Biological invasions in brazilian environmental science courses: do we need new approaches?

The increasing destruction of natural environments worldwide favored more and more alien species’ dispersal, distancing people from nature and consequently from native species. We investigated undergrad students’ perception about alien and native Brazilian species evaluating classes of the first (freshmen) and last semesters (seniors) of four courses in environmental sciences in three institutions and assessed these students’ knowledge level in different aspects related to native and alien species. The 509 interviewees were able to identify Brazilian native species better than alien species. They also produced better identifications among taxonomic groups of mammals (either alien or native), native birds, and exotic fish compared to invertebrate species. Most students did not consider themselves well informed about the topic. We found an association between the courses/semesters attended and the level of knowledge of the students. Thus, we concluded that, on the one hand, the students demonstrated relevant knowledge about the native species but, on the other, presented deficiencies in invasive alien species’ knowledge. Therefore, we suggest the revision/restructuring of how the biological invasions theme is covered in the academic curricula of undergraduate courses in the environmental area.

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Capacity of countries to reduce biological invasions

10.1101/2021.02.04.429788 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Guillaume Latombe ◽

Hanno Seebens ◽

Bernd Lenzner ◽

Franck Courchamp ◽

Stefan Dullinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Alien Species ◽

Economic Space ◽

Country Level ◽

Management Measures ◽

Ecological Predictors ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Education Innovation ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

High Level

AbstractThe extent and impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity are largely shaped by an array of socio-ecological predictors, which exhibit high variation among countries. Yet a global synthetic perspective of how these factors vary across countries is currently lacking. Here, we investigate how a set of five socio-ecological predictors (Governance, Trade, Environmental Performance, Lifestyle and Education, Innovation) explain i) country-level established alien species (EAS) richness of eight taxonomic groups, and ii) country capacity to prevent and manage biological invasions and their impacts. Trade and Governance together best predicted the average EAS richness, increasing variance explained by up to 54% compared to models based on climatic and spatial variables only. Country-level EAS richness increased strongly with Trade, whereas high level of Governance resulted in lower EAS richness. Historical (1996) levels of Governance and Trade better explained response variables than current (2015) levels. Thus, our results reveal a historical legacy of these two predictors with profound implications for the future of biological invasions. We therefore used Governance and Trade to define a two-dimensional socio-economic space in which the position of a country captures its capacity to address issues of biological invasions. Our results provide novel insights into the complex relationship between socio-ecological predictors and biological invasions. Further, we highlight the need for designing better policies and management measures for alien species, and for integrating biological invasions in global environmental scenarios.

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Multi-taxa inventory of naturalized species in Chile

NeoBiota ◽

10.3897/neobiota.60.55366 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 ◽

pp. 25-41

Author(s):

Nicol Fuentes ◽

Alicia Marticorena ◽

Alfredo Saldaña ◽

Viviane Jerez ◽

Juan Carlos Ortiz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Alien Species ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Plateau Phase ◽

Biodiversity Indicators ◽

Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽

Marine Habitats ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Positive Increment

Here we present a multi-taxa inventory of naturalized alien species recorded on continental Chile and adjacent marine habitats, including eight taxonomic groups. We identified 1,122 species. These comprise 790 vascular plants (terrestrial and aquatic); 31 nonvascular plants [Bryophyta (mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts) and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)]; 18 marine and freshwater macro and micro algae; 71 fungi; 39 terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds); 108 insects; 37 marine and freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates (6 polychaetes, 3 mollusks and 28 Pisces); and 28 terrestrial gastropods. For all taxonomic groups, naturalized species were found to mainly be distributed in regions with Mediterranean and temperate climates, with few at either extreme of the country. The invasion curves show that naturalized species first underwent a positive increment, followed by an apparent plateau phase, mainly in vascular plants, insects and vertebrates. In fungi, marine and freshwater macro and microalgae, vertebrates and invertebrates, the cumulative number of naturalized species increased sharply starting in the early 20th century; the lack of collections before 1900 is also evident. When considering naturalized species as a whole, this inventory highlights that the rate of new naturalizations consistently increased after 1950, especially for some taxonomic groups such as insects, fungi, and vascular plants. This multi-taxa inventory of naturalized species provides a platform for national reporting on biodiversity indicators and highlights areas where Chile must invest resources to manage biological invasions.

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An assessment of the environmental and socio-economic impacts of alien rabbits and hares

AMBIO ◽

10.1007/s13280-021-01642-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Allmert ◽

Jonathan M. Jeschke ◽

Thomas Evans

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Alien Species ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Native Species ◽

Economic Impacts ◽

Local Communities ◽

Comparable Data ◽

Socio Economic Impact ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Impact Data

AbstractDirectly comparable data on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of alien species informs the effective prioritisation of their management. We used two frameworks, the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) and Socio-Economic Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (SEICAT), to create a unified dataset on the severity and type of impacts caused by alien leporids (rabbits and hares). Literature was reviewed to collate impact data, which was categorised following EICAT and SEICAT guidelines. We aimed to use these data to identify: (1) alien leporid species with severe impacts, (2) their impact mechanisms, (3) the native species and local communities vulnerable to impacts and (4) knowledge gaps. Native species from a range of taxonomic groups were affected by environmental impacts which tended to be more damaging than socio-economic impacts. Indirect environmental impacts were particularly damaging and underreported. No impact data were found for several alien leporid species.

