scholarly journals Diet composition of the invasive red-whiskered bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus in Mauritius

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jannie Fries Linnebjerg ◽  
Dennis M. Hansen ◽  
Nancy Bunbury ◽  
Jens M. Olesen
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Ecological Perspective ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Invasional Meltdown ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Successful Establishment ◽  
The Impact

Disruption of ecosystems is one of the biggest threats posed by invasive species (Mack et al. 2000). Thus, one of the most important challenges is to understand the impact of exotic species on native species and habitats (e.g. Jones 2008). The probability that entire ‘invasive communities’ will develop increases as more species establish in new areas (Bourgeois et al. 2005). For example, introduced species may act in concert, facilitating one another's invasion, and increasing the likelihood of successful establishment, spread and impact. Simberloff & Von Holle (1999) introduced the term ‘invasional meltdown’ for this process, which has received widespread attention since (e.g. O'Dowd 2003, Richardson et al. 2000, Simberloff 2006). Positive interactions among introduced species are relatively common, but few have been studied in detail (Traveset & Richardson 2006). Examples include introduced insects and birds that pollinate and disperse exotic plants, thereby facilitating the spread of these species into non-invaded habitats (Goulson 2003, Mandon-Dalger et al. 2004, Simberloff & Von Holle 1999). From a more general ecological perspective, the study of interactions involving introduced and invasive species can contribute to our knowledge of ecological processes – for example, community assembly and indirect interactions.

scholarly journals Preliminary Study of the Influence of Conductivity and Calcium Concentrations on the Density and Species Richness of Native and Invasive Gastropods in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 46-49
Author(s):  
Michele Larson ◽  
Gary Beauvais
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Community ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Freshwater Gastropods ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Levels ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Primary Producer ◽  
Preliminary Study

Freshwater gastropods are a diverse taxa that inhabit a wide variety of freshwater habitats (Lydeard et al. 2004, Strong et al. 2008). Freshwater gastropods often form narrow endemic ranges (Strong et al. 2008) with many species restricted to a single drainage or an isolated spring (Brown et al. 2008). In North America, over 60% of freshwater snails are listed as imperiled or presumed extinct (Lysne et al. 2008). The main factors for the reduction in snail biodiversity are habitat loss, water pollution, and the introduction of invasive species (Strong et al. 2008). Invasive species can dramatically alter the native community by reducing biodiversity and changing ecological processes (Alonso and Castro-Diez 2008). The effects of invasive species on aquatic ecosystems are often permanent and lead to reductions in biodiversity due to predation and competition with native species (Alonso and Castro-Diez 2008, Lysne et al. 2008, Strayer 1999). Invasive gastropods impact native ecosystems by altering carbon and nitrogen levels (Hall et al. 2003, Arango et al. 2009), consuming large amounts of primary producer biomass (Hall et al. 2003, Riley et al. 2008, Strayer 2010), and changing native macroinvertebrate community composition (Kerans et al. 2005, Riley et al. 2008, Cross et al. 2010, Brenneis et al. 2011).

Prevention of invasive species in the context of lower secondary education

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
Maria Balazova ◽  
Dana Blahutova ◽  
Terezia Valaskova
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Species Management ◽  
Prevention Education ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Invasive Organisms ◽  
Species Management ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Impact

Biological invasions are recognised as a potentially major threat to biodiversity and may have considerable economic and social effects. Public, including pupils, attitudes may have large implications for invasive species management in terms of prevention, early warning and eradication success, but significant is the relations between the lay public’s visions of nature, their knowledge about non-native species and their perceptions of invasive species management. The more direct experience people have with the impact of invasive species, the more likely they will be able to understand the potential benefits of management programmes. The aim of our work was to prepare educational materials about invasive organisms for elementary schools. Some of them were subsequently applied directly in practice as part of an excursion in a schoolyard in west Slovakia, where up to six species of invasive plants were identified in the close proximity to the school. Keywords: Biological invasions, prevention, education, excursion.

