Transient effects of an invasive kelp on the community structure and primary productivity of an intertidal assemblage

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. South ◽  
Stacie A. Lilley ◽  
Leigh W. Tait ◽  
Tommaso Alestra ◽  
Michael J. H. Hickford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Transient Effects ◽  
Positive Effects

Invasive species can have significant impacts on the diversity and productivity of recipient ecological communities. The kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar is one of the world’s most successful invasive species but, although its purported impacts are strong, there is little empirical evidence that it displaces native species. Furthermore, as this species naturalises in local communities, its potential effects on community dynamics have not been well tested. Here, we test the ecological impacts of Undaria in intertidal communities in southern New Zealand using a combination of surveys, a 2.5-year press-removal experiment and in situ measures of net primary production to gauge its impact on community structure and productivity. Undaria had transient effects on the composition of communities, affecting two seasonally abundant species in 1 year, but these impacts did not persist into the following year. Overall, there were only small effects of Undaria removal on diversity and abundance of native algae and invertebrates at two sites. However, the presence of Undaria more than doubled net primary production of recipient communities during its annual peak abundance when it increased biomass by 606gDWm–2. We conclude that the invasion of Undaria represents an additional and substantial carbon subsidy to coastal ecosystems with potentially positive effects on nearshore productivity.

scholarly journals An invasive herbivore structures plant competitive dynamics

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 20170374
Author(s):  
Lydia Wong ◽  
Tess Nahanni Grainger ◽  
Denon Start ◽  
Benjamin Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Aphid Species ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Species Invasions

Species interactions are central to our understanding of ecological communities, but may change rapidly with the introduction of invasive species. Invasive species can alter species interactions and community dynamics directly by having larger detrimental effects on some species than others, or indirectly by changing the ways in which native species compete among themselves. We tested the direct and indirect effects of an invasive aphid herbivore on a native aphid species and two host milkweed species. The invasive aphid caused a 10-fold decrease in native aphid populations, and a 30% increase in plant mortality (direct effects). The invasive aphid also increased the strength of interspecific competition between the two native plant hosts (indirect effects). By investigating the role that indirect effects play in shaping species interactions in native communities, our study highlights an understudied component of species invasions.

High predatory efficiency and abundance drive expected ecological impacts of a marine invasive fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM DeRoy ◽  
R Scott ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
HJ MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Red Grouper ◽  
Per Capita

The ecological impacts of invasive species are highly variable and mediated by many factors, including both habitat and population abundance. Lionfish Pterois volitans are an invasive marine species which have high reported detrimental effects on prey populations, but whose effects relative to native predators are currently unknown for the recently colonized eastern Gulf of Mexico. We used functional response (FR) methodology to assess the ecological impact of lionfish relative to 2 functionally similar native species (red grouper Epinephelus morio and graysby grouper Cephalopholis cruentata) foraging in a heterogeneous environment. We then combined the per capita impact of each species with their field abundance to obtain a Relative Impact Potential (RIP). RIP assesses the broader ecological impact of invasive relative to native predators, the magnitude of which predicts community-level negative effects of invasive species. Lionfish FR and overall consumption rate was intermediate to that of red grouper (higher) and graysby grouper (lower). However, lionfish had the highest capture efficiency of all species, which was invariant of habitat. Much higher field abundance of lionfish resulted in high RIPs relative to both grouper species, demonstrating that the ecological impact of lionfish in this region will be driven mainly by high abundance and high predator efficiency rather than per capita effect. Our comparative study is the first empirical assessment of lionfish per capita impact and RIP in this region and is one of few such studies to quantify the FR of a marine predator.

scholarly journals Animal personality and the ecological impacts of freshwater non-native species

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan Juette ◽  
Julien Cucherousset ◽  
Julien Cote
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Animal Personality ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Personality Types ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Abstract While the ecological impacts of invasive species have been demonstrated for many taxonomic groups, the potential effects of behavioural variation among non-native individuals (i.e. personality) on these impacts have been largely overlooked. This is despite the fact that recent studies have demonstrated that, by nature, the three first stages of biological invasions (i.e. transport, establishment and spread) can lead to personality-biased populations. Freshwater ecosystems provide a unique opportunity to investigate this issue, notably because the ecological impacts of non-native species have been extensively documented and because animal personality has been widely studied using freshwater model species. Here, we aim at developing some perspectives on the potential effects of animal personality on the ecological impacts of freshwater non-native species across levels of biological organizations. At the individual level, personality types have been demonstrated to affect the physiolo- gy, metabolism, life history traits and fitness of individuals. We used these effects to discuss how they could subsequently impact invaded populations and, in turn, recipient communities. We also discussed how these might translate into changes in the structure of food webs and the functioning of invaded ecosystems. Finally we discussed how these perspectives could interact with the management of invasive species.

scholarly journals The Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Reduces Growth of the Native Snail, Fossaria SP.

