scholarly journals On Darwin’s Steps: Citizen Science Can Help Keep an Eye on Alien Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Giovos ◽  
Anastasia Charitou ◽  
Eugenio Gervasini ◽  
Celia López-Cañizares ◽  
Konstantinos Tsiamis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Information Network ◽  
Citizen Scientist ◽  
The World

Citizens around the world can act like scientists by providing important information about biodiversity that can help scientists’ research. The same applies to species that expand from their areas of origin to other places, often creating problems for the native species. Nowadays, there are plenty of projects that involve citizen scientists in the monitoring of alien species and biodiversity. The European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) of the European Commission gathers data from several projects and has developed its own app that enables people to report observations of invasive alien species. So, are you ready to become a citizen scientist?

scholarly journals Golden jackal, a natural disperser or an invasive alien species in Slovakia? A summary within European context

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-99
Author(s):  
Peter Urban ◽  
Nuno Guimarães ◽  
Jozef Bučko
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
European Population ◽  
Golden Jackal ◽  
Game Species ◽  
Fast Adaptation ◽  
Natural Expansion ◽  
Fast Increase

AbstractThis summary provides an overview of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) categorization in Europe with particular focus on its presence in Slovakia. The distribution range of this species in Europe has been expanding in recent decades. Currently, European population is in constant and fast increase, widening their ranges towards Central and Eastern Europe and more recently in some western countries. All over Europe, the categorization of the golden jackal status is discussed with some controversial. A recent genetic study helped to determine that golden jackals do not meet the established three criteria, which categorize a species as an invasive alien species. In Slovakia, golden jackals’ numbers grown considerably in the last decade and with an increasing of their distribution through the country it became a permanent species of the Slovak fauna. The only internal status is the hunting Act no. 274/2009, which classifies it as, game species. The fast adaptation and dispersion through Slovakia can be considered similar to the behaviour of an invasive species, as suggested in previous studies in Hungary. Based on widely accepted definitions, agreed under international legal instruments, it is quite clear that the term ‘Invasive Alien Species’ only encompasses non-native species specifically introduced by humans (intentionally or accidentally). Following this Invasive Alien Species terminology, golden jackals cannot be categorized as such in Slovakia. The natural expansion, the growing ranges, and the increase in numbers of the golden jackal in Slovakia in the last decades points to a need to improve the knowledge of the species.

scholarly journals TrIAS, leveraging citizen science data to monitor invasive species in Belgium

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e24749
Author(s):  
Quentin Groom ◽  
Tim Adriaens ◽  
Damiano Oldoni ◽  
Lien Reyserhove ◽  
Diederik Strubbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Common View ◽  
Indispensable Tool

Reducing the damage caused by invasive species requires a community approach informed by rapidly mobilized data. Even if local stakeholders work together, invasive species do not respect borders, and national, continental and global policies are required. Yet, in general, data on invasive species are slow to be mobilized, often of insufficient quality for their intended application and distributed among many stakeholders and their organizations, including scientists, land managers, and citizen scientists. The Belgian situation is typical. We struggle with the fragmentation of data sources and restrictions to data mobility. Nevertheless, there is a common view that the issue of invasive alien species needs to be addressed. In 2017 we launched the Tracking Invasive Alien Species (TrIAS) project, which envisages a future where alien species data are rapidly mobilized, the spread of exotic species is regularly monitored, and potential impacts and risks are rapidly evaluated in support of policy decisions (Vanderhoeven et al. 2017). TrIAS is building a seamless, data-driven workflow, from raw data to policy support documentation. TrIAS brings together 21 different stakeholder organizations that covering all organisms in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. These organizations also include those involved in citizen science, research and wildlife management. TrIAS is an Open Science project and all the software, data and documentation are being shared openly (Groom et al. 2018). This means that the workflow can be reused as a whole or in part, either after the project or in different countries. We hope to prove that rapid data workflows are not only an indispensable tool in the control of invasive species, but also for integrating and motivating the citizens and organizations involved.

scholarly journals Greenhouses – urban biodiversity hotspot of alien Oribatida (Acari) species