The impacts of invasive plant species on the biodiversity of Australian rangelands

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Grice
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Native Plant Species

Most parts of the Australian rangelands are at risk of invasion by one or more species of non-native plants. The severity of current problems varies greatly across the rangelands with more non-native plant species in more intensively settled regions, in climatic zones that have higher and more reliable rainfall, and in wetter and more fertile parts of rangeland landscapes. Although there is quantitative evidence of impacts on either particular taxonomic groups or specific ecological processes in Australian rangelands, a comprehensive picture of responses of rangeland ecosystems to plant invasions is not available. Research has been focused on invasive species that are perceived to have important effects. This is likely to down play the significance of species that have visually less dramatic influences and ignore the possibility that some species could invade and yet have negligible consequences. It is conceivable that most of the overall impact will come from a relatively small proportion of invasive species. Impacts have most commonly been assessed in terms of plant species richness or the abundance of certain groups of vertebrates to the almost complete exclusion of other faunal groups. All scientific studies of the impacts of invasive species in Australian rangelands have focused on the effects of individual invasive species although in many situations native communities are under threat from a complex of interacting weed species. Invasion by non-native species is generally associated with declines in native plant species richness, but faunal responses are more complex and individual invasions may be associated with increase, decrease and no-change scenarios for different faunal groups. Some invasive species may remain minor components of the vegetation that they invade while others completely dominate one stratum or the vegetation overall.

Implications of agricultural policy for species invasion in shifting cultivation systems

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
HEIDI J. ALBERS ◽  
MICHAEL J. GOLDBACH ◽  
DANIEL T. KAFFINE
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Shifting Cultivation ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Numerical Solutions ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Invasive Grasses ◽  
Land Use Decisions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact

Policies to influence land use decisions in agriculture or grazing can increase the ability of invasive species to out-compete native species and thereby disrupt seemingly stable ecological-economic systems. Building off of models of interdependent resources, invasive species and soil fertility, this paper develops a model of shifting cultivation decisions for two types of farmers, one who sees the threat of invasive grasses and one who does not. The paper uses numerical solutions to this dynamic decision problem to examine the impact of various policies on farmer welfare and on the stability of the economic-ecological system. Some policies undermine the resilience of the system, while other policies augment the system's ability to withstand species invasions.

scholarly journals The Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Reduces Growth of the Native Snail, Fossaria SP.

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
Amy Krist ◽  
Mark Dybdahl
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Potamopyrgus Antipodarum ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
New Zealand Mud Snail ◽  
The Impact

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Hence, understanding the role of invasive species is of grave importance to managing and minimizing the impact of biological invasions. To date, the ecological impacts of biological invasions have received significant attention, but little effort has been made to address the evolutionary impact (Sakai et al. 2001, Cox 2004). This is despite the fact that evolutionary impacts are likely to be widespread; invasive species have been shown to alter patterns of natural selection or gene flow within native populations (Parker et al. 1999), and many of the best examples of rapid evolution involve invasive species interacting with native species (Reznick and Ghalambor 2001, Strauss et al. 2006). We have begun to address some of the evolutionary consequences of the invasion of the New Zealand mud snail, (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) on a species of native snail in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).

Facilitative interactions among aquatic invaders: is an "invasional meltdown" occurring in the Great Lakes?

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (12) ◽  
pp. 2513-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Invasional Meltdown ◽  
Species Introductions ◽  
Facilitative Interactions ◽  
The Impact

A widely cited hypothesis in ecology is that species-rich communities are less vulnerable to invasion than species-poor ones, owing to competition for limiting resources (the "biotic resistance" model). However, evidence for biotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems is equivocal. Contrary to the view that communities become more resistant to invasion as they accumulate species, the rate of invasion has increased over the past century in areas that have received frequent shipping traffic. Furthermore, introduced species may facilitate, rather than compete with, one another. A review of invasions in the Great Lakes indicates that direct positive (mutualistic and commensal) interactions among introduced species are more common than purely negative (competitive and amensal) interactions. In addition, many exploitative (e.g., predator–prey) interactions appear to be strongly asymmetric in benefiting one invading species at a negligible cost to another. These observations, combined with an increasing invasion rate in the Great Lakes, tentatively support the Simberloff – Von Holle "invasional meltdown" model. The model posits that ecosystems become more easily invaded as the cumulative number of species introductions increases, and that facilitative interactions can exacerbate the impact of invaders. It provides a theoretical argument for substantially reducing the rate of species introductions to the Great Lakes.

