Invasion History (invasion + history)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH: Genetic diversity in two introduced biofouling amphipods (Ampithoe valida & Jassa marmorata) along the Pacific North American coast: investigation into molecular identification and cryptic diversity

DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 5 2010
Erik M. Pilgrim
Abstract Aim, We investigated patterns of genetic diversity among invasive populations of Ampithoe valida and Jassa marmorata from the Pacific North American coast to assess the accuracy of morphological identification and determine whether or not cryptic diversity and multiple introductions contribute to the contemporary distribution of these species in the region. Location, Native range: Atlantic North American coast; Invaded range: Pacific North American coast. Methods, We assessed indices of genetic diversity based on DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, determined the distribution of COI haplotypes among populations in both the invasive and putative native ranges of A. valida and J. marmorata and reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among COI haplotypes using both maximum parsimony and Bayesian approaches. Results, Phylogenetic inference indicates that inaccurate species-level identifications by morphological criteria are common among Jassa specimens. In addition, our data reveal the presence of three well supported but previously unrecognized clades of A. valida among specimens in the north-eastern Pacific. Different species of Jassa and different genetic lineages of Ampithoe exhibit striking disparity in geographic distribution across the region as well as substantial differences in genetic diversity indices. Main conclusions, Molecular genetic methods greatly improve the accuracy and resolution of identifications for invasive benthic marine amphipods at the species level and below. Our data suggest that multiple cryptic introductions of Ampithoe have occurred in the north-eastern Pacific and highlight uncertainty regarding the origin and invasion histories of both Jassa and Ampithoe species. Additional morphological and genetic analyses are necessary to clarify the taxonomy and native biogeography of both amphipod genera. [source]


Invasive species of Heracleum in Europe: an insight into genetic relationships and invasion history

DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 1 2007
árka Jahodová
ABSTRACT Several species of the genus Heracleum (Umbelliferae) were introduced into Europe from south-west Asia in the 19th century and are now widespread in many countries. At least three invasive taxa with unresolved relationships to one another are thought to occur in Europe: Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier, H. sosnowskyi Manden, and H. persicum Desf. ex Fischer. They are tall plants forming extensive stands with a high cover. To elucidate genetic relationships between the species, and gain insight into their invasion history, samples were collected from native ranges in Asia and invaded ranges of the three species in Europe and analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism. Five other Heracleum species were also studied and in total, 189 samples from 72 populations were analysed. The results confirmed that there are three distinct tall Heracleum species invading in Europe. Within each of the three species, plants collected in the invaded range are genetically close to those from their native ranges. A close genetic relationship between the three invasive Heracleum species in Europe was also found. A high overall genetic variability detected in the invaded range suggests that the majority of invading populations were not affected by a genetic bottleneck and that rapid evolution, drift, or hybridization played a role in genetic structuring of invading populations. For H. mantegazzianum, genetic distance of populations in the native range significantly decreased with geographical distance, but not in the invaded range. It is likely that the current pattern of genetic diversity in Europe resulted from multiple introductions of all three species. [source]


Glechoma hederacea (Lamiaceae) in North America: invasion history and current distribution,

FEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 1-2 2004
M. Scholler
Glechoma hederacea L. (Ground-ivy, Lamiaceae), a perennial mat-forming herb, is native to the temperate regions of Eurasia and was introduced elsewhere (South East Asia, New Zealand and North America). Based on data obtained from herbaria, literature, online and other data bases and field studies, we documented the invasion history and current distribution of this plant in North America. At present, the plant is recorded from all but two continental states of the USA and all southern provinces of Canada. There are two main ranges: the larger one covers mainly the eastern part of the U.S.A. and a smaller one stretches along the West Coast. While published records of Glechoma hederacea date from 1814, the oldest specimen is from 1829. During the 19th century the species spread westwards at a rate of approximately 30 km/year. The spread and present range of G. hederacea can only be explained by climatic factors (degree of oceanicity) and considering human activity. Especially long distance propagation of vegetative parts of the plants and the change of the environment that accompanies human settlements may have had a major influence on these processes. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) Glechoma hederacea L. (Lamiaceae) in Nordamerika: Invasionsgeschichte und derzeitige Verbreitung Glechoma hederacea (Gewöhnlicher Gundermann; Lamiaceae), eine im temperaten Eurasien beheimatete ausdauernde krautige Pflanze konnte sich als Neophyt in Südostasien, Neuseeland und Nordamerika etablieren. Basierend auf Daten aus der Literatur und Datenbanken, Belegdaten aus Herbarien und Felduntersuchungen werden die Ausbreitungsgeschichte der Art in Nordamerika und ihr gegenwärtiges Areal dokumentiert. Gegenwärtig ist die Art aus allen kanadischen Provinzen und mit Ausnahme von zwei Bundesstaaten auch von allen kontinentalen Bundesstaaten der USA dokumentiert. Es gibt zwei Hauptareale: ein großes, welches einen Großteil der östlichen USA einnimmt und ein kleineres an der Westküste. Der älteste Nachweis von 1814 von Glechoma hederacea stammt aus der Literatur, der älteste Beleg von 1829. Im Laufe des 19. Jahrhunderts breitete sich die Art mit einer Geschwindigkeit von etwa 30 km/Jahr nach Westen aus. Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit und das gegenwärtige Areal können nur mit Hilfe klimatischer (Ozeanität) und anthropogener Faktoren erklärt werden. Der Mensch trägt vor allem zur Verbreitung vegetativer Pflanzenteile bei und schafft in Siedlungen günstige Wachstumsbedingungen. [source]


