Plant community diversity and invasibility by exotics: invasion of Mediterranean old fields by Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis

A series of communities were established in situ to differentiate the effects of species richness, functional richness and functional group identity on invasibility of Mediterranean annual old fields. We monitored the demographic and vegetative parameters of two exotic annuals introduced as seedlings, Conyza bonariensis and C. canadensis . Community species richness and functional composition determined resistance to invasion by Conyza. Conyza bonariensis biomass decreased with increasing species richness. Legumes increased the biomass and consequently the net fecundity of both Conyza , while survival was favoured by Asteraceae . Communities with fewer Asteraceae and grasses increased the reproductive effort of C. bonariensis . A separate glasshouse experiment using the same species mixes revealed that establishment of Conyza decreased with increasing species richness or when grasses were present. Patterns of Conyza performance are interpreted in the light of measurements of ecosystem functional parameters, making it possible to formulate hypotheses about mechanisms limiting community invasibility.     

Patterns of invasion in the Laurentian Great Lakes in relation to changes in vector activity

The Laurentian Great Lakes basin has been invaded by at least 182 non-indigenous species. A new invader is discovered every 28 weeks, which is the highest rate recorded for a freshwater ecosystem. Over the past century, invasions have occurred in phases linked to changes in the dominant vectors. The number of ship-vectored invaders recorded per decade is correlated with the intensity of vessel traffic within the basin. Ballast water release from ocean vessels is the putative vector for 65% of all invasions recorded since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. As a preventive measure, ocean vessels have been required since 1993 to exchange their freshwater or estuarine ballast with highly saline ocean water prior to entering the Great Lakes. However, this procedure has not prevented ship-vectored species introductions. Most ships visiting the Great Lakes declare 'no ballast on board' (NOBOB) and are exempt from the regulation, even though they carry residual water that is discharged into the Great Lakes during their activities of off-loading inbound cargo and loading outbound cargo. Recently introduced species consist predominantly of benthic invertebrates with broad salinity tolerance. Such species are most likely to survive in a ballast tank following ballast water exchange, as well as transport in the residual water and tank sediments of NOBOB ships. Thus, the Great Lakes remain at risk of being invaded by dozens of euryhaline invertebrates that have spread into Eurasian ports from whence originates the bulk of foreign ships visiting the basin.     

Patterns of density dependence in growth,reproduction and survival in the invasive freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata in Japanese rice fields

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Comparison of genetic diversity of the invasive weed Rubus alceifolius poir. (Rosaceae) in its native range and in areas of introduction, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers

Theory predicts that colonization of new areas will be associated with population bottlenecks that reduce within-population genetic diversity and increase genetic differentiation among populations. This should be especially true for weedy plant species, which are often characterized by self-compatible breeding systems and vegetative propagation. To test this prediction, and to evaluate alternative scenarios for the history of introduction, the genetic diversity of Rubus alceifolius was studied with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers in its native range in southeast Asia and in several areas where this plant has been introduced and is now a serious weed (Indian Ocean islands, Australia). In its native range, R. alceifolius showed great genetic variability within populations and among geographically close populations (populations sampled ranging from northern Vietnam to Java). In Madagascar, genetic variability was somewhat lower than in its native range, but still considerable. Each population sampled in the other Indian Ocean islands (Mayotte, La Réunion, Mauritius) was characterized by a single different genotype of R. alceifolius for the markers studied, and closely related to individuals from Madagascar. Queensland populations also included only a single genotype, identical to that found in Mauritius. These results suggest that R. alceifolius was first introduced into Madagascar, perhaps on multiple occasions, and that Madagascan individuals were the immediate source of plants that colonized other areas of introduction. Successive nested founder events appear to have resulted in cumulative reduction in genetic diversity. Possible explanations for the monoclonality of R. alceifolius in many areas of introduction are discussed.     