Threats to Indigenous Biota from Introduced Species on the Bonin Islands, Southern Japan

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuto Kawakami ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Northwestern Pacific ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Bonin Islands ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Essential Components

High endemism has evolved on the Bonin Islands, a group of oceanic islands in the northwestern Pacific, due to a disharmonic, unique biota. However, human settlements have caused extensive deforestation and the introduction of invasive species over the last 200 years. Insular populations are vulnerable to the devastating effects of introduced predators, competitors, and diseases, because they have evolved in the absence of such factors. Introduced species (e.g., goats, cats, black rats, green anole lizards, invasive plants, and predatory flatworms) have caused population declines and the extinction of indigenous species through direct and indirect effects. Unpredictable events often occur within these food webs. Clearly, efforts must be made to control these introduced populations, and to that end, attempts to eliminate certain species (e.g., goats and rats) have begun. However, some invasive species cannot be completely eradicated from their ranges because of their wide distributions and high population densities. In such cases, these species must be confined to their current ranges, which, for the primary invasive species, is mainly limited to two inhabited islands. Problematically, some introduced species have become essential components of the current ecosystem due to long-term naturalization, and their elimination may cause decreases in native species. Thus, the construction of sustainable ecosystems that include both native and introduced species is a realistic goal of current conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Diverse views among scientists on non-native species

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 49-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigue C. Gbedomon ◽  
Valère K. Salako ◽  
Martin A. Schlaepfer
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Predictor Variables ◽  
Environmental Sciences ◽  
Perceived Values ◽  
Minority View ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Conservation scientists have traditionally viewed non-native species (NNS) as potential threats to native biodiversity. Here, we question whether alternative views of NNS exist in the scientific community that stand in contrast to the dominant narrative that emerges from the literature. We asked researchers from the biological, social, and environmental sciences to participate in an anonymous poll regarding the perceived values and threats of NNS. Some 314 individuals responded, approximately half of whom were biologists and half were social or environmental scientists. We grouped responses into three statistical clusters defined by shared responses. We then analyzed the correlation of responses to individual questions and membership of clusters with predictor variables age, gender, and field of work. Overall, a majority of respondents in our sample supported statements that the species-component of biodiversity should include all species (55%) or some types of non-native species (an additional 32%), which contrasts with the manner in which major biodiversity assessments and indicators are constructed. A majority of respondents in our sample (65%) also supported that measurement of the impact of invasive species should be based on the net biological, social, and economic effects, which also represents a marked departure from current methods that focus only on the adverse effects of a subset of NNS considered as invasive. Field of work and age were correlated with clusters and numerous individual responses. For example, biologists were three-times more likely than non-biologists to support a definition of species richness that included only native species. Two clusters (Cluster 1 and Cluster 3), mainly composed of non-biologists and biologists, respectively, differed in their support for statements that NNS would provide useful ecosystem services in the future (66% and 40%, respectively). Thus, a key result of this study is that a variety of normative stances regarding NNS is present within the scientific community. Current international indicators of progress (e.g., Aichi Targets) capture only a “nativist” set of values, which, if our sample is representative of the scientific community, appears to be a minority view. Therefore, we argue that indicators should be modified to integrate the diversity of views that exist within the scientific community.

scholarly journals The impact of archaeological clearing on secondary succession in a tropical rainforest

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison J Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Forest Clearing ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
A Site ◽  
The Impact

Disturbance events can often create an environment that allows invasive species to colonize, particularly on susceptible island ecosystems. An increasingly common form are anthropogenic disturbances, which are caused by human interactions with the environment. The ‘Opunohu Valley on the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia experiences continuous disturbance events in the form of forest clearing for archaeological excavations and mapping. This study examined whether archaeological clearing events increased the number of invasive plants during secondary regrowth by surveying four previously clear-cut archaeological sites for invasive vascular plants. There appeared to be no difference across treatments when looking at non-native species, but there was a difference in recent invaders. There was high variation between sites, indicating a possible confounding variable of previous habitation use or number of times cleared which varied across sites. The highest proportion of invasive species were found in a site that was repeatedly cleared for tourism purposes. Cleared archaeological sites overall had no effect on the invasion of non-native species, but may have helped distribute more recent invasive species. Thus, forest management organizations should take more precautions when conducting archaeological clearing and rebuilding prehistoric sites.

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