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Socioeconomic legacy yields an invasion debt

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1011728108 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 108 (1) ◽

pp. 203-207 ◽

Cited By ~ 272

Author(s):

Franz Essl ◽

Stefan Dullinger ◽

Wolfgang Rabitsch ◽

Philip E. Hulme ◽

Karl Hülber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Alien Species ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Species Introductions ◽

Socioeconomic Drivers ◽

Invasion Debt ◽

In The Wild ◽

Terrestrial Insects ◽

Taxonomic Groups

Globalization and economic growth are widely recognized as important drivers of biological invasions. Consequently, there is an increasing need for governments to address the role of international trade in their strategies to prevent species introductions. However, many of the most problematic alien species are not recent arrivals but were introduced several decades ago. Hence, current patterns of alien-species richness may better reflect historical rather than contemporary human activities, a phenomenon which might be called “invasion debt.” Here, we show that across 10 taxonomic groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, terrestrial insects, and aquatic invertebrates) in 28 European countries, current numbers of alien species established in the wild are indeed more closely related to indicators of socioeconomic activity from the year 1900 than to those from 2000, although the majority of species introductions occurred during the second half of the 20th century. The strength of the historical signal varies among taxonomic groups, with those possessing good capabilities for dispersal (birds, insects) more strongly associated with recent socioeconomic drivers. Nevertheless, our results suggest a considerable historical legacy for the majority of the taxa analyzed. The consequences of the current high levels of socioeconomic activity on the extent of biological invasions will thus probably not be completely realized until several decades into the future.

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Biogeography of island floras in the Great Lakes. II. Plant dispersal

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b89-229 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 67 (6) ◽

pp. 1803-1820 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

J. K. Morton ◽

E. H. Hogg

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Alien Species ◽

Plant Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Species Dispersal ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Plant Dispersal ◽

Alien Flora ◽

Nesting Sites

Experimental and observational data were used to determine the adaptations for dispersal in each of the 335 vascular plant species in the flora of Barrier Island, a typical limestone island in the Great Lakes. Most have adaptations for more than one mode of dispersal. Adaptations for dispersal by water were found in 211 species (63% of the flora), and by birds in 205 species (61% of the flora); only 22 species (6.5% of the flora) do not appear to have effective adaptations for dispersal by either of these means. The other three modes of dispersal to these islands are by wind (14% of plant species), dispersal across snow and ice (10%), and by man (6%). Alien species (23% of the flora) show greater dependence on birds (85% of the alien species) and man (12% of the alien species) for dispersal than do native species (54 and 5%, respectively). Sea gulls, particularly the Herring Gull (Larus delawarensis Ord.), are the major factor in the introduction of the alien flora. The heavily disturbed habitats created in the nesting sites of both Herring and Ring-billed (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan) gulls favour the persistence of many alien plant species on these islands.

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Annotated list of island lady beetles from Chile (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4852.5.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4852 (5) ◽

pp. 501-526

Author(s):

GUILLERMO GONZALEZ ◽

DARKO D. COTORAS ◽

AUDREY A. GREZ

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Oceanic Islands ◽

Tierra Del Fuego ◽

Rapa Nui ◽

Worldwide Distribution ◽

Annotated List ◽

Continental Islands ◽

The One ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Juan Fernández Archipelago

We provide a list of coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) species from the island territories of Chile. We report a total of 68 records, coming from ten islands, including 42 species corresponding to more than 35% of the species of the country. This paper presents the first Coccinellidae records for the Islas Desventuradas, Isla Mocha and Isla Tenglo. Contrary to what has been reported on other islands and other taxonomic groups in Chilean islands, the level of coccinellid endemism is low (8%), with only one and two species endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago and Isla de Chiloé, respectively, and probably a fourth species from the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. The presence of species with worldwide distribution and of agricultural relevance is strong in the Chilean oceanic islands, particularly in Rapa Nui. The fauna of the continental islands is very similar to the one in the nearby continental areas and composed of native species. Further surveys of Coccinellidae and other insects are required for the islands of Chile, especially for several of them in which there are no records.

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Marine Macroalgae: Prospective Hitchhikers of Ship Ballast

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development ◽

10.29037/ajstd.472 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (1-2) ◽

pp. 43-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Temjensangba Imchen

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Alien Species ◽

Success Rate ◽

Native Species ◽

Invasive Alien Species ◽

Marine Macroalgae ◽

Successful Establishment ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Dark Stress ◽

Transfer Potential

Invasive alien species, on successful establishment, can displace native species. The threat of invasive species arises in view of their ability to outcompete and destabilize native biodiversity. Invasive species are found across all taxonomic groups of plants, animals and microorganisms. The green macroalga Ulva flexuosa has a potential to become invasive and this species was investigated for its hitchhiking potential under laboratory conditions. Zoospores of U. flexuosa were maintained at 4°C for nearly 10 months in the dark. Recruitment potential of zoospores after dark stress was tested in a modified Provasoli medium under optimal laboratoryconditions. The success rate of zoospore recruitment was 61%. The paper describes the transfer potential through shipping activities by correlating the Ulva zoospores recruitment potential and survivability.

