scholarly journals Comment on “Global distribution of earthworm diversity”

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 371 (6525) ◽  
pp. eabe4629 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. James ◽  
C. Csuzdi ◽  
C.-H. Chang ◽  
N. M. Aspe ◽  
J. J. Jiménez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Sampling Intensity ◽  
The Tropics

Phillips et al. (Reports, 25 October 2019, p. 480) incorrectly conclude that tropical earthworm communities are less diverse and abundant than temperate communities. This result is an artifact generated by some low-quality datasets, lower sampling intensity in the tropics, different patterns in richness-area relationships, the occurrence of invasive species in managed soils, and a focus on local rather than regional richness.

scholarly journals Colaphellus palaestinus Achard, a new leaf-beetle for Europe (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4565 (3) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
DAVID MIFSUD ◽  
MAURO DACCORDI
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Invasive Species ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Leaf Beetle ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Local News ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
First Time

Colaphellus palaestinus Achard, an alien invasive species is here reported for the first time for Europe. It was found for the first time in Malta in November 2017, and the year after thousands of individuals were observed in Malta with many photographs posted in social media and local news. Global distribution of this species and information on closely related species is also provided here. Colaphellus zarudnyi Medvedev is probably a synonym of C. palaestinus. 

scholarly journals Modeling the global distribution of Culicoides imicola: an Ensemble approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Leta ◽  
Eyerusalem Fetene ◽  
Tesfaye Mulatu ◽  
Kebede Amenu ◽  
Megarsa Bedasa Jaleta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Ensemble Model ◽  
Culicoides Imicola ◽  
Annual Minimum Temperature ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Annual Maximum Temperature

Abstract Culicoides imicola is a midge species serving as vector for a number of viral diseases of livestock, including Bluetongue, and African Horse Sickness. C. imicola is also known to transmit Schmallenberg virus experimentally. Environmental and demographic factors may impose rapid changes on the global distribution of C. imicola and aid introduction into new areas. The aim of this study is to predict the global distribution of C. imicola using an ensemble modeling approach by combining climatic, livestock distribution and land cover covariates, together with a comprehensive global dataset of geo-positioned occurrence points for C. imicola. Thirty individual models were generated by ‘biomod2’, with 21 models scoring a true skill statistic (TSS) >0.8. These 21 models incorporated weighted runs from eight of ten algorithms and were used to create a final ensemble model. The ensemble model performed very well (TSS = 0.898 and ROC = 0.991) and indicated high environmental suitability for C. imicola in the tropics and subtropics. The habitat suitability for C. imicola spans from South Africa to southern Europe and from southern USA to southern China. The distribution of C. imicola is mainly constrained by climatic factors. In the ensemble model, mean annual minimum temperature had the highest overall contribution (42.9%), followed by mean annual maximum temperature (21.1%), solar radiation (13.6%), annual precipitation (11%), livestock distribution (6.2%), vapor pressure (3.4%), wind speed (0.8%), and land cover (0.1%). The present study provides the most up-to-date predictive maps of the potential distributions of C. imicola and should be of great value for decision making at global and regional scales.

scholarly journals Crotalaria verrucosa (blue-flower rattlepod).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo A. Ventosa-Febles
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Blue Flower ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Crotalaria verrucosa is a herbaceous annual native to Asia and parts of Oceania, now found widely naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics, sometimes grown as a cover crop, intercrop and soil improver. It is a common weed of roadsides, marshes and agricultural land that can grow rapidly and develop ground cover. However, some studies have shown it does not adversely affect yield when grown with crops such as maize and cassava, while out-competing other weeds. It has not been classified as an invasive species in any country.

scholarly journals Invasive ants reduce abundance of small rainforest skinks

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Lach ◽  
Dylan Case ◽  
Peter Yeeles ◽  
Conrad J. Hoskin
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Prey Abundance ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Invasive Ants ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Main Method ◽  
Invertebrate Prey ◽  
Lower Abundance ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Direct Threat

AbstractInvasive ants are among the world’s most damaging invasive species, often directly or indirectly affecting native fauna. Insecticidal baits are the main method for suppressing or eradicating invasive ant populations, but their use must be considered against potential for unintended effects on native organisms. The invasive yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracillipes) is widespread in the tropics, particularly on islands, where they have displaced a range of invertebrates. Effects of this ant on vertebrates, and in continental ecosystems generally, are less studied. We investigated the effects of yellow crazy ants and bait application on rainforest skinks and their invertebrate prey. We compared skink and skink prey abundance across four replicated rainforest site categories: high and low yellow crazy ant sites had both been baited but differed in yellow crazy ant activity; control sites had never had yellow crazy ants or been baited; and buffer sites had never had yellow crazy ants but had been baited. We recorded significantly lower abundance of two small skink species (Lygisaurus laevis and Saproscincus tetradactylus) in high yellow crazy ant sites compared to all other site categories. The differences persisted even after baiting reduced yellow crazy ant activity by 97.8% ± 0.04% (mean ± SD). A larger rainforest skink species (Carlia rubrigularis) was not negatively affected by yellow crazy ant invasion. Skink prey abundance was significantly lower in high yellow crazy ant sites compared to control sites and low yellow crazy ant sites, but not compared to buffer sites. These differences did not persist following baiting. We found no evidence that baiting negatively affects skinks or their invertebrate prey. Our data suggest that yellow crazy ants, but not the bait used to treat them, pose a direct threat to small rainforest skinks.

