The biogeography of prediction error: why does the introduced range of the fire ant over-predict its native range?

Abstract Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species, likely facilitating invasion success. Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native populations of an invasive plant is essential to understanding biological invasions. Here, we used Triadica sebifera as a study organism to examine intraspecific differences in seed germination together with seed characteristics. Methods We measured physical (volume, mass, coat hardness and coat thickness of seeds) and chemical (crude fat, soluble protein, sugar, gibberellins [GA] and abscisic acid [ABA] of kernels) properties of T. sebifera seeds collected in 2017 from 12 introduced (United States) populations and 12 native (China) populations and tested their germination rates and timing in a greenhouse experiment in China. Furthermore, we conducted an extra experiment in the United States using seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 to compare the effects of study sites (China vs. United States) and seed collection time (2016 vs. 2017) on seed germination. Important Findings Seeds from the introduced range germinated faster than those from the native range. Physical and chemical measurements showed that seeds from the introduced range were larger, had higher GA concentrations and GA:ABA ratio, but lower crude fat concentrations compared to those from the native range. There were no significant differences in seed mass, coat hardness and coat thickness or kernel ABA, soluble protein or sugar concentrations between seeds from introduced vs. native ranges. Germination rates were correlated between United States and China greenhouses but germination rates for populations varied between collection years. Our results suggest that larger seeds and higher GA likely contribute to faster germination, potentially facilitating T. sebifera invasion in the introduced range.

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Aspergillus tubingensis Is a Pre-Emergent Pathogen of Date Palm Seedlings

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11121327 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 1327

Author(s):

Maryam Alomran ◽

Jos Houbraken ◽

George Newcombe

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Date Palm ◽

Seedling Emergence ◽

Aspergillus Tubingensis ◽

Native Range ◽

Penicillium Species ◽

Introduced Range ◽

Southwestern Usa ◽

Emergent Pathogen ◽

Positive Effect

Many diseases of date palm are known. However, pathogens that might affect seed germination and seedling emergence from soil are poorly studied, perhaps because date palm cultivars are propagated vegetatively. Here, we first determined the effects of date seed fungi on the germination and emergence of 600 seeds overall (i.e., 200 of each of three cultivars: ‘Thoory’, ‘Halawi’, and ‘Barhi’). In each cultivar, 100 seeds were from Saudi Arabia (part of the native range), and 100 were from the southwestern USA (where the date palm was introduced around 1765). Just four fungal genera (i.e., Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, and Penicillium) were isolated from the surface-sterilized date seeds. Aspergillus isolates all belonged to Aspergillus sect. Nigri; collectively they were in the highest relative abundance at 39%, and significantly more common in Saudi Arabian seeds than in American seeds. Aspergillus reduced seed germination and also reduced emergence when germinated and non-germinated seeds were planted in potting mix in a greenhouse. In contrast, Penicillium species were more common in American than in Saudi seeds; Penicillium did not affect germination, although it did have a positive effect on seedling emergence. In a second experiment with 17 seeds of the ‘Halawi’ cultivar, fungus-free seeds were either inoculated with isolates of Aspergillus sect. Nigri or not, and then planted. Controls emerged whereas Aspergillus-inoculated seeds did not. Finally, a third experiment was conducted with Aspergillus tubingensis Mosseray, a sect. Nigri member, as sole inoculum of 100 ‘Halawi’ seeds versus 100 uninoculated controls. Aspergillus tubingensis exerted the same pathogenic effects on germinating and emerging seedlings as the isolates identified only to Aspergillus sect. Nigri. Aspergillus tubingensis is thus a previously unreported, seedborne pathogen affecting date palm seedlings. Our findings also suggest that A. tubingensis may be more common in seeds in the host’s native range than in its introduced range.

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Do YellowhammersEmberiza citrinellaachieve higher breeding productivity in their introduced range than in their native range?

Bird Study ◽

10.1080/00063650509461394 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 217-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Catriona J. Macleod ◽

David M.B. Parish ◽

Richard P. Duncan ◽

Stephen D. Wratten ◽

Stephen F. Hubbard

Keyword(s):

Native Range ◽

Introduced Range

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Florida's Introduced Birds: Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-uw299-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2009 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Steve A. Johnson ◽

Michelle Hawk

Keyword(s):

Ecological Impacts ◽

Species Description ◽

Similar Species ◽

Muscovy Duck ◽

Native Range ◽

Wildlife Ecology ◽

Cairina Moschata ◽

Duck Species ◽

Introduced Range ◽

Introduced Birds

WEC-254, a 4-page illustrated fact sheet by Steve A. Johnson and Michelle Hawk, introduces the muscovy duck — species description, similar species, native range and habitats, mode of introduction, introduced range and habitats, ecology, ecological impacts, impacts to people and pets, solutions, and how readers can help. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, March 2009.

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No escape: most insect colonisers of an introduced fig tree in Cyprus come from the plant’s native range

Biological Invasions ◽

10.1007/s10530-019-02132-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 211-216

Author(s):

S. G. Compton ◽

M. Stavrinides ◽

C. Kaponas ◽

P. J. Thomas

Keyword(s):

The Other ◽

Native Range ◽

Fig Wasp ◽

Wasp Species ◽

High Frequencies ◽

Introduced Range ◽

Attractive Option ◽

Southern Cyprus ◽

Ficus Microcarpa ◽

Fig Tree

AbstractPlants that become invasive outside their native range often benefit from the absence of their native-range herbivores. Ficus microcarpa is a widely-planted Asian–Australasian species of fig tree that has become invasive in parts of its introduced range. As in most places where it is planted, the pollinator of F. microcarpa has been introduced to Cyprus, together with at least six other Asian fig wasp species. We recorded the other insects feeding on the leaves, buds and stems of this fig tree in southern Cyprus. Eight sap-sucking insects were recorded, and one leaf-galling species, with some present at high frequencies and densities. The insects were a mix of introduced polyphagous species and introduced F. microcarpa specialists. They included the first European record of the fig leaf galling psyllid Trioza brevigenae, which was described from India. Ficus microcarpa has not escaped from its native-range phytophages, but they appear to be free of their own specialist parasitoids and predators. The result is a herbivore load than may be comparable with what the plant experiences in its countries of origin. This is likely to reduce the invasiveness of F. microcarpa, but at the same time makes the plant a less attractive option for future planting.