Predicting the impacts of an introduced species from its invasion history: an empirical approach applied to zebra mussel invasions

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
Anthony Ricciardi
SUMMARY 1.,Quantitative models of impact are lacking for the vast majority of known invasive species, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, managers lack predictive tools to help them prioritise invasion threats and decide where they can most effectively allocate limited resources. Predictive tools would also enhance the accuracy of water quality assessments, so that impacts caused by an invader are not erroneously attributed to other anthropogenic stressors. 2.,The invasion history of a species is a valuable guide for predicting the consequences of its introduction into a new environment. Regression analysis of data from multiple invaded sites can generate empirical models of impact, as is shown here for the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. Dreissena's impacts on benthic invertebrate abundance and diversity follow predictable patterns that are robust across a range of habitat types and geographic regions. Similar empirical models could be developed for other invaders with a documented invasion history. 3.,Because an invader's impact is correlated with its abundance, a surrogate model may be generated (when impact data are unavailable) by relating the invader's abundance to environmental variables. Such a model could help anticipate which habitats will be most affected by invasion. Lack of precision should not be a deterrent to developing predictive models where none exist. Crude predictions can be refined as additional data become available. Empirical modelling is a highly informative and inexpensive, but underused, approach in the management of aquatic invasive species. [source]


Developing an approach to defining the potential distributions of invasive plant species: a case study of Hakea species in South Africa

GLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
David C. Le Maitre
ABSTRACT Aim, Models of the potential distributions of invading species have to deal with a number of issues. The key one is the high likelihood that the absence of an invading species in an area is a false absence because it may not have invaded that area yet, or that it may not have been detected. This paper develops an approach for screening pseudo-absences in a way that is logical and defensible. Innovation, The step-wise approach involves: (1) screening environmental variables to identify those most likely to indicate conditions where the species cannot invade; (2) identifying and selecting the most likely limiting variables; (3) using these to define the limits of its invasion potential; and (4) selecting points outside these limits as true absence records for input into species distribution models. This approach was adopted and used for the study of three prominent Hakea species in South Africa. Models with and without the false absence records were compared. Two rainfall variables and the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month were the strongest predictors of potential distributions. Models which excluded false absences predicted that more of the potential distribution would have a high invasion potential than those which included them. Main conclusions, The approach of applying a priori knowledge can be useful in refining the potential distribution of a species by excluding pseudo-absence records which are likely to be due to the species not having invaded an area yet or being undetected. The differences between the potential distributions predicted by the different models convey more information than making a single prediction, albeit a consensus model. The robustness of this approach depends strongly on an adequate knowledge of the ecology, invasion history and current distribution of that species. [source]


Genetic signatures in an invasive parasite of Anguilla anguilla correlate with differential stock management

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
S. Wielgoss
In this article, it is shown that available genetic tools for the omnipresent parasite Anguillicoloides crassus in European eels Anguilla anguilla are sensitive to different immigration rates into local A. anguilla stocks for two separated river systems. Relying on four highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, it was inferred that under natural recruitment, nematode samples meet Hardy,Weinberg expectations for a single panmictic population, while genetic signals show signs for a strong Wahlund effect most likely due to very recent population mixing under frequent restocking of young A. anguilla. This was indicated by a low but significant FST value among within-host populations (infrapopulations) along with high inbreeding indices FIS consistent over all loci. The latter signal is shown to stem from high levels of admixture and the presence of first-generation migrants, and alternative explanations such as marker- and sex-specific biases in the nematode populations could be dismissed. Moreover, the slightly increased degree of relatedness within infrapopulations in the stocked river system cannot explain the excessive inbreeding values found and are most likely a direct consequence of recent influx of already infected fish harbouring parasites with different genetic signatures. Applying a simulation approach using known variables from the nematode's invasion history, only the artificial introduction of a Wahlund effect leads to a close match between simulated and real data, which is a strong argument for using the parasite as a biological tag for detecting and characterizing fish translocation. [source]


Mitochondrial DNA reveals multiple Northern Hemisphere introductions of Caprella mutica (Crustacea, Amphipoda)