Body shape differentiation at global and local geographic scales in the invasive cichlid Oreochromis mossambicus

The Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus (Teleostei, Cichlidae) has been transplanted worldwide during the 20th century, and now belongs to the list of the most invasive species. Using a geometric morphometric approach, we describe body shape differentiation among 15 populations from native (Mozambique) and invaded (New Caledonia and Guadeloupe) ranges. A dominant phylogeographic signal is detected, despite the broad range of environmental conditions at the local scale. This result suggests that phylogeographic background rather than phenotypic plasticity responding to environmental variation constitutes the main factor correlated with shape divergence. This could result from successive founder events that occurred during the process of colonization of new geographic areas, and therefore strongly suggests heritable phenotypic differentiation. In addition, shape changes along a major axis of divergence hypothetically refer to different swimming abilities, possibly related to divergent functional requirements between the native and invaded ranges. Overall, patterns of contemporary shape diversification in O. mossambicus probably result from both phylogenetic constraints and adaptive divergence processes. We show that critically taking into account recent phylogenetic history of populations as a constraint on rapid phenotypic divergence is necessary for an improved view of contemporary evolution. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105 , 369–381.     

Diversity and distribution of genetic variation in gammarids: Comparing patterns between invasive and non‐invasive species

Biological invasions are worldwide phenomena that have reached alarming levels among aquatic species. There are key challenges to understand the factors behind invasion propensity of non‐native populations in invasion biology. Interestingly, interpretations cannot be expanded to higher taxonomic levels due to the fact that in the same genus, there are species that are notorious invaders and those that never spread outside their native range. Such variation in invasion propensity offers the possibility to explore, at fine‐scale taxonomic level, the existence of specific characteristics that might predict the variability in invasion success. In this work, we explored this possibility from a molecular perspective. The objective was to provide a better understanding of the genetic diversity distribution in the native range of species that exhibit contrasting invasive propensities. For this purpose, we used a total of 784 sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA‐COI) collected from seven Gammaroidea, a superfamily of Amphipoda that includes species that are both successful invaders (Gammarus tigrinus, Pontogammarus maeoticus, and Obesogammarus crassus) and strictly restricted to their native regions (Gammarus locusta, Gammarus salinus, Gammarus zaddachi, and Gammarus oceanicus). Despite that genetic diversity did not differ between invasive and non‐invasive species, we observed that populations of non‐invasive species showed a higher degree of genetic differentiation. Furthermore, we found that both geographic and evolutionary distances might explain genetic differentiation in both non‐native and native ranges. This suggests that the lack of population genetic structure may facilitate the distribution of mutations that despite arising in the native range may be beneficial in invasive ranges. The fact that evolutionary distances explained genetic differentiation more often than geographic distances points toward that deep lineage divergence holds an important role in the distribution of neutral genetic diversity.     

Isolation and characterization of twelve polymorphic microsatellite markers for the invasive ascidian Styela clava (Tunicata)

The invasive solitary ascidian Styela clava has spread extensively along European coasts since its first occurrence in the early 1950s. In order to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of genetic change during its establishment and subsequent spread, we developed 12 species‐specific loci from an enriched microsatellite library. Polymorphism was explored in one native and two introduced populations (N = 31 ± 1). Number of alleles per locus varied from two to 13 (mean = 7). The average expected heterozygosity within populations ranged from 0.539 to 0.580.     

Human-facilitated dispersal of the Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880) in the Guaratuba Bay,south-eastern Brazil

Opsanus beta is endemic to the Gulf of Mexico and has recently been introduced to the Brazilian coast; probably the introduction is via ballast water and/or oil rigs. In this study, the presence of the species is recorded for the first time in Guaratuba Bay, on the southern coast of Brazil. In this region there are no port terminals, which suggests that O. beta used a different mode of human-facilitated transport to colonize Guaratuba Bay.     

Birds as key vectors for the dispersal of some alien species: Further thoughts

W. Solarz, K. Najberek, A. Pociecha & E. Wilk‐Wo?niak ( 2017 , Diversity and Distributions, 23 , 113–117) published a letter in Diversity and Distributions debating our view that waterbirds are important vectors of alien species (C. Reynolds, N. A. F. Miranda & G. S. Cumming, 2015 Diversity and Distributions, 21 , 744–754; A. J. Green, 2016 Diversity and Distributions, 22 , 239–247) and question whether future research into the mechanisms under‐pinning this phenomenon can be advantageous for the practical management of alien species. Additionally, Solarz et al. suggest that human activities are the primary source of all alien species introductions and that waterbirds may only act as vectors of secondary dispersal. In this letter, we respond to several arguments raised by the authors surrounding the relevance of waterbird‐mediated dispersal in the introduction and spread of alien species. We emphasize the partly deterministic nature of waterbird dispersal and the significance of long‐distance dispersal events (and hence the potential for primary introductions of new alien species across political boundaries). Finally, we reaffirm the importance of further research into dispersal by birds to improve our capacity to foresee and manage invasions of those alien species with strong capacity to spread via avian vectors.     

