the market, confirming intentional introduction as a current potential pathway for this species arrival into new areas. Since a comprehensive overview of the main features characterizing the invasive potential of this species is still lacking, we aim to underpin the high priority status of P. serotina as a IAS of main concern in Italy by outlining the main biological features, pathways and impacts of the black cherry in its secondary range. Management measures to be potentially included in specific action plans are also summarised.     

Invasibility of an inland area in NE Spain by alien plants

This study examines the alien flora of a representative zone of the continental northeast region of the Iberian Peninsula, in the Huesca province. Its aims were to determine the biological and ecological factors responsible for the invasive behaviour of the alien species, along with factors related to the environment and land use that could increase the vulnerability of the different habitats towards invasion. Results were then compared with previous observations made in the coastal areas closest to this inland region. Relationships between the invasive nature and the biological and ecological characteristics of the species were evaluated by logistic analysis. General linear model analysis was used to correlate environmental factors with the capacity of the region's habitats to accept these invaders. Perhaps the most noticeable feature was the high number of alien plants growing as crop weeds in the continental study area. The factors found to be most related to the invasive behaviour of the alien species were biological type, route of introduction and the disturbance degree of the habitat. Human population density, average yearly rainfall and temperature, and to a lesser extent, land use were the environmental factors most significantly associated with the number of alien species present. Our findings indicate that the invasibility of continental areas of the NE Iberian Peninsula by alien plants is notably lower compared to the closest coastal zones, the degree of naturalisation of alien species within the native flora also being lower. Differences between the coast and interior in terms of the origins and introduction routes of the alien plants were also evident. Environments showing the greatest capacity to accommodate alien plant species were coastal areas, where the land is mostly given over to urban use and there is a predominance of fluvial and riparian ecosystems.     

Invasion patterns in riparian habitats: The role of anthropogenic pressure in temperate streams

The riparian flora and the level of invasion in the rivers of the Cantabric watershed in Spain were studied in relation to the ecological status and the anthropogenic pressure. The level of invasion was also analyzed in different riparian habitats: forests, river bars and man-made slopes. For this purpose, 18 sites were sampled and a list of native and alien plant species was made along a 100-m strip at each site. The habitat/s where alien species were found and their abundance per habitat and in the total area were also indicated. Out of 112 alien taxa found, 51 were classified as invasive. Exotic plants native to America were the most common (35%). The level of invasion was significantly higher in the sampling sites subject to high levels of hydrological and morphological disturbances, proxies of the anthropogenic pressure. River bars and man-made slopes supported similar number of alien plant species, higher than forests. We suggest that disturbance in river banks should be minimized as much as possible in order to diminish the risk of invasion.     

A plant‐traits approach to assessing the success of alien weed species in irrigated Mediterranean orchards

In addition to their impact on natural habitats, invasive alien plants can have a significant negative effect on agricultural systems and cause economic losses. Flood‐irrigated orchards in the Mediterranean Basin are vulnerable to the invasion of alien weeds, primarily because of the traditional management practices used in the orchards, which are characterized by high soil moisture during the dry summer period, nutrient availability and high levels of disturbance. This study sought to determine whether their biological traits can explain the success of alien weed species. To answer this question, 408 floristic relevés were conducted in 136 flood‐irrigated orchards on the Plains of Lleida (Catalonia, NE of Spain). Richness and cover of native and alien weeds were compared. Furthermore, a set of biological traits were compared between successful and non‐successful weeds for the whole data and separately between native and alien weeds using logistic regression and classification trees. In flood‐irrigated orchards, alien species covered most of their area, even though the richness of alien species was lower than that of the native species. The most important species were C4 species with seeds dispersed by water, and on the other hand, rosulate and caespitose‐reptant hemicryptophytes with long flowering period. Most of these traits fitted with those of the invasive alien weeds, which were mostly C4 species with seeds dispersed by water. Perennial life form characterized successful native weeds. In this study, we discuss how the traditional management of flood irrigation in fruit‐tree orchards favours invasive alien weeds that have specific traits, acting as a reservoir for the spread of alien weeds into other crops and surrounding riparian habitats. We also propose changing management practices in order to avoid the selection of alien weeds and to promote native species.     

