scholarly journals Increased immune marker variance in a population of invasive birds

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Prüter ◽  
Mathias Franz ◽  
Sönke Twietmeyer ◽  
Niklas Böhm ◽  
Gudrun Middendorff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Parasite Burden ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Invasive Population ◽  
Physiological Cost ◽  
Mean And Variance ◽  
Eosinophil Granulocytes ◽  
Invasive Birds

AbstractImmunity and parasites have been linked to the success of invasive species. Especially lower parasite burden in invasive populations has been suggested to enable a general downregulation of immune investment (Enemy Release and Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability Hypotheses). Simultaneously, keeping high immune competence towards potentially newly acquired parasites in the invasive range is essential to allow population growth. To investigate the variation of immune effectors of invasive species, we compared the mean and variance of multiple immune effectors in the context of parasite prevalence in an invasive and a native Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) population. Three of ten immune effectors measured showed higher variance in the invasive population. Mean levels were higher in the invasive population for three effectors but lower for eosinophil granulocytes. Parasite prevalence depended on the parasite taxa investigated. We suggest that variation of specific immune effectors, which may be important for invasion success, may lead to higher variance and enable invasive species to reduce the overall physiological cost of immunity while maintaining the ability to efficiently defend against novel parasites encountered.

scholarly journals Plant-Soil Interactions of an Invasive Plant Species in its Native Range Help to Explain its Invasion Success Elsewhere

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Aldorfová ◽  
Věra Hanzelková ◽  
Lucie Drtinová ◽  
Hana Pánková ◽  
Tomáš Cajthaml ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Secondary Range ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Root Shoot Ratio

Abstract Purpose: To compare plant-soil feedback (PSF) of invasive Cirsium vulgare and non-invasive C. oleraceum in their native range to test a hypothesis that the invasive species is more limited by specialized pathogens in the native range and/or able to benefit more from generalist mutualists, and thus may benefit more from loss of specialized soil biota in a secondary range.Methods: We assessed changes in soil nutrients and biota following soil conditioning by each species and compared performance of plants grown in self-conditioned and control soil, from which all, some or no biota was excluded. Results: The invasive species depleted more nutrients than the non-invasive species and coped better with altered nutrient levels. The invasive species had higher seedling emergence which benefited from presence of non-specific microbes. The invasive species biomass responded less positively to specialized (self-conditioned) microbiota and more negatively to specialized larger-sized biota compared to the non-specialized control biota, suggesting the species may benefit more from enemy release and suffer less from loss of specialized mutualists when introduced to a secondary range. The invasive species showed greater ability to decrease its root-shoot ratio in presence of harmful biota and thus reduce their negative effects on its performance.Conclusions: Our study highlights the utility of detailed PSF research in the native range of species for understanding the factors that regulate performance of invasive and non-invasive species in their native range, and for pinpointing the types of biota involved in their regulation and how this changes across the plants life cycle.

The Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) on Ibiza: predator release in an invasive population

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Elba Montes ◽  
Mónica Feriche ◽  
Esmeralda Alaminos ◽  
Juan Manuel Pleguezuelos
Keyword(s):  
Lower Incidence ◽  
Enemy Release Hypothesis ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Source Population ◽  
Invasive Population ◽  
Breakage Rate ◽  
Snake Predators ◽  
Whip Snake ◽  
Predator Release

Abstract The key to fighting a biological invasion may lie in understanding every variable that can explain its success. The Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) states that when an invader arrives to a new environment, the absence of its common enemies (predators, parasites and competitors) facilitates the invasion success. The Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) has been recently introduced from the Iberian Peninsula to the island of Ibiza, and it is currently threatening the only endemic vertebrate, the Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis). We hypothesized that the snake invasion success is caused by the absence of natural predators, and we checked the ERH by relating the tail breakage rate to predation pressure. The invasive population showed a much lower incidence of tail breakage than the source population, which is in agreement with the almost absence of snake predators among the Ibizan reduced and naïve native vertebrate community. These results confirm the ERH, and support the prolongation of invasive snake trapping campaigns.