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
GAIL V. ASHTON
Abstract Caprella mutica (Crustacea, Amphipoda) has been widely introduced to non-native regions in the last 40 years. Its native habitat is sub-boreal northeast Asia, but in the Northern Hemisphere, it is now found on both coasts of North America, and North Atlantic coastlines of Europe. Direct sequencing of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene) was used to compare genetic variation in native and non-native populations of C. mutica. These data were used to investigate the invasion history of C. mutica and to test potential source populations in Japan. High diversity (31 haplotypes from 49 individuals), but no phylogeographical structure, was identified in four populations in the putative native range. In contrast, non-native populations showed reduced genetic diversity (7 haplotypes from 249 individuals) and informative phylogeographical structure. Grouping of C. mutica populations into native, east Pacific, and Atlantic groups explained the most among-region variation (59%). This indicates independent introduction pathways for C. mutica to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. Two dominant haplotypes were identified in eastern and western Atlantic coastal populations, indicating several dispersal routes within the Atlantic. The analysis indicated that several introductions from multiple sources were likely to be responsible for the observed global distribution of C. mutica, but the pathways were least well defined among the Atlantic populations. The four sampled populations of C. mutica in Japan could not be identified as the direct source of the non-native populations examined in this study. The high diversity within the Japan populations indicates that the native range needs to be assessed at a far greater scale, both within and among populations, to accurately assess the source of the global spread of C. mutica. [source]


Contrasting patterns in genetic diversity following multiple invasions of fresh and brackish waters

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2006
DAVID W. KELLY
Abstract Biological invasions may combine the genetic effects of population bottlenecks and selection and thus provide valuable insight into the role of such processes during novel environmental colonizations. However, these processes are also influenced by multiple invasions, the number of individuals introduced and the degree of similarity between source and receiving habitats. The amphipod Gammarus tigrinus provides a useful model to assess these factors, as its invasion history has involved major environmental transitions. This species is native to the northwest Atlantic Ocean, although it invaded both brackish and freshwater habitats in the British Isles after introduction more than 65 years ago. It has also spread to similar habitats in Western Europe and, most recently, to Eastern Europe, the Baltic Sea, and the Laurentian Great Lakes. To examine sources of invasion and patterns of genetic change, we sampled populations from 13 native estuaries and 19 invaded sites and sequenced 542 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene. Strong native phylogeographical structure allowed us to unambiguously identify three allopatrically evolved clades (2.3,3.1% divergent) in invading populations, indicative of multiple introductions. The most divergent clades occurred in the British Isles and mainland Europe and were sourced from the St Lawrence and Chesapeake/Delaware Bay estuaries. A third clade was found in the Great Lakes and sourced to the Hudson River estuary. Despite extensive sampling, G. tigrinus did not occur in freshwater at putative source sites. Some European populations showed reduced genetic diversity consistent with bottlenecks, although selection effects cannot be excluded. The habitat distribution of clades in Europe was congruent with the known invasion history of secondary spread from the British Isles. Differences in salinity tolerance among lineages were suggested by patterns of habitat colonization by different native COI clades. Populations consisting of admixtures of the two invading clades were found principally at recently invaded fresh and brackish water sites in Eastern Europe, and were characterized by higher genetic diversity than putative source populations. Further studies are required to determine if these represent novel genotypes. Our results confirm that biological invasions need not result in diminished genetic diversity, particularly if multiple source populations, each with distinctive genetic composition, contribute to the founding populations. [source]


Molecular ecology of zebra mussel invasions

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
GEMMA E. MAY
Abstract The invasion of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, into North American waters has resulted in profound ecological disturbances and large monetary losses. This study examined the invasion history and patterns of genetic diversity among endemic and invading populations of zebra mussels using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Patterns of haplotype frequency indicate that all invasive populations of zebra mussels from North America and Europe originated from the Ponto-Caspian Sea region. The distribution of haplotypes was consistent with invasive populations arising from the Black Sea drainage, but could not exclude the possibility of an origin from the Caspian Sea drainage. Similar haplotype frequencies among North American populations of D. polymorpha suggest colonization by a single founding population. There was no evidence of invasive populations arising from tectonic lakes in Turkey, while lakes in Greece and Macedonia contained only Dreissena stankovici. Populations in Turkey might be members of a sibling species complex of D. polymorpha. Ponto-Caspian derived populations of D. polymorpha (, = 0.0011) and Dreissena bugensis (one haplotype) exhibited low levels of genetic diversity at the COI gene, perhaps as a result of repeated population bottlenecks. In contrast, geographically isolated tectonic lake populations exhibited relatively high levels of genetic diversity (, = 0.0032 to 0.0134). It is possible that the fluctuating environment of the Ponto-Caspian basin facilitated the colonizing habit of invasive populations of D. polymorpha and D. bugensis. Our findings were concordant with the general trend of destructive freshwater invaders in the Great Lakes arising from the Ponto-Caspian Sea basin. [source]