Interactions between a native plant species and its pollinators, herbivores, or microbiome can be affected by the presence of non-native plant species. Non-native plant species are altering plant-pollinator interactions, yet we know little about how these non-native species influence natural selection. In addition, year-to-year variation in flowering could influence the impacts of non-native species

Millions of individuals of two species of non-native galliform birds, the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) are released into the British countryside annually in late summer, supplementing established breeding populations of these two species. The biomass of birds involved in these releases has been compared to the British breeding bird biomass. However

Plant invasions can have major impacts on ecosystems and influence global species diversity. In Central Europe, Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and American goldenrods (Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea) are important invaders often establishing dense and homogeneous stands, especially in urban and other disturbed habitats. We investigated their impacts on plant-dwelling spiders (abundance

Invasive bivalves can cause widespread ecological damage, but eradication has proved difficult. Identifying the pathways of dispersal is crucial to implementing more effective biocontainment measures. We examined the distribution of the highly invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in Great Britain through Species Distribution Modelling to determine the drivers of distribution and generated suitability

The Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) is one of the rapidly spreading, very successful aquatic invasive species, which has become established widely in many parts of the world. Its spread is assumed to be by both passive and active dispersal. However, the importance of active pedal movement in dispersal is hardly known. Since there was no direct evidence of this phenomenon, field observations were combined

After 150 years of introduction of the brown trout Salmo trutta in Himalaya, the native species’ response to this globally pervasive invader, is still unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of invasion of brown trout on native snow trout Schizothorax richardsonii, one of the most primitive species that co-evolved with the Himalayan orogeny. We contrast two natural river systems which harbour snow

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Tropical forests harbour significant proportion of global biodiversity. Recent studies are, however, reporting an increase in plant invasion and its effect on these forests. We surveyed three forest reserves in Ghana to determine how differences in invasion levels influence plant community structure. Species diversity and species richness, particularly pioneer and non-pioneer light demanders, decrease

Domestication has a dominant and increasing influence on the evolutionary trajectory of species, the extent of which may be influenced by advertent selection used to meet consumer demands of the ornamental trade. Ornamental species can have multiple varieties in trade, including those produced without advertent selection for color (i.e., inadvertent selection). Consumer demand for colorful varieties

A diverse Phytophthora community was detected in recent surveys conducted in alpine and subalpine areas, previously considered Phytophthora free. The current study was conducted to determine patterns of Phytophthora species richness and distribution along a steep elevation gradient, and to compare these patterns with those of vascular plant species. Phytophthora and vascular plant species were recorded

Invasive poeciliid fishes have been negatively affecting recipient ecosystems globally. However, the ecological consequences of their invasions can vary seasonally and spatially, and according to species, limiting our ability to predict their effects. It is also unclear how their impacts differ from those of native fishes. We compared the effects of the invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and

Several ambrosia beetles are invasive pests able to attack and kill live trees, but most species established in non-native areas do not cause any documented impact. Here we report the recent invasion and rapid spread of Ambrosiodmus minor and its fungal associate Flavodon subulatus in the Southeastern US. We used a combination of a multi-year survey to document the increase in the beetle vector abundance

Invasive predators often decrease the abundance and distribution of native prey, but only a few studies have reported rapid predator-induced morphological and performance changes. An effective prey performance response may actually depend whether the predator uses a sit-and-wait or an active foraging strategy; the former would require prey to obtain the ability to move quickly in bursts, while the

The success of invasive species largely depends on the resistance offered by the native communities. Dryocosmus kuriphilus is a cynipid native from China that is a serious pest of chestnuts worldwide. This species recruits natural enemies in the areas of introduction; nevertheless, their role in regulating pest population is frequently questioned, although the causes are not clear. We sampled parasitoids

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel subspecies australis is an aggressive plant invader in North American wetlands. Remote sensing provides cost-effective methods to track its spread given its widespread distribution. We classified Phragmites in three Lake Erie wetlands (two in Long Point Wetland Complex (LP) and one in Rondeau Bay Marsh (RBM)), using commercial, high-resolution (WorldView2/3:

Human activities have facilitated the introduction of invasive plants worldwide, altering habitat structure and leading to substantial effects on biodiversity. However, the effects of plant invasions on herbivore communities are understudied. Here, we examine factors influencing the occurrence of herbivores in ten coastal sites invaded by Carpobrotus edulis in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The