Social context alters retreat- and nest-site selection in a globally invasive gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus

2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-397
Author(s):  
Benjamin J Muller ◽  
Robin M Andrews ◽  
Lin Schwarzkopf ◽  
David A Pike
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Gravid Female ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Ceramic Tiles ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Hemidactylus Frenatus

Abstract Microhabitat orientation and structure and the presence of conspecifics may strongly influence the choice of habitat. We studied how these variables influence retreat- and nest-site selection in gravid females of a globally successful invasive species, the Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). When provided with various substrates (vertical and horizontal ceramic tiles, vertical and horizontal plywood tiles, horizontal bark over leaf litter, vertical bark over a log, and sand) gravid female geckos preferred to retreat to, and nest in, materials with crevices commonly found in urban habitats. When housed alone, gravid females most frequently retreated to vertical ceramic tile or wooden crevices, and 66.7% nested in vertical ceramic tiles. When housed with two other conspecifics, gravid females most frequently retreated to vertical ceramic tiles, but selected a wider range of nest sites. Overall, gravid geckos housed alone typically nested in the same substrates that they used as diurnal retreats; when housed in groups, however, females oviposited in locations different from those they selected as retreats. Thus, H. frenatus females use a wider range of substrates when conspecifics are present. Invasion success in this species might be driven, in part, by preferences for retreat and nest substrates that are common in human-dominated habitats.

scholarly journals Native turncoats and indirect facilitation of species invasions

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1871) ◽  
pp. 20171936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobin D. Northfield ◽  
Susan G. W. Laurance ◽  
Margaret M. Mayfield ◽  
Dean R. Paini ◽  
William E. Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Indirect Interactions ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Species Invasion ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Indirect Facilitation

At local scales, native species can resist invasion by feeding on and competing with would-be invasive species. However, this relationship tends to break down or reverse at larger scales. Here, we consider the role of native species as indirect facilitators of invasion and their potential role in this diversity-driven ‘invasion paradox’. We coin the term ‘native turncoats’ to describe native facilitators of non-native species and identify eight ways they may indirectly facilitate species invasion. Some are commonly documented, while others, such as indirect interactions within competitive communities, are largely undocumented in an invasion context. Therefore, we use models to evaluate the likelihood that these competitive interactions influence invasions. We find that native turncoat effects increase with the number of resources and native species. Furthermore, our findings suggest the existence, abundance and effectiveness of native turncoats in a community could greatly influence invasion success at large scales.

scholarly journals Genomic Analyses of Phenotypic Differences Between Native and Invasive Populations of Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn G. Turner ◽  
Kate L. Ostevik ◽  
Christopher J. Grassa ◽  
Loren H. Rieseberg
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Leaf Width ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Reduced Representation ◽  
Centaurea Diffusa ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genotype By Sequencing ◽  
Diffuse Knapweed

Invasive species represent excellent opportunities to study the evolutionary potential of traits important to success in novel environments. Although some ecologically important traits have been identified in invasive species, little is typically known about the genetic mechanisms that underlie invasion success in non-model species. Here, we use a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach to identify the genetic basis of trait variation in the non-model, invasive, diffuse knapweed [Centaurea diffusa Lam. (Asteraceae)]. To assist with this analysis, we have assembled the first draft genome reference and fully annotated plastome assembly for this species, and one of the first from this large, weedy, genus, which is of major ecological and economic importance. We collected phenotype data from 372 individuals from four native and four invasive populations of C. diffusa grown in a common environment. Using these individuals, we produced reduced-representation genotype-by-sequencing (GBS) libraries and identified 7,058 SNPs. We identify two SNPs associated with leaf width in these populations, a trait which significantly varies between native and invasive populations. In this rosette forming species, increased leaf width is a major component of increased biomass, a common trait in invasive plants correlated with increased fitness. Finally, we use annotations from Arabidopsis thaliana to identify 98 candidate genes that are near the associated SNPs and highlight several good candidates for leaf width variation.

scholarly journals Enemy release mitigates inbreeding depression in native and invasive Silene latifolia populations: experimental insight into the role of inbreeding × environment interactions in invasion success

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Schrieber ◽  
Sabrina Wolf ◽  
Catherina Wypior ◽  
Diana Höhlig ◽  
Stephen R. Keller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Silene Latifolia ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Fruit Number

AbstractInbreeding and enemy infestation are common in plants and can synergistically reduce their performance. This inbreeding × environment (I×E) interaction may be of particular importance for the success of plant invasions if introduced populations experience a release from attack by natural enemies relative to their native conspecifics. Using native and invasive plant populations, we investigate whether inbreeding affects infestation damage, whether inbreeding depression in performance is mitigated by enemy release and whether genetic differentiation among native and invasive plants modifies these I×E interactions. We used the plant invader Silene latifolia and its natural enemies as a study system. We performed two generations of experimental out- and inbreeding within eight native (European) and eight invasive (North American) S. latifolia populations under controlled conditions using field-collected seeds. Subsequently, we exposed the offspring to an enemy exclusion and inclusion treatment in a common garden in the species’ native range to assess the interactive effects of population origin (range), breeding treatment and enemy treatment on infestation damage as well as plant performance. Inbreeding increased flower and leaf infestation damage in plants from both ranges, but had opposing effects on fruit damage in native versus invasive plants. Both inbreeding and enemy infestation had negative effects on plant performance, whereby inbreeding depression in fruit number was higher in enemy inclusions than exclusions in plants from both ranges. Moreover, the magnitude of inbreeding depression in fruit number was lower in invasive than native populations. Our results support that inbreeding increases enemy susceptibility of S. latifolia, which magnifies inbreeding depression in the presence of enemies. Enemy release in the invaded habitat may thus increase the persistence of inbred founder populations and thereby contribute to successful invasion. Moreover, our findings emphasize that genetic differentiation among native and invasive plants can shape the magnitude and even the direction of inbreeding effects.