A practical tool for assessing ecosystem services enhancement and degradation associated with invasive alien species

Current approaches for assessing the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) are biased toward the negative effects of these species, resulting in an incomplete picture of their real effects. This can result in an inefficient IAS management. We address this issue by describing the INvasive Species Effects Assessment Tool (INSEAT) that enables expert elicitation for rapidly assessing the ecological consequences of IAS using the ecosystem services (ES) framework. INSEAT scores the ecosystem service “gains and losses” using a scale that accounted for the magnitude and the reversibility of its effects. We tested INSEAT on 18 IAS in Great Britain. Here, we highlighted four case studies: Harmonia axyridis (Harlequin ladybird), Astacus leptodactylus (Turkish crayfish), Pacifastacus leniusculus (Signal crayfish) and Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam). The results demonstrated that a collation of different experts’ opinions using INSEAT could yield valuable information on the invasive aliens’ ecological and social effects. The users can identify certain IAS as ES providers and the trade‐offs between the ES provision and loss associated with them. This practical tool can be useful for evidence‐based policy and management decisions that consider the potential role of invasive species in delivering human well‐being.     

不同类型人类活动干扰对河岸带外来植物群落的影响——以北京永定河为例

强烈的人类活动对自然生境的扰动促进了外来植物侵入河岸带,但不同类型的人类活动干扰对外来植物的影响有所不同。按照不同人类活动干扰类型设置了山峡段、平原段和城市段,通过比较河段间河岸带外来植物群落特征的差异,探讨不同人类活动干扰类型对河岸带外来植物群落的影响。结果表明:(1)永定河河岸带共有维管束植物27科72属101种,外来植物13科28属29种。外来种比例高达28.7%,其中82.4%的国外外来种来自美洲和亚洲。(2)不同河段间的外来植物群落的物种构成和优势度呈现出显著性差异。外来种比例由山峡段的20.9%,上升至平原段和城市段的30.2%和25.5%;而优势度由12.1%,分别上升至13.4%和17.5%。(3)不同河段间的外来植物群落生活型结构有显著性差异。多年生草本植物在山峡段比例最高,达到66.7%,在平原段和城市段较低,分别为46.2%和30.8%;而一年生草本植物在城市段比例最高,达到69.2%,在平原段和山峡段较低,分别为53.8%和33.3%。(4)平原段属于农业干扰类型,其河岸带外来植物主要以农业类杂草为主,如禾本科的假稻(Leersia japonica)和菊科的钻叶紫菀(Aster subulatu);城市段是城市干扰类型,外来植物中入侵种比例和优势度较高,典型入侵种为反枝苋(Amaranthus retroflexus)和牛筋草(Eleusine indica)等。北京永定河不同河段河岸带外来植物的种类构成特点,反映了河岸带外来植物受快速城市化、农业活动等不同人类活动干扰的影响呈逐渐扩大的趋势。     

Breathing space: deoxygenation of aquatic environments can drive differential ecological impacts across biological invasion stages

The influence of climate change on the ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) remains understudied, with deoxygenation of aquatic environments often-overlooked as a consequence of climate change. Here, we therefore assessed how oxygen saturation affects the ecological impact of a predatory invasive fish, the Ponto-Caspian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), relative to a co-occurring endangered European native analogue, the bullhead (Cottus gobio) experiencing decline in the presence of the IAS. In individual trials and mesocosms, we assessed the effect of high, medium and low (90%, 60% and 30%) oxygen saturation on: (1) functional responses (FRs) of the IAS and native, i.e. per capita feeding rates; (2) the impact on prey populations exerted; and (3) how combined impacts of both fishes change over invasion stages (Pre-invasion, Arrival, Replacement, Proliferation). Both species showed Type II potentially destabilising FRs, but at low oxygen saturation, the invader had a significantly higher feeding rate than the native. Relative Impact Potential, combining fish per capita effects and population abundances, revealed that low oxygen saturation exacerbates the high relative impact of the invader. The Relative Total Impact Potential (RTIP), modelling both consumer species’ impacts on prey populations in a system, was consistently higher at low oxygen saturation and especially high during invader Proliferation. In the mesocosm experiment, low oxygen lowered RTIP where both species were present, but again the IAS retained high relative impact during Replacement and Proliferation stages at low oxygen. We also found evidence of multiple predator effects, principally antagonism. We highlight the threat posed to native communities by IAS alongside climate-related stressors, but note that solutions may be available to remedy hypoxia and potentially mitigate impacts across invasion stages.