Proactively addressing future impacts of invasive plants depends critically on modeling invasive plant abundance. Yet, the vast majority of spatial models of invasion risk focus on occurrence alone. Expanding spatial analyses to consider not only potential for establishment, but also potential for high abundance is an important next step in ecological modeling. We assembled spatial reports of occurrence

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys were conducted at reef sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) during 2018–2019. Artificial (AR = 63) and natural (NR = 139) reefs were located in a 2 × 105 km2 area south of Mobile, AL to Destin, FL at depths of 13–75 m. We observed a total of 5371 damselfishes (Family: Pomacentridae) belonging to eight taxa. The non-native regal demoiselle (regal), Neopomacentrus

Invasive species threaten biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and human health around the world. Accurate and reliable species delineation and identification are prerequisites for any effort to control the introduction of new species and the spread of those already introduced. The advent of DNA assisted taxonomic tools has fueled the development of diverse and innovative approaches often touted as simple

Only a fraction of the species that are introduced succeed in the non-native environment, while others fail to survive, reproduce and/or disperse. Understanding the causes underlying each outcome is key to designing better early detection, prevention and management programs, and to deepen our knowledge of the invasion process. Here, we examine whether predator–prey interactions favor the invasion of

Invasive bivalves can drastically alter freshwater ecosystems and affect ecosystem services, but they can be influenced by external factors including calcium concentrations. When a common road salt, calcium chloride (CaCl2), enters freshwater ecosystems, it may be toxic to organisms or facilitate bivalves by serving as a calcium source. Therefore, CaCl2 could benefit invasive mollusks tolerant to chloride

Incursions of the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni (Qfly) into areas without permanent Qfly populations present serious threats to the Australian and New Zealand horticultural industries. Identifying the origins of recent incursions will help reduce future threats by enabling the targeting of problematic incursion routes for more stringent quarantine protocols. Here we present an analytical framework

Presence and abundance of invasive species depend on likelihood of introduction and environmental limitations to their distributions. Propagule pressure and anthropogenic disturbance are hypothesized to increase invasions, yet assessing the importance of propagule pressure and anthropogenic factors independently is challenging, and properties of invaded systems (e.g., habitat availability) likely contribute

Falconry may constitute a source of exotic species through the escape into the wild of individuals kept in captivity. The introduction of top predators can have important ecological consequences for the recipient community, including genetic pollution through reproduction between falconry hybrids and wild raptors. Here we assessed the introduction of falconry raptors (both native and exotic) into the

The synthesis of comprehensive databases on the identity and distributions of alien organisms is a critical step to developing informed invasion management plans and identifying areas that are data-deficient. Here, we assembled all available records of alien ant distributions for Mexico, based on the literature, databases and unpublished data for a period ranging from 1855 to 2019; we compiled 967

Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has attracted a growing body of research trying to understand its invasion success in North America and Europe after being introduced from its original range central and east Asia. Its endosymbiotic microorganisms along with the introduction are often assumed to play a potential role in the invasion. We examined the prevalence of three common bacterial

A rapidly expanding range of Pectinatella magnifica has been reported globally. Although many studies have been conducted to manage this invasive species, surveying methods have mainly been limited to visual observation of bryozoan colonies. For efficient monitoring and early detection of bryozoan species, we compared three different monitoring methods: visually detecting bryozoan colonies (visual

The invasion of non-native bees to new ecological territories could spread novel pathogens causing emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in native species. We provide novel information on the prevalence, load, and co-infection network of honey bee viruses, trypanosoma, microsporidia and neogregarinorida pathogens in native Bombus dahlbomii and non-native Bombus terrestris and Bombus ruderatus. Apicystis

The terrestrial invader hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) decimates eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands that dominate riparian zones of Appalachian forest streams. However, the ecological consequences for linked aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems remain unknown. We measured stream-riparian trophic linkages at 21 sites of Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia representing a chronosequence of T.