Compositional similarity and the distribution of geographical range size for assemblages of native and non-native species in urban floras

There is evidence that, within a region, non-native species introduced from nearby sources (extralimital native) promote homogenization and non-native species introduced from distant sources (exotic) promote differentiation of species composition. A possible explanation for these associations is that they are related to differences in the distribution of geographical range size. We test this by examining geographical ranges, delineated within a defined region, for assemblages of vascular plants in eight urban floras in the USA. Across floras, native species had the largest, least variable ranges and the greatest proportion of shared species. Exotic species had the most variable ranges with concentrations of species with small and large ranges and the lowest proportion of shared species. Extralimital natives had concentrations of species with intermediate-sized ranges and intermediate proportions of shared species. These results suggest that patterns of compositional similarity were associated with the relative strength and equality of two opposing patterns within species range size distributions: species with small vs. large ranges. In general, concentrations of species with small ranges promoted low levels and concentrations of species with large ranges promoted high levels of compositional similarity. However, patterns documented for exotic species will likely continue to develop, possibly taking on new forms, depending on how geographical distributions and the rate of introductions of exotic species change over time. Our findings also suggest that processes underlying these patterns have operated at two spatiotemporal scales. The first scale reflects historical consequences of anthropogenic activities occurring within regional extents that have promoted the introduction of extralimital natives; the second scale reflects modern consequences of anthropogenic activities operating at an increasingly global extent that have promoted the introduction of exotic species.     

Secondary invasion: When invasion success is contingent on other invaders altering the properties of recipient ecosystems

Positive interactions between exotic species may increase ecosystem‐level impacts and potentially facilitate the entry and spread of other exotic species. Invader‐facilitated invasion success—”secondary invasion”—is a key conceptual aspect of the well‐known invasional meltdown hypothesis, but remains poorly defined and empirically underexplored. Drawing from heuristic models and published empirical studies, we explore this form of “secondary invasion” and discuss the phenomenon within the recognized conceptual framework of the determinants of invasion success. The term “secondary invasion” has been used haphazardly in the literature to refer to multiple invasion phenomena, most of which have other more accepted titles. Our usage of the term secondary invasion is akin to “invader‐facilitated invasion,” which we define as the phenomenon in which the invasion success of one exotic species is contingent on the presence, influence, and impacts of one or more other exotic species. We present case studies of secondary invasion whereby primary invaders facilitate the entry or establishment of exotic species into communities where they were previously excluded from becoming invasive. Our synthesis, discussion, and conceptual framework of this type of secondary invasion provides a useful reference to better explain how invasive species can alter key properties of recipient ecosystems that can ultimately determine the invasion success of other species. This study increases our appreciation for complex interactions following invasion and highlights the impacts of invasive species themselves as possible determinants of invasion success. We anticipate that highlighting “secondary invasion” in this way will enable studies reporting similar phenomena to be identified and linked through consistent terminology.     

Intraspecific genotypic richness and relatedness predict the invasibility of microbial communities

Biological invasions can lead to extinction events in resident communities and compromise ecosystem functioning. We tested the effect of two widespread biodiversity measurements, genotypic richness and genotypic dissimilarity on community invasibility. We manipulated the genetic structure of bacterial communities (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and submitted them to invasion by Serratia liquefaciens. We show that the two diversity measures impact on invasibility via distinct and additive mechanisms. Genotypic dissimilarity of the resident communities linearly increased productivity and in parallel decreased invasion success, indicating that high dissimilarity prevents invasion through niche pre-emption. By contrast, genotypic richness exerted a hump-shaped effect on invasion and was linked to the production of toxins antagonistic to the invader. This effect peaked at intermediate richness, suggesting that high richness levels may increase invasibility. Invasibility could be well predicted by the combination of these two mechanisms, documenting that both genotypic richness and dissimilarity need to be considered, if we are to understand the biotic properties determining the susceptibility of ecosystems to biological invasions.     