     

Many alien invasive plants disperse against the direction of stream flow in riparian areas

Propagule pressure plays an important role in the invasion of alien plants into riparian areas. In this study, we focused on propagule pressure from both neighboring riparian areas and anthropogenic land-use areas because propagules are likely to originate from both sources. We tested the effects of whether neighboring units contained the alien plant species, focusing on the direction of invasion by alien plant species into the focal unit, and how much anthropogenic land was contained within the unit, focusing on both farmland and urbanized areas, on alien plant occurrences in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. We modeled the occurrence of 10 alien plants using generalized linear models to evaluate species invasions by both propagules from both neighboring units and anthropogenic land within a unit. We also investigated the biological and ecological plant attributes that are likely related to invasion success, such as seed dispersal methods, seed size, and clonality, and tested the relationships between the model results and each species’ attributes. Results showed that the occurrence of an affected neighboring unit was positively associated with the occurrence of all 10 alien plants. Note that two alien invasive species were influenced by upstream flow direction, six species by downstream flow direction, and in two species, propagule supply was not distinguished by direction. In short, the dominant direction of dispersal was against the stream current, while dispersal in the downstream direction was less common. Species attributes were associated with these directions of dispersal. In addition, anthropogenic land was positively associated with the occurrence of most alien plants, although this effect was weaker than the neighbor unit effects. These results indicate that alien plants spreading into riparian areas do not always follow the natural flow regime; rather, they spread against the flow regime in some cases. We discuss an ecological explanation for these results and provide perspectives for future river management of alien plants that invade the riparian zone.     

Invasive alien species records are exponentially rising across the Earth

Humans are facilitating the introduction and range expansion of invasive alien species (IAS), which have negatively impacted ecological and socio-economic systems worldwide. Understanding the global diffusion of IAS is important for developing environmental policies and management strategies. We estimate the rate of increase and the doubling times of the number of new records of 178 IAS using a global dataset with c. 3.4 million records obtained over c. 100 years. Here, we show that the number of records of IAS have exponentially increased with a mean double time of c. 14 years across the Earth. For the most analysed species, the number of records increased faster in the non-native than native continents, suggesting that such IAS might be exponentially expanding their range size. We also found that each continent has a taxonomic group with a particular increase in IAS records. Governments and scientists should pay attention to these taxonomic groups to implement appropriate control or management actions. Our study provides an indication that the current local, regional and continental efforts to control invasions may be not sufficient at the global scale. This is a concerning situation given the great number of areas available for invasion worldwide.

     

苋科(广义)入侵植物墙生藜在中国的新记录

外来物种的归化和入侵对全球环境和社会发展造成了严重影响，已成为当今各国生物多样性管理和生态保护中所面临的全球性问题。我国是遭受外来入侵危害最为严重的国家之一，在外来物种入侵的预警、管理和治理等方面形势严峻。基于野外调查和文献研究，该文报道了苋科(广义)入侵植物墙生藜[Chenopodiastrum murale(L.) S. Fuentes, Uotila&Borsch]在中国的新记录。墙生藜原产于地中海地区，现已扩散到欧洲、美洲、非洲和大洋洲的40多个国家，是一种危害较大的外来入侵植物，同时也是我国海关和检验检疫部门明确规定禁止入境的检疫性有害生物，现于云南省昆明市呈贡区发现该外来入侵植物。该文对其形态特征进行了详细描述，简要介绍了其分类历史，并提供了可供鉴定比对的野外生态照片；此外，对墙生藜可能的传入途径进行了分析，对其危害和风险作了简要评估。该物种的新发现说明我国外来入侵生物的本底调查还存在不足。     

广西及越南农业外来有害生物入侵现状

【背景】广西地理环境独特,与越南水陆相连,气候、作物等条件相似,边境贸易往来频繁,致使其成为我国遭受外来有害生物入侵最严重的地区之一。【方法】通过本底调查,分析总结了广西农业外来有害生物入侵的现状。【结果】广西主要入侵动物26种,入侵微生物18种,入侵植物21种,高风险入侵物种包括辣椒实蝇、木薯绵粉蚧、扶桑绵粉蚧、稻水象甲、黄瓜绿斑驳花叶病毒等;来自越南的潜在危险性有害生物共38种。【结论与意义】广西受外来有害生物入侵的风险加剧,并有进一步扩散蔓延的趋势。提出应对入侵生物的综合防控对策,为广西外来入侵有害生物的防控提供参考。     

惠州口岸进境粮谷外来杂草调查与监测

【目的】随着国际农产品贸易的发展,外来杂草入侵我国的形势越来越严峻。对惠州口岸进境粮谷外来杂草进行调查与监测,能够为惠州口岸进境粮谷检疫监管工作提供参考。【方法】通过实地调查、监测,对惠州口岸进境粮谷厂区及周边外来入侵杂草的种类组成、分布、生活型、原产地、入侵途径和危害程度进行了分析。【结果】惠州口岸进境粮谷厂区及周边外来杂草有12科28种,其中,检疫性杂草有4种。在外来入侵杂草中,菊科植物种类最多,生活型以一年生草本为主;原产地以美洲为主,主要以无意引入,有7种杂草较严重危害当地生态环境。【结论】首次调查和总结了惠州口岸进境粮谷厂区及周边外来入侵杂草的名单和类别,提出了外来杂草口岸防控的建议。     

