scholarly journals Increased fitness and plasticity of an invasive species in its introduced range: a study using Senecio pterophorus

2008 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 468-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Caño ◽  
J. Escarré ◽  
I. Fleck ◽  
J.M. Blanco-Moreno ◽  
F.X. Sans
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Introduced Range

scholarly journals The interface between invasive species science and legal regulation, using Hymenopteran species and their pathogens as a model system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Evan Brenton-Rule
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Argentine Ants ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Virus

<p>Biological invasions are one of the major causes of biodiversity decline on the planet. The key driver of the global movement of invasive species is international trade. As a response to trade driven invasive species risk, international and domestic regulations have been promulgated with the goal of managing the spread and impact of non-native species. My aims in this thesis were twofold. First, my goal was to review a subset of international and domestic regulations with a view to commenting on their fitness for purpose and suggesting potential improvements. Second, I used the example of non-native and invasive Hymenoptera, as well as their pathogens, to illustrate the risks posed by invasive species and gaps in their management.   In order to assess international and domestic regulations, I reviewed the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, as well as associated disputes. I argue that the WTO’s regulatory system does, for the most part, allow domestic regulators to manage invasive species risk as they see fit. Subsequently, the focus of the thesis narrows to investigate New Zealand’s pre- and post-border regime managing invasive species. I argue that New Zealand’s pre-border approach represents international best practice, but the post-border management of species is fragmented. The power to manage invasive species has been delegated to sub-national and regional bodies, which typically approach invasive species management in different ways. This variation has led to regulatory inconsistencies in pests managed and funding allocated. There appears to be a substantial lack of planning in some spaces, such as the risk of aquatic invasions. I make recommendations to ameliorate these inconsistencies.   My second aim involved the study of non-native and invasive Hymenoptera in New Zealand, as well as the pathogens they carry, in order to illustrate the risks posed by invasive species and gaps in their management. I show that the globally widespread invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) may play a role in the pathogen dynamics and mortality of honey bee hives where the species occur sympatrically. Hives in the presence of Argentine ants suffered significantly higher mortality rates relative to hives without ants and always had higher levels of a honey bee pathogen Deformed wing virus. I demonstrate that honey bee pathogens are found in a range of invasive Hymenoptera in New Zealand. I amplify entire genomes of the honey bee virus Kashmir bee virus (KBV) from three species of non-native or invasive Hymenoptera (Argentine ants, common wasps and honey bees). I show that there is KBV strain variability within and between regions, but more between regions. Further, I demonstrate the result that as sampled KBV sequence length increases, so too does sampled diversity. These results highlight how ‘an’ invasive species is typically not alone: they carry a range of diseases that are almost always not considered in international and regional management plans.   Patterns of non-native Hymenoptera carrying honey bee diseases were not restricted to New Zealand. I used mitochondrial DNA to find the likely origin of invasive populations of the globally distributed invasive German wasp. I demonstrate that German wasps show reduced genetic diversity in the invaded range compared to the native range. Populations in the introduced range are likely to have arrived from different source populations. In some regions there were likely multiple introductions. Other regions are genetically homogenous and represent potential areas for use of gene drive technologies. All four different honey bee pathogens assayed for were found in German wasp populations worldwide. These results highlight how the introduction of one exotic species likely brings a range of pathogens. This example of pathogens in Hymenoptera is likely to be true for nearly all non-native introductions.  Many of the impacts of biological invasions, such as predation and competition, are relatively obvious and are frequently studied. However some, such as the impact of pathogens, are unseen and poorly understood. Legal regulation is often a post-hoc response implemented once a problem has already arisen. At a global level regulatory regimes operate relatively effectively. As the focus becomes more granular, such as the case of pathogens of Hymenoptera, fewer controls exists. This thesis helps to reduce uncertainty in this area as well as makes recommendations as to how these risks may be managed.</p>

EICA 2.0: a general model of enemy release and defence in plant and animal invasions.