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Parasites and marine invasions

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182002001506 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 124 (7) ◽

pp. 137-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 158

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.

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Keeping an eye on the use of eye-lens weight as a universal indicator of age for European wild rabbits

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88087-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Patricia H. Vaquerizas ◽

Simone Santoro ◽

Miguel Delibes-Mateos ◽

Francisca Castro ◽

Rafael Villafuerte

Keyword(s):

Age Determination ◽

Keystone Species ◽

Growth Curves ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Wild Rabbit ◽

Native Range ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Introduced Range ◽

European Rabbits

AbstractAccurate methods for age determination are critical to the knowledge of wildlife populations' age structure and, therefore, to their successful management. The reliability of age estimation may have profound economic and ecological consequences on the management of the European wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, in its native and introduced range, where it is a keystone species and a major pest, respectively. As in other mammal species, European rabbits' age is often estimated using the Gompertz relationship between age and lens' weight. The growth rate formula has been developed based on data collected from European rabbits introduced in Australia, where a single subspecies (O. cuniculus cuniculus, Occ) is present. However, this curve has never been validated in the species native range, the Iberian Peninsula, where two subspecies (Occ, and O. c. algirus, Oca) coexist naturally. In this study, we tested the relationship between age and lens' weight using 173 Occ and 112 Oca wild rabbits that were surveyed in two experimental facilities in Spain. Our findings show that, in the native range, the published growth curve formula fits well Occ but not Oca data. Therefore, we recommend using the formula reported in this study to estimate the age of Oca (Lens dry weight = 240 × 10(−64.9/(Age+32))). This study supports Oca rabbits' distinctiveness revealed by previous studies, which suggests that management interventions should be applied to protect this subspecies whose distribution range is very narrow and whose populations seem to be declining. More broadly, our findings point to the importance of testing the suitability of growth curves defined for other species with different genetic forms as occurs in the European wild rabbit case.

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Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) Road Mortality and Extralimital Occurence in Western Cape, South Africa.

Biodiversity Observations ◽

10.15641/bo.v10i0.732 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

James Baxter-Gilbert ◽

Julia L Riley

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

The Other ◽

Road Mortality ◽

Western Cape ◽

Native Range ◽

Field Surveys ◽

The Road ◽

Adult Females ◽

Vehicle Collision ◽

Introduced Range

During field surveys in the Spring of 2018 we made two observations of Leopard Tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) on roadsides near Lambert's Bay, WC, South Africa. One was a deceased adult female, killed as a result of a tortoise-vehicle collision. The other was a live adult females, which was move off the road in the direction she was headed. These observations illustrate that even the largest tortoise species in the region can be suseptable to road mortlaity, a known threat of turtle and torioses populations globally. Furthermore, these observations occured well outside the species presumed native range and listed introduced range.

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Competitive release from native range does not predict invasive success of a globally dominant exotic ant species

10.1101/239277 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Senay Yitbarek ◽

Ivette Perfecto ◽

John H. Vandermeer

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Exotic Species ◽

Comparative Studies ◽

Competitive Ability ◽

Resource Competition ◽

Invasion Success ◽

Native Range ◽

Short Term ◽

Competitive Release ◽

Introduced Range

AbstractA major goal of invasion biology is to understand under what conditions exotic species thrive in the introduced range. High competitive abilities are thought to be an important characteristic of exotic species. Most invasion studies focus on the competitive ability of exotic species in the introduced range and attribute their ecological success to competitive release, but fewer studies have compared the relative competitive differences within the native range. These comparative studies are important in order to determine if competitive abilities of exotic species are strong predictors of invasion success. The little fire ant Wasmmnia auropunctata is a highly invasive species that has spread from its original range (Central and South America) to becoming a globally distributed exotic species in recent decades. It is generally accepted that island ecosystems offer weak biotic resistance to exotic species as compared to their native range. Here, we examined this empirically by comparing the relative competitive difference of W. auropunctata and locally dominant ants, between its native range of Mexico and introduced range of Puerto Rico. Resource competition was assessed between W. auropunctata and native ants under field conditions and in the laboratory. Furthermore, we compared resource competition at different temporal intervals ranging from short-term (< 2 hours) to long-term (14-days) dynamics. Our results are in contrast to common invasion predictions on island communities because we show that native species were resistant to W. auropunctata in its introduced range of Puerto Rico. We observed that the ground-foraging ant Solenopsis invicta competitive displaced W. auropunctata in Puerto Rico during short-term experiments. Meanwhile, the native arboreal ant Linepithema iniquum withstood competitive pressure from W. auropunctata. In the native range of Mexico, W. auropunctata was superior against Solenopsis Picea and Pheidole protensa species, but was outcompeted by dominant ants Solenopsis geminata and Pheidole synanthropica. This study challenges the relative importance of competitive ability in predicting invasion success. This is one of the few detailed comparative studies that examines exotic species performance between native and introduced habitats.

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