Functional traits,growth patterns,and litter dynamics of invasive alien and co-occurring native shrub species of chir pine forest in the central Himalaya,India

Across the continents, plant invasion is identified as one of the main threats to ecosystem functioning and stability. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the differences in the functional traits between invasive alien (Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) and Lantana camara L.) and native (Berberis asiatica Roxb. Ex DC., Pyracantha crenulata (D. Don.) M. Roemer and Rubus ellipticus Sm.) shrub species of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) forest in the central Himalaya. Three 0.5 hectare chir pine forest stands were selected and individuals of similar diameter were tagged for comparative studies of leaf traits, growth pattern, and biomass accumulation in structural organs of each invasive alien and native species. Our one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test results showed that both the invasive alien species have significantly (p?<?0.05) higher SLA, LWC, total chlorophyll content, foliar nutrient (N and P), RGR, LMR, SMR, nutrient uptake, and nutrient use efficiencies than native species. Leaf litter decomposition rate and nutrient release were also significantly (p?<?0.05) higher in both the invasive alien species. Native species, R. ellipticus, shared some of the traits, such as leaf area, chlorophyll content, RGR, LAR, LMR, and nutrient uptake efficiency with invasive alien species. The majority of traits differed among invasive alien and native species, implying that the success of invasive alien species is best described by being functionally distinct from native species. These findings indicate that invasive alien species had advanced functional traits which may be playing an important role in a rapid spread in the central Himalaya.

     

“973”项目“农林危险生物入侵机理与控制基础研究”简介

2002年12月,国家重点基础研究发展计划("973"项目)"农林危险生物入侵机理与控制基础研究"经科技部批准正式立项,2003年启动。文章主要介绍该项目的立项背景、主要研究内容、研究方案和技术路线、总体研究目标及研究进展。     

湖北省外来入侵生物及其与社会经济活动的关系

采用实地调查和查阅文献的方法,系统地研究了湖北省外来入侵生物的发生概况,分析了其传入途径及其与人类活动的关系。结果表明,当前湖北省共有外来入侵物种163种。其中,植物病原微生物14种,水生杂草3种,陆生杂草101种,水生无脊椎动物2种,陆生无脊椎动物17种,两栖爬行类3种,鱼类18种,哺乳类5种。在外来入侵杂草中,菊科最多（32种）,占总数的30.8%;禾本科次之（11种）;豆科排第3位（10种）。外来生物入侵湖北省的主要途径有2类：（1）有目的引进,占入侵物种总数的53.4%;（2）无意带入,占入侵物种总数的46.6%。1990-2009年,湖北省的外来入侵物种数随该省的GDP、入境旅游人数、进出口总额和交通密度的增加而明显上升。因此,在大力发展经济的同时,有必要进一步加强引种监管,严格执行检疫措施,以防止新的外来生物入侵。同时,需开展外来入侵生物的防控技术研究,以遏制已入侵物种的传播蔓延,控制其危害。     

中国外来入侵植物的等级划分与地理分布格局分析

基于文献报道、野外调查、标本记录和必要的分类学考证, 整理出我国外来入侵植物72科285属515种。根据外来入侵种的生物学与生态学特性、自然地理分布、入侵范围以及所产生的危害, 将其划分为5类: 即恶性入侵类(34种)、严重入侵类(69种)、局部入侵类(85种)、一般入侵类(80种)和有待观察类(247种)。通过地理分布格局分析, 中国外来入侵植物主要分布在我国西南及东部沿海地区, 并进一步扩散到内陆各省。中国外来入侵等级划分和地理分布格局可以作为外来入侵植物风险防范和管理的依据。本工作提供我国外来入侵植物的本底资料的同时, 还对主要外来入侵植物的管理提出了具体建议。     

The link between international trade and the global distribution of invasive alien species

Invasive alien species (IAS) exact large biodiversity and economic costs and are a significant component of human-induced, global environmental change. Previous studies looking at the variation in alien species across regions have been limited geographically or taxonomically or have not considered economics. We used a global invasive species database to regress IAS per-country on a suite of socioeconomic, ecological, and biogeographical variables. We varied the countries included in the regression tree analyses, in order to explore whether certain outliers were biasing the results, and in most of the cases, merchandise imports was the most important explanatory variable. The greater the degree of international trade, the higher the number of IAS. We also found a positive relationship between species richness and the number of invasives, in accord with other investigations at large spatial scales. Island status (overall), country area, latitude, continental position (New World versus Old World) or other measures of human disturbance (e.g., GDP per capita, population density) were not found to be important determinants of a country’s degree of biological invasion, contrary to previous studies. Our findings also provide support to the idea that more resources for combating IAS should be directed at the introduction stage and that novel trade instruments need to be explored to account for this environmental externality.