2020 ◽  
pp. 192-207
Author(s):  
Richard Honor ◽  
Robert I. Colautti
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
General Model ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Abstract Plants and animals have evolved a variety of strategies to limit the negative fitness consequences of natural enemies (i.e. herbivores, predators, parasites and pathogens). Demographic bottlenecks occurring during the invasion process reduce the number of co-introduced natural enemies, providing opportunities to study rapid evolution in environments with different or reduced enemy loads. Enemy release theory provides a set of hypotheses and predictions about the role of natural enemies in the proliferation of invasive species. This body of theory includes the Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) and the related Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability Hypothesis (EICA), but there is often confusion about these hypotheses and the data needed to test them. We introduce a simple, general model of enemy release to identify and clarify some of the key assumptions and predictions implicit in enemy release theory and its impacts on invasion. Although introduced populations likely benefit from a reduction in the direct fitness impacts of natural enemies in the early stages of invasion, an evolutionary shift in resource allocation from defence to growth and reproduction is much less likely and depends on a delicate balance between the fitness costs and benefits of defence and the fitness impacts of natural enemies in both the native and introduced ranges. Even when the abundance of natural enemies is lower in the introduced range, the majority of scenarios do not favour evolution of less defended genotypes that are more competitive or more fecund, contrary to predictions of EICA. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that the level of damage by natural enemies in field surveys is not generally a good parameter for testing enemy release theory. Instead, common garden experiments characterizing fitness reaction norms of multiple genotypes from the native and introduced range are crucial to estimate the historic rate of adaptive evolution or predict it into the future. Incorporating spatial autocorrelation and methods from population genetics can further improve our understanding of the role of enemy release and evolution in the proliferation of invasive species.

Parasites and marine invasions

Parasitology ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (7) ◽  
pp. 137-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. TORCHIN ◽  
K. D. LAFFERTY ◽  
A. M. KURIS
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Economic Problem ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Marine Systems ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Marine Invasions ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Marine Parasites

Introduced marine species are a major environmental and economic problem. The rate of these biological invasions has substantially increased in recent years due to the globalization of the world's economies. The damage caused by invasive species is often a result of the higher densities and larger sizes they attain compared to where they are native. A prominent hypothesis explaining the success of introduced species is that they are relatively free of the effects of natural enemies. Most notably, they may encounter fewer parasites in their introduced range compared to their native range. Parasites are ubiquitous and pervasive in marine systems, yet their role in marine invasions is relatively unexplored. Although data on parasites of marine organisms exist, the extent to which parasites can mediate marine invasions, or the extent to which invasive parasites and pathogens are responsible for infecting or potentially decimating native marine species have not been examined. In this review, we present a theoretical framework to model invasion success and examine the evidence for a relationship between parasite presence and the success of introduced marine species. For this, we compare the prevalence and species richness of parasites in several introduced populations of marine species with populations where they are native. We also discuss the potential impacts of introduced marine parasites on native ecosystems.

scholarly journals Genomics-informed models reveal extensive stretches of coastline under threat by an ecologically dominant invasive species

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (23) ◽  
pp. e2022169118
Author(s):  
Jamie Hudson ◽  
Juan Carlos Castilla ◽  
Peter R. Teske ◽  
Luciano B. Beheregaray ◽  
Ivan D. Haigh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Introduced Range

Explaining why some species are widespread, while others are not, is fundamental to biogeography, ecology, and evolutionary biology. A unique way to study evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that either limit species’ spread or facilitate range expansions is to conduct research on species that have restricted distributions. Nonindigenous species, particularly those that are highly invasive but have not yet spread beyond the introduced site, represent ideal systems to study range size changes. Here, we used species distribution modeling and genomic data to study the restricted range of a highly invasive Australian marine species, the ascidian Pyura praeputialis. This species is an aggressive space occupier in its introduced range (Chile), where it has fundamentally altered the coastal community. We found high genomic diversity in Chile, indicating high adaptive potential. In addition, genomic data clearly showed that a single region from Australia was the only donor of genotypes to the introduced range. We identified over 3,500 km of suitable habitat adjacent to its current introduced range that has so far not been occupied, and importantly species distribution models were only accurate when genomic data were considered. Our results suggest that a slight change in currents, or a change in shipping routes, may lead to an expansion of the species’ introduced range that will encompass a vast portion of the South American coast. Our study shows how the use of population genomics and species distribution modeling in combination can unravel mechanisms shaping range sizes and forecast future range shifts of invasive species.