近20年外来生物入侵危害与风险评估文献计量分析

外来生物入侵导致全球生物多样性下降,极大地威胁着生态系统健康,已造成很大的生态损失与经济损失。近年来,随着生物入侵的加剧,全球对生物入侵的研究力度不断加大。外来入侵生物的生态危害与风险评估可以为人们提供对入侵可能性和入侵方式更直接的信息,从而为管理者制定管理策略提供依据。基于最近20年间(1995—2014年)科学文献数据库Web of Science的科学引文索引数据库扩展版(SCI-E)中数据,对外来入侵生物的生态危害与风险评估方面的研究进行了文献计量分析,旨在了解当前国际研究现状,以便推动中国的生物入侵相关研究。为了全面掌握全球外来生物入侵生态危害与风险评估方面的研究,采用Bibexcel与TDA文献计量工具,对Web of Science数据库中相关文献进行了分析,去重后共获取5492篇文献。结果表明:近20年(1995—2014年)入侵生物的生态危害与风险评估方面的研究刊文量呈现前缓后剧增的趋势,2008—2014年进入了快速发展阶段,文献数量急剧增加,2014年达到最高(511篇);美国发文量远超其它国家,占据主导地位,中国刊文量排名第5。美国、澳大利亚、法国、英国、德国的研究论文影响力较大。刊文量最多的研究机构为美国农业部(USDA),中国科学院发文量排名第10位。研究学科主要为昆虫学、农艺学、植物科学、生态学,研究热点集中在生物防治、风险评估、粮食作物和经济作物的病虫害防治、杂草防控,以及生物入侵与气候变化的关系等方面。有关外来入侵生物的生态危害与风险评估的研究多集中于北美、澳大利亚和欧洲,未来要加强亚洲地区,特别是中国外来生物入侵风险评估的研究;要加强气候变化对外来生物物种特性的影响研究,更多关注入侵生物的生态控制与生态恢复方面的研究,以便更好地为今后长期有效地防控入侵生物提供理论与技术指导。     

Environmental gradients shift the direction of the relationship between native and alien plant species richness

Aim

To assess how environmental, biotic and anthropogenic factors shape native–alien plant species richness relationships across a heterogeneous landscape.

Location

Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.

Methods

We integrated a comprehensive floristic survey of over 1200 systematically located 6 × 6 m plots, with corresponding climate, environmental and anthropogenic data. General linear models examined variation in native and alien plant species richness across the entire landscape, between native‐ and alien‐dominated plots, and within separate elevational bands.

Results

Across all plots, there was a significant negative correlation between native and alien species richness, but this relationship differed within subsets of the data: the correlation was positive in alien‐dominated plots but negative in native‐dominated plots. Within separate elevational bands, native and alien species richness were positively correlated at lower elevations, but negatively correlated at higher elevations. Alien species richness tended to be high across the elevation gradient but peaked in warmer, mid‐ to low‐elevation sites, while native species richness increased linearly with elevation. The negative relationship between native and alien species richness in native‐dominated communities reflected a land‐use gradient with low native and high alien richness in more heavily modified native‐dominated vegetation. In contrast, native and alien richness were positively correlated in very heavily modified alien‐dominated plots, most likely due to covariation along a gradient of management intensity.

Main conclusions

Both positive and negative native–alien richness relationships can occur across the same landscape, depending on the plant community and the underlying human and environmental gradients examined. Human habitat modification, which is often confounded with environmental variation, can result in high alien and low native species richness in areas still dominated by native species. In the most heavily human modified areas, dominated by alien species, both native and alien species may be responding to similar underlying gradients.

     

The unseen invaders: introduced earthworms as drivers of change in plant communities in North American forests (a meta‐analysis)

Globally, biological invasions can have strong impacts on biodiversity as well as ecosystem functioning. While less conspicuous than introduced aboveground organisms, introduced belowground organisms may have similarly strong effects. Here, we synthesize for the first time the impacts of introduced earthworms on plant diversity and community composition in North American forests. We conducted a meta‐analysis using a total of 645 observations to quantify mean effect sizes of associations between introduced earthworm communities and plant diversity, cover of plant functional groups, and cover of native and non‐native plants. We found that plant diversity significantly declined with increasing richness of introduced earthworm ecological groups. While plant species richness or evenness did not change with earthworm invasion, our results indicate clear changes in plant community composition: cover of graminoids and non‐native plant species significantly increased, and cover of native plant species (of all functional groups) tended to decrease, with increasing earthworm biomass. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that introduced earthworms facilitate particular plant species adapted to the abiotic conditions of earthworm‐invaded forests. Further, our study provides evidence that introduced earthworms are associated with declines in plant diversity in North American forests. Changing plant functional composition in these forests may have long‐lasting effects on ecosystem functioning.