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Comparing the IUCN’s EICAT and Red List to improve assessments of the impact of biological invasions

NeoBiota ◽

10.3897/neobiota.62.52623 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 62 ◽

pp. 509-523

Author(s):

Dewidine Van der Colff ◽

Sabrina Kumschick ◽

Wendy Foden ◽

John R. U. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Alien Species ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Species Level ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

The IUCN recommends the use of two distinct schemes to assess the impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity at the species level. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Red List) categorises native species based on their risk of extinction. Such assessments evaluate the extent to which different pressures, including alien species, threaten native species. The much newer IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) categorises alien species on the degree to which they have impacted native species. Conceptually, the schemes are related. One would expect that: 1) if a native species is assessed as threatened under the Red List due to the impacts of alien species, then at least one alien species involved should be classified as harmful under EICAT; and 2) if an alien species is assessed as harmful under EICAT, then at least one native species impacted should be assessed as threatened by alien species under the Red List. Here we test this by comparing the impacts of alien gastropods, assessed using EICAT, to the impact on native species as assessed based on the Red List. We found a weak positive correlation, but it is clear there is not a simple one-to-one relationship. We hypothesise that the relationship between EICAT and the Red List statuses will follow one of three forms: i) the EICAT status of an alien species is closely correlated to the Red List status of the impacted native species; ii) the alien species is classed as ‘harmful’ under EICAT, but it does not threaten the native species with extinction as per the Red List (for example, the impacted native species is still widespread or abundant despite significant negative impacts from the alien species); or iii) the native species is classified as threatened under the Red List regardless of the impacts of the alien species (threatened species are impacted by other pressures with alien species potentially a passenger and not a driver of change). We conclude that the two schemes are complementary rather than equivalent, and provide some recommendations for how categorisations and data can be used in concert.

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Comparing environmental impacts of alien plants, insects and pathogens in protected riparian forests

NeoBiota ◽

10.3897/neobiota.69.71651 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 69 ◽

pp. 1-28

Author(s):

Katharina Lapin ◽

Sven Bacher ◽

Thomas Cech ◽

Rok Damjanić ◽

Franz Essl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Native Species ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Riparian Forests ◽

Management Actions ◽

South East Europe ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

The Impact

The prioritization of alien species according to the magnitude of their environmental impacts has become increasingly important for the management of invasive alien species. In this study, we applied the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) to classify alien taxa from three different taxonomic groups to facilitate the prioritisation of management actions for the threatened riparian forests of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, South East Europe. With local experts we collated a list of 198 alien species (115 plants, 45 insects, and 38 fungi) with populations reported in southeast European forest ecosystems and included them in the EICAT. We found impact reports for 114 species. Eleven of these species caused local extinctions of a native species, 35 led to a population decrease, 51 to a reduction in performance in at least one native species and for 17 alien species no effects on individual fitness of native species were detected. Fungi had significantly highest impact and were more likely to have information on their impacts reported. Competition and parasitism were the most important impact mechanisms of alien species. This study is, to our knowledge, the first application of EICAT to all known alien species of several taxonomic groups in a protected area. The impact rankings enabled to identify taxa that generally cause high impacts and to prioritize species for the management in protected areas according to their impact magnitudes. By following a standardized impact protocol, we identified several alien species causing high impacts that do not appear on any expert-based risk list, which are relevant for policymakers. Thus, we recommend that alien species be systematically screened to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize their management with respect to spatio-temporal trends in impact magnitudes.

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The educational community and its knowledge and perceptions of native and invasive alien species

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-00683-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alejandro J. Sosa ◽

Nadia L. Jiménez ◽

Ana C. Faltlhauser ◽

Tomás Righetti ◽

Fernando Mc Kay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Alien Species ◽

Science Teachers ◽

Native Species ◽

Invasive Alien Species ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Educational Community ◽

Management Actions ◽

Environment Recognition ◽

The Impact

AbstractEnvironmental education seeks to foster an appreciation for nature and the impact of humans on it while introducing citizens to scientific thinking. Biological invasions affect different aspects of life on earth and mandate urgent management actions. Education and public awareness are strongly recommended for successful prevention and management of invasive alien species (IAS). This work presents a study on knowledge and perception of the educational community of Argentina about native species and IAS. We designed an on-line semi-structured questionnaire to examine perception of the environment, recognition of native species and IAS and awareness about biological invasions. Educators recognised an important number of biotic components, mostly represented by trees, birds and mammals. Recognition of native species and IAS, and awareness of biological invasions were different between NST (Natural Science Teachers) and non-NST. Respondents had different performances when they were exposed to recognising native species though written names or photographs. Out of 532 respondents, 56% knew what biological invasions are, 21% answered “Maybe” and 23% had never heard about them. We need to foster capacity-building and encourage a two-way communication between educators and scientists, formally and informally, to engage the participation of the whole society in recognition, prevention and management of IAS.

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