scholarly journals Short-Term Survival Estimates of the New Zealand Mud Snail (Potamopyrgus Antipodarium) in Polecat Creek

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 81-83
Author(s):  
Teresa Tibbets
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Mud Snail ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Area ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
New Zealand Mud Snail

Invasive species are one of the primary threats to native biodiversity worldwide (Mack et al. 2000). Two main goals of invasion biology are to identify the mechanisms that determine which introduced species become invasive, or reach pest status, and which systems are susceptible to invasion (Heger and Trepl 2003). Therefore, it is vital to understand how invasive species sustain positive population growth rates in their introduced range. In this study, I estimated in situ survival of the invasive mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarium, in order to assess the population viability and life history patterns of this species in the Greater Yellowstone Area. The mean percent survival of P. antipodarium was 86% during the two-week study period. The field survival data is currently being used to construct a demographic population model of how P. antipodarum populations under different environmental conditions.

Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Recipient Country ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Invasive Weeds ◽  
Japanese Knotweed ◽  
Invasive Weed ◽  
Fallopia Japonica ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Hard Structures ◽  
Potential Contaminant

Abstract F. japonica is an extremely invasive weed despite its lack of extensive sexual reproduction in most of its introduced range. It is included on various lists of invasive weeds and is one of the 100 worst invasive species as identified by the IUCN. It is a potential contaminant of soil, and its ability to tolerate a remarkable range of soil types and climates means that it has the potential to spread much further than it has to date. It has gained a fearsome reputation for breaking through hard structures in the built environment and being almost impossible to eradicate once it has taken hold and is often recognized as one of the most pernicious weeds in any recipient country.

scholarly journals Microbiota of an Invasive Wasp Vespula vulgaris and Hymenopteran relatives: Interpreting the microbiome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Oliver Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
Vespula Germanica ◽  
Introduced Range

<p>Invasive species represent a critical threat to ecosystems and ecological communities, causing changes through overwhelming predation as well as competing with native species for resources. Understanding the mechanisms behind invasive success is essential for understanding why they invade and the consequences of their invasions. Furthermore, invasive species, like all macroscopic organisms, harbour symbiotic and pathogenic microbes that constitute their microbiomes, which could explain invasive success.  The complex ecological interaction networks within the microbiome can have a positive or negative impact on host abundance and dominance. These interactions may be significant for invasive species, where microbial influences acting on an exotic host can potentially drive the ecological success of an invasive population to the detriment of recipient communities. This thesis explores the microbiota of one of the most globally invasive species, the common wasp Vespula vulgaris, with the overall aim to investigate and characterise the microbiome of V. vulgaris, using metagenomics, bioinformatics and molecular techniques.  The initial comparative microbiota study focused on three distinct life stages (larvae, worker and queen), from two ranges. This analysis revealed a core bacteriome community present in V. vulgaris. There was evidence of higher microbial diversity in wasp larvae compared with workers and queens. The Queen (gyne) microbiome revealed a more specific microbiome with absences of certain microbiota found in larvae and workers from the same nest, indicating a more distinctive microbiome. Interestingly, analysis of life stages between ranges showed significant dissimilarity in microbiomes, with microbiota loses, and acquisitions in the introduced New Zealand range.  Using the same techniques, the microbiota of V. vulgaris and four hymenopteran hosts (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris, Vespula germanica and Linepithema humile), were comparatively analysed. The analysis investigated both shared microbiota and host specific microbiota. This analysis indicated the polyphagous V. vulgaris as having a diverse microbiome varying between nests and sites, indicating less specific microbiota in comparison to other hymenopteran hosts in this study.  Vespid wasp colonies are known to occasionally crash in the presence of diseases; however, there is a lack of reliable evidence indicating pathogenic micro-organisms play an essential role in wasp colony dynamics. Incorporating knowledge gained in previous analyses, the next aim was to investigate V. vulgaris nests symptomatic of an infectious agent to discover the cause of pathology. Through molecular techniques, such as Illumina RNA-Seq, PCR and Sanger sequencing, the potential cause of infection and decline of diseased nests was examined. The metatranscriptomic comparison of diseased and healthy larvae highlighted five putative infectious agents. The bacteria Moellerella wisconsensis, Moku virus, Kashmir Bee Virus, Aspergillus and the microsporidian Vavraia culicis floridensis found in infected larvae, potentially causing pathology in the host. The first known instance of Moku virus, and potentially V. culicis floridensis and M. wisconsensis was documented as potential pathogens of V. vulgaris present in New Zealand. To test for potential virulence of these putative infectious agents, an infection study was carried out. Vespula vulgaris nests and larvae were orally infected in the lab using homogenised infected larvae. Subsequently, test and control larvae were sampled to conduct and quantify a time series analysis of infection using RT-qPCR using designed primers.  This dissertation provided the first insight into the microbiome of V. vulgaris in the native and introduced range providing a baseline for further research. This analysis and the subsequent microbiota identified may play a role in wasp population dynamics, giving a better understanding of the observed thriving V. vulgaris population dynamics in New Zealand.</p>