scholarly journals Plant-soil feedback contributes to predicting plant invasiveness of 68 alien plant species differing in invasive status

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Aldorfová ◽  
Pavlína Knobová ◽  
Zuzana Münzbergová
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Enemy Release ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Species Characteristics ◽  
Plant Invasiveness

Abstract1. Understanding what species characteristics allow some alien plants to become invasive while others fail to is critical to our understanding of community assembly processes. While many characteristics have been shown to predict plant invasiveness, the importance of plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) in invasions has been difficult to assess since individual studies include only a few species and use disparate methodology.2. We studied PSFs of 68 invasive and non-invasive alien species in a single two-phase garden experiment, and compared the relative importance of PSF, residence time, phylogenetic novelty and plant traits for plant invasiveness. Additionally, we tested for relationships between PSF, residence time and phylogenetic novelty.3. PSF for seedling establishment belonged to five best predictors of plant invasiveness, along with specific leaf area, height, seedling growth rate, and residence time. Invasive species had more positive PSF for seedling establishment, but not for biomass, than non-invasive species. Phylogenetically novel species experienced less negative PSF than species with native congeners, suggesting they benefit more from enemy release. PSF of non-invasive species, contrary to that of invasive species, was becoming more negative with increasing residence time.4.Synthesis. We demonstrated that PSF plays a role in predicting invasiveness that is comparable with other species characteristics that are more commonly studied. PSF should thus receive more attention in studies predicting community structure and in programs assessing the likely invasions of aliens.

scholarly journals Exploring the role of life history traits and introduction effort in understanding invasion success in mammals: A case study of Barbary ground squirrels

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemarie van der Marel ◽  
Jane M. Waterman ◽  
Marta López-Darias
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Main Factor

AbstractInvasive species –species that have successfully overcome the barriers of transport, introduction, establishment, and spread– are a risk to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Introduction effort is one of the main factors attributed to invasion success, but life history traits are also important as they influence population growth. In this contribution, we first investigated life history traits of the Barbary ground squirrel, Atlantoxerus getulus, a species with a remarkably low introduction effort, and studied whether their exceptional invasion success is due to a very fast life history profile through a comparison of these traits to other successfully invaded mammals. We then examined whether number of founders and/or a fast life history influences invasion success of squirrels. We found that Barbary ground squirrels were on the fast end of the “fast-slow continuum”, but their life history is not the only contributing factor for their invasion success, as the life history profile is comparable to other invasive species that do not have such a low introduction effort. We also found that neither life history traits nor number of founders explained invasion success of introduced squirrels in general. These results contradict the concept that introduction effort is the main factor explaining invasion success, especially in squirrels. Instead, we argue that invasion success can be influenced by multiple aspects of the new habitat or the biology of the introduced species.

scholarly journals Are Introduced Alien Species More Predisposed to Invasion in Recipient Environments If They Provide a Wider Range of Services to Humans?

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 553
Author(s):  
Kowiyou Yessoufou ◽  
Annie Estelle Ambani
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Invasive Species ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Alien Plants ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Unexpected Finding

The drivers of invasion success of alien species remain, to some extent, a matter of debate. Here, we suggest that the services (the benefits humans obtain from a species) provided by alien plants could predict their invasion status, such that alien species providing more services would be more likely to be invasive than not. The rationale for this expectation is that alien species providing multiple services stand a better chance of being introduced in various numbers and multiple times outside their native range (propagule pressure theory). We investigated this hypothesis on alien woody species in South Africa. First, we defined 12 services provided by all the 210 known naturalized alien woody plants in South Africa. Then, we tested for a phylogenetic signal in these services using a DNA barcode-based phylogeny. Finally, we tested for potential links between the services and invasion status by fitting GLM models with appropriate error families. We found a phylogenetic signal in most services, suggesting that closely related species tend to provide similar services. Counter-intuitively, we consistently found that alien non-invasive species tend to provide more services, or even unique services, in comparison to alien invasive species. Although alternative scenarios are plausible to explain this unexpected finding, we speculate that harvesting alien plants for human benefits may limit their invasion ability. This warrants further investigation.

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