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
Amy Krist ◽  
Mark Dybdahl
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Potamopyrgus Antipodarum ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
New Zealand Mud Snail ◽  
The Impact

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Hence, understanding the role of invasive species is of grave importance to managing and minimizing the impact of biological invasions. To date, the ecological impacts of biological invasions have received significant attention, but little effort has been made to address the evolutionary impact (Sakai et al. 2001, Cox 2004). This is despite the fact that evolutionary impacts are likely to be widespread; invasive species have been shown to alter patterns of natural selection or gene flow within native populations (Parker et al. 1999), and many of the best examples of rapid evolution involve invasive species interacting with native species (Reznick and Ghalambor 2001, Strauss et al. 2006). We have begun to address some of the evolutionary consequences of the invasion of the New Zealand mud snail, (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) on a species of native snail in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).

scholarly journals Climate change impacts on net primary production (NPP) and export production (EP) regulated by increasing stratification and phytoplankton community structure in CMIP5 models

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 12851-12897 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Fu ◽  
J. Randerson ◽  
J. K. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Phytoplankton Community Structure ◽  
Rcp 8.5

Abstract. We examine climate change impacts on net primary production (NPP) and export production (sinking particulate flux; EP) with simulations from nine Earth System Models (ESMs) performed in the framework of the fifth Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5). Global NPP and EP are reduced considerably by the end of the century for the intense warming scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. Relative to the 1990s, global NPP in the 2090s is reduced by 2.3–16 % and EP by 7–18 %. The models with the largest increases in stratification (and largest relative reductions in NPP and EP) also show the largest positive biases in stratification for the contemporary period, suggesting some potential overestimation of climate impacts on NPP and EP. All of the CMIP5 models show an increase in stratification in response to surface ocean warming and freshening that is accompanied by decreases in NPP, EP, and surface macronutrient concentrations. There is considerable variability across models in the absolute magnitude of these fluxes, surface nutrient concentrations, and their perturbations by climate change, indicating large model uncertainties. The negative response of NPP and EP to stratification increases reflects a bottom-up control, as nutrient flux to the euphotic zone declines. Models with dynamic phytoplankton community structure show larger declines in EP than in NPP. This is driven by phytoplankton community composition shifts, with a reduced percentage of NPP by large phytoplankton under RCP 8.5, as smaller phytoplankton are favored under the increasing nutrient stress. Thus, projections of the NPP response to climate change in the CMIP5 models are critically dependent on the simulated phytoplankton community structure, the efficiency of the biological pump, and the resulting (highly variable) levels of regenerated production. Community composition is represented relatively simply in the CMIP5 models, and should be expanded to better capture the spatial patterns and the changes in export efficiency that are necessary for predicting climate impacts on NPP.

scholarly journals Climate change impacts on net primary production (NPP) and export production (EP) regulated by increasing stratification and phytoplankton community structure in the CMIP5 models

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 5151-5170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwei Fu ◽  
James T. Randerson ◽  
J. Keith Moore
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Phytoplankton Community Structure ◽  
Export Production

Abstract. We examine climate change impacts on net primary production (NPP) and export production (sinking particulate flux; EP) with simulations from nine Earth system models (ESMs) performed in the framework of the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Global NPP and EP are reduced by the end of the century for the intense warming scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. Relative to the 1990s, NPP in the 2090s is reduced by 2–16 % and EP by 7–18 %. The models with the largest increases in stratification (and largest relative declines in NPP and EP) also show the largest positive biases in stratification for the contemporary period, suggesting overestimation of climate change impacts on NPP and EP. All of the CMIP5 models show an increase in stratification in response to surface–ocean warming and freshening, which is accompanied by decreases in surface nutrients, NPP and EP. There is considerable variability across the models in the magnitudes of NPP, EP, surface nutrient concentrations and their perturbations by climate change. The negative response of NPP and EP to increasing stratification reflects primarily a bottom-up control, as upward nutrient flux declines at the global scale. Models with dynamic phytoplankton community structure show larger declines in EP than in NPP. This pattern is driven by phytoplankton community composition shifts, with reductions in productivity by large phytoplankton as smaller phytoplankton (which export less efficiently) are favored under the increasing nutrient stress. Thus, the projections of the NPP response to climate change are critically dependent on the simulated phytoplankton community structure, the efficiency of the biological pump and the resulting levels of regenerated production, which vary widely across the models. Community structure is represented simply in the CMIP5 models, and should be expanded to better capture the spatial patterns and climate-driven changes in export efficiency.