Currently, there is a consensus that biological invasions are one of the most important factors in global change due to their ability to modify structures and functions of many communities. The aim of this work was to provide an exhaustive assessment of the alien birds of Argentina, their routes of entry, impacts, and a synthesis of their attributes. We reviewed and compiled data from a variety of

Since 1955 snails of the Euglandina rosea species complex and Platydemus manokwari flatworms were widely introduced in attempted biological control of giant African snails (Lissachatina fulica) but have been implicated in the mass extinction of Pacific island snails. We review the histories of the 60 introductions and their impacts on L. fulica and native snails. Since 1993 there have been unofficial

Pacific pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) invasions, thought to originate from populations introduced and established in Russia, occurred along the Norwegian coast in 2017 and 2019. Despite several thousand pink salmon entering and establishing in northern Norwegian rivers, current understanding of the ecological effect of the species in northern Europe is limited. Scavengers feeding on pacific

One of the fundamental questions in invasion biology is to understand the genetic mechanisms behind success or failure during the establishment of a species. However, major limitations to understanding are usually a lack of spatiotemporal population data and information on the populations’ colonisation history. In a large-scale, detailed study on the bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii 70 groups of founders

Cultural heritage sites such as historical or sacred areas provide suitable habitats for plants and play an important role in nature conservation, particularly in human-modified contexts such as urban environments. However, such sites also provide opportunities for the spread of invasive species, whose impact on monuments has been raising growing concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate the

Deciphering the dynamics involved in past microbial invasions has proven difficult due to the inconspicuous nature of microbes and their still poorly known diversity and biogeography. Here we focus on powdery mildew, a common disease of oaks which emerged in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century and for which three closely related Erysiphe species are mainly involved. The study of herbaria

The cordgrass Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard (Poaceae) is an invasive transformer in many salt marsh ecosystems worldwide. Relatively little is known about the capacity of Spartina to accelerate salt marsh succession and to protect salt marshes against sea level rise. We analyzed long-term changes in vegetation and elevation in mainland salt marshes of the European Wadden Sea in Schleswig-Holstein,

Natural regeneration is a critical step for the dispersal of alien plants and the establishment of new invasive foci. The adequate timing and location of germination, as well as the survival of the seedlings, have direct effects on the recruitment of the population, and are expected to depend on habitat characteristics. Understanding the dynamics of these processes, and their variations according to

Globalisation of trade in plants is a high-risk pathway that initiated many plant pest invasions. Models for ranking invasive pests are thus important to risk managers since they help them quickly adapt management strategies. Therefore, the Biological Organisms data Retrieval and Ranking system (BiOR2) process was developed and enabled high-throughput data acquisition connected to a risk assessment

In this study we examined abiotic and biotic factors that could potentially influence the presence of a non-indigenous seaweed, Eucheuma denticulatum, in two locations, one outside (Kane’ohe Bay, Hawai’i, USA) and one within (Mafia Island, Tanzania) its natural geographical range. We hypothesized that the availability of hard substrate and the amount of wave exposure would explain distribution patterns

In the original publication of the article, the last name of the first author was published incorrectly and the correct name is given in this correction.

The detection and control of invasive alien species in marine ecosystems is especially challenging because it is difficult to visualize the full extension of an invasion, while control options are often limited. The invasive scleractinian coral Tubastraea coccinea have spread over 8000 km of the Atlantic coastline, from Florida in the USA to southern Brazil, mainly in association with oil and gas platforms

Polyploidy may contribute to invasive ability as it can lead to high survival and fitness during establishment and enhance the processes of adaptation to novel environments by increasing genetic diversity in invading propagules. Many grasses are polyploid and many are aggressive invaders, making them persistent problems in disturbed environments worldwide. Today, vast areas of central Panama are dominated

Two of the world’s most invasive ants, Linepithema humile and Lasius neglectus, are destined to overlap in range as they continue to spread throughout Europe. Although L. humile arrived first, and is therefore more numerically abundant, L. neglectus is the more behaviorally dominant of the two. We performed lab trials to determine whether L. humile could use numerical abundance to overcome the behavioral

Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum) is an aggressive invasive plant that replaces native forests and forms dense stands without understory in central Argentina. However, the consequences of these changes in terms of vegetation structure and composition in bird communities are unknown. Our goal was to understand how the effects of glossy privet invasion-induced habitat changes vary among bird species

The rate of alien species introduction is on the rise and seems unstoppable at a global scale. Once an alien species has been introduced to a new system, early detection and rapid eradication is the only cost-effective alternative to containment and long-term control. Here, we provide an integrative approach combining three sources of information to assist the management of invasive alien species.