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mateusz OSZUST ◽  
◽  
Ziemowit OLSZANOWSKI ◽  
Marta PRZYMUSZAŁA ◽  
d Aleksandra JAGIEŁŁO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Stable Conditions ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Parts

Palm houses and other greenhouses, due to maintaining constant temperature and humidity, allow the cultivation in Europe of plants from different parts of the world, even from tropical regions. However, sometimes they are also a habitat for alien species of spiders, mites, insect, etc. These animals have been introduced accidentally with contaminated plants, seeds, seedlings, soil and thanks to stable conditions maintained in greenhouses, they may colonize these places. Example of arthropods, of which even tropical species occur in several greenhouses, are oribatid mites – minute saprophagous arachnids that mostly inhabit soil. In Europe they are represented by about 2,000 species, while worldwide – over 10,000 taxa were described. The aim of this research was to investigate the selected greenhouses for the biodiversity of oribatid mites and the presence of non-native species. In total, 49 taxa were recorded, including 23 alien species (for example, a Neotropical taxon Galumna hamifer, or Oriental Suctobelbella parallelodentata). These results confirm that greenhouses are the places of occurrence of many alien oribatid species. The obtained results may be used in future research on the biology of poorly known tropical mites.

scholarly journals Population Ecology and Genetic Diversity of the Invasive Alien Species Procambarus clarkii in Lake Trasimeno (Italy)

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1059
Author(s):  
Ambrosius Josef Martin Dörr ◽  
Melissa Scoparo ◽  
Irene Cardinali ◽  
Gianandrea La Porta ◽  
Barbara Caldaroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Population Ecology ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Procambarus Clarkii ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Mitochondrial Haplotypes ◽  
Management Plans

The deliberate or accidental introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) causes negative ecological and economic impacts altering ecosystem processes, imperiling native species and causing damage to human endeavors. A monthly monitoring program was performed in Lake Trasimeno (Central Italy) from July 2018 to July 2019 in order to provide an upgrade of the population ecology of Procambarus clarkii and to assess the genetic diversity by analyzing the relationships among mitochondrial DNA diversity. Our results confirmed that P. clarkii is well acclimatized in the lake, revealing a stable population structure favored by the resources and conditions typical of this ecosystem, which seem to be optimal for the maintenance of the species. Four distinct mitochondrial haplotypes were detected, but one of them was clearly overrepresented (76%), suggesting that a single predominant introduction event may have occurred in this area, likely followed by secondary events. The identification of the typical genetic variants provides a better understanding of the evolutionary scenarios of P. clarkii in this biotope and it can be helpful in management plans concerning the expanding populations of this invasive alien species.

Emerging natural hybrid between Invasive Species and Native Congener of Emilia (Asteraceae) Found in Northern Taiwan

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 382 (2) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
JEN-YU WANG ◽  
JENN-CHE WANG
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Pollen Viability ◽  
Natural Hybridization ◽  
Natural Hybrid ◽  
The World ◽  
Northern Taiwan

Invasive plants had raised lots of concern about the environment and biodiversity. Many members of Asteraceae are notorious invasive alien species across the world. In Taiwan, Emilia (Asteraceae) contains one native and two naturalized species. Recently, we found some morphologically intermediate individuals between the native E. sonchifolia var. javanica and the alien E. praetermissa from northern Taiwan where the latter two grow sympatrically. Based on morphological comparisons, pollen viability and flow cytometry information, we confirmed the fact of natural hybridization. Herein, we describe a new hybrid Emilia ×latens J.-Y Wang & J.-C. Wang and provide a key to Emilia species in Taiwan.

Ochrona gatunków rodzimych przed inwazjami biologicznymi

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 348-358
Author(s):  
Emilia Nawrotek
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Health And Economic Development ◽  
Economic Well Being

Invasive alien species are a threat to biodiversity and food security, health and economic development. These species are causing enormous damage to biodiversity and the valuable natural agricultural systems upon which we depend. Globalisation, trade, travel, and transport of goods across borders they have facilitated the spread of invasive alien species. The spread of invasive alien species is now recognised as one of the greatest threats to the ecological and economic well being of the planet. The aim of the article is to analyze and attempt to assess the legal regulation relating protection native species against alien invasive species and alien species.

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