EICA 2.0: a general model of enemy release and defence in plant and animal invasions.

2020 ◽  
pp. 192-207
Author(s):  
Richard Honor ◽  
◽  
Robert L. Colautti ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
General Model ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Plants and animals have evolved a variety of strategies to limit the negative fitness consequences of natural enemies (i.e. herbivores, predators, parasites and pathogens). Demographic bottlenecks occurring during the invasion process reduce the number of co-introduced natural enemies, providing opportunities to study rapid evolution in environments with different or reduced enemy loads. Enemy release theory provides a set of hypotheses and predictions about the role of natural enemies in the proliferation of invasive species. This body of theory includes the Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) and the related Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability Hypothesis (EICA), but there is often confusion about these hypotheses and the data needed to test them. We introduce a simple, general model of enemy release to identify and clarify some of the key assumptions and predictions implicit in enemy release theory and its impacts on invasion. Although introduced populations likely benefit from a reduction in the direct fitness impacts of natural enemies in the early stages of invasion, an evolutionary shift in resource allocation from defence to growth and reproduction is much less likely and depends on a delicate balance between the fitness costs and benefits of defence and the fitness impacts of natural enemies in both the native and introduced ranges. Even when the abundance of natural enemies is lower in the introduced range, the majority of scenarios do not favour evolution of less defended genotypes that are more competitive or more fecund, contrary to predictions of EICA. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that the level of damage by natural enemies in field surveys is not generally a good parameter for testing enemy release theory. Instead, common garden experiments characterizing fitness reaction norms of multiple genotypes from the native and introduced range are crucial to estimate the historic rate of adaptive evolution or predict it into the future. Incorporating spatial autocorrelation and methods from population genetics can further improve our understanding of the role of enemy release and evolution in the proliferation of invasive species.

scholarly journals The interface between invasive species science and legal regulation, using Hymenopteran species and their pathogens as a model system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Evan Brenton-Rule
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Argentine Ants ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Virus