Asian carps continue to expand their range in North America, necessitating efforts to limit the spread and establishment of reproducing populations. Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 is a high-head dam that represents a population ‘pinch-point’ as passage through the lock chamber is the only means by which fishes can complete upstream movement. As such, this location could be a pivotal control point

Biotic interactions and mutualisms in particular have an important role in ecosystem structure and functioning as well as in the maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding how communities respond to the introduction of non-native species and what determines the establishment of novel interactions between native and introduced species will help in determining the potential impacts of biological invasions

Invasive species can significantly affect native species when their niches are similar. Ecological and morphological similarities between the invasive Australian palm, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, and the native palm from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Euterpe edulis, suggest that they have similar environmental requirements and functional roles (i.e., the function a species performs in an ecosystem)

Establishment and spread of introduced species are difficult to predict because they are subject to a myriad of factors. A hypothesis which integrates multiple ecological processes, such as the species interaction-abiotic stress hypothesis (SIASH), may improve our ability to predict introduction success (i.e. establishment and spread). SIASH postulates that, along an environmental gradient, species’

Reducing invasive species abundance near the leading edge of invasions is important for maintaining diverse, high-functioning ecosystems, but it can be hard to remove invasives present at low levels within desirable plant communities. Focusing on an invasive annual grass, Bromus tectorum, near the edge of its range in the southern Colorado Plateau, we used an observational study to ask what plant community

Invasive alien species are a major driver of biodiversity loss, with their impacts potentially more intense when complexes of cryptic species are involved. In freshwaters, the anthropogenic manipulation of fish communities has resulted in altered fish communities, and in Europe has increased the complexity of Phoxinus species assemblages. Here, we investigated the Phoxinus communities of the westernmost

Predicting the ecological impacts of invasive species is impeded by context-dependencies that can mediate the strength of trophic interactions. Reproductive status is a pervasive context across trophic and taxonomic groups, yet has mostly been neglected in studies of invader impact. The present study examines the influence of the reproductive cycle on predatory impacts of a known damaging invasive

This paper describes a non-traditional fisheries management concept and an indicator-based framework to encourage and guide management of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) fisheries in the temperate and tropical western Atlantic. We introduce the concept of optimum lionfish yield (OLY)—an extension of the concept of ecologically sustainable yield—which considers local ecological health in the establishment

Human activity causes major changes in natural landscapes via introduction of non-native species, development on natural habitat, and alteration of local weather patterns. These factors contribute to global change and may interact to affect local populations of plants and animals. We studied a viable, non-native lizard population (Anolis sagrei) in southeast Alabama, USA that has depended upon thermal

The spread of invasive species can be limited or promoted by the distributions of mutualists, which presents an opportunity for managing biological invasions. However, the ways in which the geographical distributions of mutualists shape the range limits and invasion dynamics of introduced species remains unclear. Legumes include noxious invaders whose success is tied to their mutualism with nitrogen-fixing

Among invasive species, floating plants have a great impact on aquatic ecosystems, forming dense mats that cause a great alteration of the physical and chemical water features. We experimentally assessed the effect of Azolla filiculoides mats on Mediterranean temporary waters using mesocosms with sediments from an invaded marsh and amphibian larvae from surrounding wetlands. Azolla filiculoides formed

Understanding why alien species become dominant in recipient communities requires a biogeographical perspective comparing the ecology of native and introduced populations. The genus Centaurea (Asteraceae) is well-known in invasion ecology because several aggressive invaders, including Centaurea melitensis L., belong to this genus. We compared the competitive ability of C. melitensis individuals from

Invasive species utilize a wide array of trait strategies to establish in novel ecosystems. Among these traits is the capacity to produce allelopathic compounds that can directly inhibit neighboring native plants or indirectly suppress native plants via disruption of beneficial belowground microbial mutualisms, or altered soil resources. Despite the well-known prevalence of allelopathy among plant

Cryptic invasive species are particularly problematic to study, manage, and control because of the difficulty detecting these species within their invaded habitats. Such is the case of the Asian Swamp Eel (Monopterus albus; ASE) where it is established in vegetated marshes along the Chattahoochee River, Georgia. Adult eels have been nearly impossible to detect or quantify with traditional sampling