An ecological analysis of the riparian vegetation for improving the riverine ecosystem management: the case of Lombardy region (North Italy)

This research aims at finding the potential plant successions in riparian vegetation along gravel-bed streams of Lombardy (Northern Italy), investigating the influence of exotic species and proposing a more sustainable and efficient management planning for habitats conservation. To characterise the riparian vegetation, 65 phytosociological relevés were carried out along four rivers in Lombardy (Pioverna, Staffora, Ogliolo and Grigna). We evaluated a series of ecological indexes to assess the ecology of plant communities. A clustering analysis detected five different plant communities characterised by specific ecological traits. On the basis of such results, we discuss about a model of plant succession describing: (i) the typical native species succession representing the riverine forests of the study areas; (ii) a succession with moderate presence of exotic species; and (iii) a succession dominated by alien species with an unclear development. To preserve the natural heritage and landscape with a small rate of alien species, it is important to plan vegetation management actions, which limit the presence of new empty space. For containing the exotic species, mechanical and chemical measures could lead to good results, but they can be expensive and cause adverse effects. Otherwise, biological control, combined with other actions, has the potential to bring results with low environmental and economic impact. Ecological restoration measures using fast-growing and spreading native species could restrict alien plant colonisation. In this regard, a better comprehension of the invasive alien plants behaviour is necessary, especially in terms of their competition mechanisms. Nevertheless, the application of long-term vegetation management of river ecosystems is crucial for a continuous monitoring and for addressing the goals of the 2030 global agenda concerning biodiversity conservation.

     

Snakes on the Balearic Islands: An Invasion Tale with Implications for Native Biodiversity Conservation

Biological invasions are a major conservation threat for biodiversity worldwide. Islands are particularly vulnerable to invasive species, especially Mediterranean islands which have suffered human pressure since ancient times. In the Balearic archipelago, reptiles represent an outstanding case with more alien than native species. Moreover, in the last decade a new wave of alien snakes landed in the main islands of the archipelago, some of which were originally snake-free. The identification of the origin and colonization pathways of alien species, as well as the prediction of their expansion, is crucial to develop effective conservation strategies. In this study, we used molecular markers to assess the allochthonous status and the putative origin of the four introduced snake species (Hemorrhois hippocrepis, Malpolon monspessulanus, Macroprotodon mauritanicus and Rhinechis scalaris) as well as ecological niche models to infer their patterns of invasion and expansion based on current and future habitat suitability. For most species, DNA sequence data suggested the Iberian Peninsula as the potential origin of the allochthonous populations, although the shallow phylogeographic structure of these species prevented the identification of a restricted source-area. For all of them, the ecological niche models showed a current low habitat suitability in the Balearic, which is however predicted to increase significantly in the next few decades under climate change scenarios. Evidence from direct observations and spatial distribution of the first-occurrence records of alien snakes (but also lizards and worm lizards) suggest the nursery trade, and in particular olive tree importation from Iberian Peninsula, as the main pathway of introduction of alien reptiles in the Balearic islands. This trend has been reported also for recent invasions in NE Spain, thus showing that olive trees transplantation may be an effective vector for bioinvasion across the Mediterranean. The combination of molecular and ecological tools used in this study reveals a promising approach for the understanding of the complex invasion process, hence guiding conservation management actions.     

A conceptual framework for understanding arthropod predator and parasitoid invasions

Arthropods make up the largest group of invasive alien species (IAS) worldwide. Although invasion research has been biased towards alien plants and vertebrates, it has suggested potential mechanisms for the success of IAS and provided a theoretical framework for further investigation. Here we address key concepts from invasion biology that are essential to our understanding of the success of invasive alien arthropod predators and parasitoids including human intervention, environmental characteristics, propagule pressure, biological traits, and biological interactions. To gain a greater understanding of the factors most likely to influence the different stages of invasion (arrival, establishment, and spread) for alien arthropod predators and parasitoids, we use a comparative approach to compare and contrast the differential success of invasions by alien phytophagous and carnivorous arthropods. Insights gained from this comparison suggest that future research will require a multitrophic approach in order to enhance our understanding of invasions at higher trophic levels.