<p>Biological invasions are one of the major causes of biodiversity decline on the planet. The key driver of the global movement of invasive species is international trade. As a response to trade driven invasive species risk, international and domestic regulations have been promulgated with the goal of managing the spread and impact of non-native species. My aims in this thesis were twofold. First, my goal was to review a subset of international and domestic regulations with a view to commenting on their fitness for purpose and suggesting potential improvements. Second, I used the example of non-native and invasive Hymenoptera, as well as their pathogens, to illustrate the risks posed by invasive species and gaps in their management.   In order to assess international and domestic regulations, I reviewed the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, as well as associated disputes. I argue that the WTO’s regulatory system does, for the most part, allow domestic regulators to manage invasive species risk as they see fit. Subsequently, the focus of the thesis narrows to investigate New Zealand’s pre- and post-border regime managing invasive species. I argue that New Zealand’s pre-border approach represents international best practice, but the post-border management of species is fragmented. The power to manage invasive species has been delegated to sub-national and regional bodies, which typically approach invasive species management in different ways. This variation has led to regulatory inconsistencies in pests managed and funding allocated. There appears to be a substantial lack of planning in some spaces, such as the risk of aquatic invasions. I make recommendations to ameliorate these inconsistencies.   My second aim involved the study of non-native and invasive Hymenoptera in New Zealand, as well as the pathogens they carry, in order to illustrate the risks posed by invasive species and gaps in their management. I show that the globally widespread invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) may play a role in the pathogen dynamics and mortality of honey bee hives where the species occur sympatrically. Hives in the presence of Argentine ants suffered significantly higher mortality rates relative to hives without ants and always had higher levels of a honey bee pathogen Deformed wing virus. I demonstrate that honey bee pathogens are found in a range of invasive Hymenoptera in New Zealand. I amplify entire genomes of the honey bee virus Kashmir bee virus (KBV) from three species of non-native or invasive Hymenoptera (Argentine ants, common wasps and honey bees). I show that there is KBV strain variability within and between regions, but more between regions. Further, I demonstrate the result that as sampled KBV sequence length increases, so too does sampled diversity. These results highlight how ‘an’ invasive species is typically not alone: they carry a range of diseases that are almost always not considered in international and regional management plans.   Patterns of non-native Hymenoptera carrying honey bee diseases were not restricted to New Zealand. I used mitochondrial DNA to find the likely origin of invasive populations of the globally distributed invasive German wasp. I demonstrate that German wasps show reduced genetic diversity in the invaded range compared to the native range. Populations in the introduced range are likely to have arrived from different source populations. In some regions there were likely multiple introductions. Other regions are genetically homogenous and represent potential areas for use of gene drive technologies. All four different honey bee pathogens assayed for were found in German wasp populations worldwide. These results highlight how the introduction of one exotic species likely brings a range of pathogens. This example of pathogens in Hymenoptera is likely to be true for nearly all non-native introductions.  Many of the impacts of biological invasions, such as predation and competition, are relatively obvious and are frequently studied. However some, such as the impact of pathogens, are unseen and poorly understood. Legal regulation is often a post-hoc response implemented once a problem has already arisen. At a global level regulatory regimes operate relatively effectively. As the focus becomes more granular, such as the case of pathogens of Hymenoptera, fewer controls exists. This thesis helps to reduce uncertainty in this area as well as makes recommendations as to how these risks may be managed.</p>

scholarly journals Comparison of Grazing Impacts Between the Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail Potamopyrgus Antipidarum, and Native Macroinvertebrates

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 97-107
Author(s):  
Amy Krist ◽  
Caroline Charles
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Relative Impact ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Periphyton Biomass ◽  
New Zealand Mudsnail

To understand the impacts of an herbivorous invasive species on native herbivores, it is critical to quantify the relative impact of the invasive and the native species on shared resources. In a field experiment, we compared grazing efficacy of periphyton by the invasive New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipidarum, and 3 native macroinvertebrate grazers. Depending on the measure of periphyton biomass, P. antipodarum removed as much or more periphyton than any of the native grazers. When we examined diatom genera individually, P. antipodarum also suppressed the relative abundance of the greatest number of diatom genera and suppressed those diatoms more than the native grazers. As a result, P. antipodarum should compete strongly for periphyton with native grazers. In particular, because Ephemerella mayflies were the second most effective grazers and grazed many diatom genera similarly to the invasive snails, these mayflies may be competing with P. antipodarum in the introduced range. Overall, grazing ability may contribute to the invasion success of P. antipodarum.

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