scholarly journals Global distribution and drivers of language extinction risk

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1793) ◽  
pp. 20141574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Amano ◽  
Brody Sandel ◽  
Heidi Eager ◽  
Edouard Bulteau ◽  
Jens-Christian Svenning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Geographical Patterns ◽  
Socioeconomic Drivers ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
The Tropics

Many of the world's languages face serious risk of extinction. Efforts to prevent this cultural loss are severely constrained by a poor understanding of the geographical patterns and drivers of extinction risk. We quantify the global distribution of language extinction risk—represented by small range and speaker population sizes and rapid declines in the number of speakers—and identify the underlying environmental and socioeconomic drivers. We show that both small range and speaker population sizes are associated with rapid declines in speaker numbers, causing 25% of existing languages to be threatened based on criteria used for species. Language range and population sizes are small in tropical and arctic regions, particularly in areas with high rainfall, high topographic heterogeneity and/or rapidly growing human populations. By contrast, recent speaker declines have mainly occurred at high latitudes and are strongly linked to high economic growth. Threatened languages are numerous in the tropics, the Himalayas and northwestern North America. These results indicate that small-population languages remaining in economically developed regions are seriously threatened by continued speaker declines. However, risks of future language losses are especially high in the tropics and in the Himalayas, as these regions harbour many small-population languages and are undergoing rapid economic growth.

scholarly journals Kyllinga nemoralis (white kyllinga).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Ventosa-Febles
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Positive Reaction ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Old World ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Tropical Climates ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Kyllingia nemoralis is a perennial sedge native to the tropical Old World that has been introduced elsewhere in Oceania, the Indian Ocean and the Americas. Several species of Cyperaceae are listed as highly invasive worldwide. Sedges of the genus Kyllinga are recognized for their invasive tendencies in tropical climates. K. nemoralis exhibits characteristics common to the success of an invasive species, such as asexual spreading, positive reaction to human-caused disturbance, early and consistent reproduction and small seeds. In the tropics, it can be competitive with grass species and is sometimes aggressive in lawns, turf and pasture. A related species K. polyphylla, is a major weed of improved pastures, but can be suppressed by competition from vigorous, well managed grasses. K. nemoralis is listed as invasive in a number of islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

scholarly journals Argyreia nervosa (elephant creeper).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanine Vélez-Gavilán
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Native Species ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Argyreia Nervosa ◽  
Environmental Weed ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract A. nervosa is a liana from the tropics and sub-tropics, reported as invasive in Reunion, Hawaii (USA), Cuba, Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga, but with little information about the invasiveness of the species or its effects on habitats and native species in these countries (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; PIER, 2016). In Cuba it is reported as a transformer and invasive species (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012). In Queensland, Australia it is reported as thriving around Townsville and rampaging around Cooktown. It is also reported as an environmental weed in Australia (PIER, 2016), where it is an aggressive invader of rainforest and other tropical forest communities in northern Queensland (Weeds of Australia, 2016).

scholarly journals Forecasting an invasive species’ distribution with global distribution data, local data, and physiological information

Ecosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e02279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Jarnevich ◽  
Nicholas E. Young ◽  
Marian Talbert ◽  
Colin Talbert
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Physiological Information

scholarly journals Global distribution of earthworm diversity

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 366 (6464) ◽  
pp. 480-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen R. P. Phillips ◽  
Carlos A. Guerra ◽  
Marie L. C. Bartz ◽  
Maria J. I. Briones ◽  
George Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Soil Organisms ◽  
Local Species Richness ◽  
Local Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
The Tropics

Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 9212 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass. We found that local species richness and abundance typically peaked at mid-latitudes, displaying patterns opposite to those observed in aboveground organisms. However, high species dissimilarity across tropical locations may cause diversity across the entirety of the tropics to be higher than elsewhere. Climate variables and habitat cover were found to be more important in shaping earthworm communities than soil properties. These findings suggest that climate and habitat change may have serious implications for earthworm communities and for the functions they provide.

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