scholarly journals Assessing watermilfoil invasion effects on native macrophyte communities in North American lakes using a novel approach for macrophyte sampling

2021 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Shannon Smith ◽  
Frithjof C. Küpper ◽  
Clare Trinder ◽  
Vasilis Louca
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Myriophyllum Spicatum ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
Macrophyte Communities ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Native Species Richness

Aquatic invasive species are among the greatest threats to freshwater biodiversity. The aim of this study was to understand the effects of two invasive watermilfoil species (Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michx. and Myriophyllum spicatum L.) on native macrophyte communities and to assess community response to a range of invasion intensities as well as examine the influence of canopy types. We hypothesized that some communities would be more sensitive to invasion, and that some canopy species would facilitate watermilfoil presence. We used a novel approach to give better representation of the 3D aspect of the community which involved employing a modified quadrat approach to sample at two Connecticut lakes. Results show that watermilfoil invasion has a significant negative effect on native species richness. Floating canopy does not vary with invasion intensity, but submerged canopy does. One species, (Utricularia purpurea Walter), was associated with high native species richness and rarely occurred with invasive species. The results identify potential species that are disproportionally threatened by invasive species, as well as identifying invasion indicator species. The examination of canopy effects is uncommon in aquatic invasion ecology, and this study suggests that this aspect may have significant effects on resilience to invasion and overall community dynamics.

scholarly journals Grazing effects of the Invasive Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Two Native Invertebrates

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 105-109
Author(s):  
Amy Krist
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Potamopyrgus Antipodarum ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Area ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
New Zealand Mud Snail ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences

Although many efforts are being made to address ecological impacts of invasive species, very little effort has been made to address the evolutionary impacts of biological invasions (Sakai etal. 2001, Cox 2004). Yet these impacts are likely to be widespread; invasive species have been shown to alter patterns of natural selection or gene flow (Parker et al. 1999), and many of the best examples of rapid evolution involve invasive species interacting with native species (Reznick and Ghalambor 2001, Strauss et al. 2006). Hence, I am addressing both the ecological and the potential evolutionary consequences of the invasive New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum on native benthic macroinvertebrates in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).

Effects of grazing on plant community structure and aboveground net primary production of semiarid boreal steppe of northern Mongolia

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariuntsetseg Lkhagva ◽  
Bazartseren Boldgiv ◽  
Clyde E. Goulden ◽  
Oyunchuluun Yadamsuren ◽  
William K. Lauenroth
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Aboveground Net Primary Production ◽  
Northern Mongolia

Presence of invasive Gambusia alters ecological communities and the functions they perform in lentic ecosystems

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Hinchliffe ◽  
Trisha Atwood ◽  
Quinn Ollivier ◽  
Edd Hammill
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Selective Predation

By acting as novel competitors and predators, a single invasive species can detrimentally affect multiple native species in different trophic levels. Although quantifying invasive effects through single-species interactions is important, understanding their effect on ecosystems as a whole is vital to enable effective protection and management. This is particularly true in freshwater ecosystems, where invasive species constitute the single greatest threat to biodiversity. Poeciliid fishes of the genus Gambusia are among the most widespread invasive species on earth. In the present study of lentic ecosystems (i.e. lakes), we first showed that Gambusia alter zooplankton community composition and size distribution, likely through size-selective predation. Second, we demonstrate that benthic macroinvertebrate communities significantly differ between sites with and without invasive Gambusia. The presence of Gambusia appears to reduce leaf-litter decomposition rates, which is likely an indirect effect of reductions in detritivore abundances. Reductions in decomposition rates found in the present study suggest that through trophic cascades, invasive Gambusia is able to indirectly alter ecosystem functions. The study has highlighted that the widespread effects of invasive aquatic species are able to permeate through entire ecosystems, being more pervasive than previously recognised.

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