Potential pest transfer mediated by international ornamental plant trade

Jiří Patoka,Lukáš Kalous,Antonín Kouba,Martin Bláha,Miloš Buřič,Vladimír Vrabec

doi:10.1038/srep25896

Abstract

In recent years, the keeping of ornamental freshwater animals and plants in garden ponds has been growing in popularity. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the preferred macrophytes seasonally imported mainly from South-eastern Asia throughout the world. This constitutes a secondary introduction inasmuch as the species is native to South America. Although many assemblages of aquatic invertebrates have been described as associated with this plant in the wild, there has been no research focused on their potential introduction via the international plant trade. We examined 216 specimens of water hyacinths imported for ornamental purposes from Indonesia into the Czech Republic. Numerous meio- and macroinvertebrates belonging to at least 39 species were captured. On the total number of individuals, the highest prevalence was of Tubulinea and Rotifera. Most of these were still alive and vital, including a caterpillar of the Indo–Australian invasive moth Spodoptera litura. Water hyacinths are usually placed into outdoor ponds immediately after import, which facilitates the release of non-target alien species. The present paper aims to draw attention to “hitchhikers” associated with the ornamental trade.

Highlights

Biological invasions and the related homogenization of biodiversity are among the most prominent topics of biological conservation worldwide
One of the most preferred ornamental pleustophytes is Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.), known as water hyacinth[4], which is native to the Amazon basin in Brazil
Water hyacinths are seasonally imported as ornamental plants mainly from South-eastern Asia

Summary

Introduction

Biological invasions and the related homogenization of biodiversity are among the most prominent topics of biological conservation worldwide. The risks related to species kept in ornamental outdoor reservoirs seem to be even greater because these may serve as a direct source of introduction without further human mediation[4,10,11]. It has been presumed that the introduction of non-native invertebrates into garden ponds with ornamental plants is possible[13], unintentionally imported organisms associated with those which are traded, known as “hitchhikers”, remain still quite understudied[17,18]. One of the most preferred ornamental pleustophytes is Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.), known as water hyacinth[4], which is native to the Amazon basin in Brazil Been introduced into more than 50 countries around the world and it has become established on all continents other than Antarctica[4,19]

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Results

Conclusion