Distribution Of Alien Species Research Articles

Invasive fish species in Romanian freshwater. A review of over 100 years of occurrence reports

Effective management of invasive alien species requires location-specific strategies involving the regular update of distribution maps to identify spatial patterns, trends, and pathways of entry and the spread and hotspots of those invasions. However, a comprehensive overview of invasive alien fish species in Romania is lacking. To fill this gap, we compiled a database with occurrences of alien fish species in Romania from diverse sources, including published literature, our own field data, online databases, social media, and online questionnaires. Occurrence data covers the 1910–2022 period. From a total of 52 alien fish species reported as present in Romania’s waterways, we assigned an invasive status to 11 species, of which Pseudorasbora parva, Lepomis gibbosus, Carassius gibelio, and Ameiurus spp. are widespread. Based on the currently available occurrence records, we evaluated the presence and distribution of invasive alien fish species at the watershed level, concluding that invasive alien fish species are present in all Romanian watersheds. We identified several hotspots consistent with the main points of entry and spread of invasive alien fish species, principally located in western, central, and eastern Romania, i.e., Mures, Crisuri, and Siret watersheds.

CHECKLIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS FLORA OF THE “ZALISSIA” NATIONAL NATURE PARK

The aims of the study. To determine the species composition of the vascular plants flora of the «Zalissya» National Nature Park (Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblasts). Methodology. The research is based on the results of the authors' original research, which was carried out by route on the territory of the «Zalissia» NPP during 2021–2023. In the work also used literature the herbarium material from the National herbarium of Ukraine of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, NAS of Ukraine (KW), including the A. Rogovich personal collection, herbariums of the M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, NAS of Ukraine (KWHA) and acad. O.V. Fomin Botanical Garden of Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv (KWHU), as well as data’s from the iNaturalist database (https://www.inaturalist.org/). Classification of alien species is given by J. Kornaś (1968). The species names are given according to POWO (2024).Scientific novelty. The species composition of the flora of vascular plants of the «Zalissya» National Nature Park, which includes 778 species and subspecies, was established, and an its annotated checklist was complied. Conclusions. It was established that most taxa of the studied flora, namely 612 species and subspecies (78.7%) belong to the natural component. A rather high percentage is a group of alien taxa - 166 species and subspecies (21.3%). In modern flora, its adventitization is increasing due to the high percentage of non-native species. Current tasks include: a) monitoring of the state of the flora, b) search and confirmation of rare species, which were previously mentioned for the territory of the Park (e.g. Astragalus arenarius, Dactylorhiza sambucina, Echium russicum, Lycopodium annotinum, Orchis sambucina, Thesium ebracteatum), c) research on the distribution of alien species, including invasive (e.g. Acer negundo, Amelanchier spicata, Amorpha fruticosa, Cytisus scoparius, Phragmites altissimus, Prunus serotina, Solidago canadensis) and pose a threat to phytodiversity.

MEDIS—A comprehensive spatial database on Mediterranean islands for biogeographical and evolutionary research

AbstractMotivationThe intrinsic characteristics of islands make them a unique study system for the investigation of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. The Mediterranean Basin, an island‐rich biodiversity hotspot, still lacks a comprehensive spatial database for these geographic features. This study presents the first comprehensive spatial database of all Mediterranean islands larger than 0.01 km2, aiding ecological investigations and interdisciplinary research.Main types of variable containedThe MEDIS spatial database offers detailed information on 39 geographic, climatic, ecological and land‐use variables, including island area, perimeter, isolation metrics, climatic space, terrain data, land cover, palaeogeography, road networks and geological information, providing a multifaceted view of each island's characteristics.Spatial location and grainThe study encompasses 2217 islands in the Mediterranean Basin larger than 0.01 km2. The spatial grain of the datasets on which the selected variables are based varies from 10 m (ESA WorldCover) to 1 km (CHELSA‐BIOCLIM+).Time period and grainThe spatial database incorporates data from various sources, each with its own timeframe, such as the Global Shoreline Vector from 2014 Landsat imagery and the WorldCover dataset from 2021. Historical data like the Paleocoastlines GIS dataset offer insights into island configurations during the Last Glacial Maximum.Major taxa and level of measurementWhile not focusing on specific taxa, the study lays the foundation for comprehensive research on Mediterranean islands, facilitating comparisons and investigations into the distribution of native, endemic or alien species. The level of measurement is extensive, encompassing a wide range of variables and providing polygonal features rather than centroids' coordinates.

ALIEN PLANT SPECIES IN GIURGIU COUNTY, ROMANIA: AN INVENTORY AND DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS

Giurgiu County, a crucial hub in the Pan-European Corridor with the sole Danube bridge to Bulgaria, plays an important role in potential pathways for introducing alien plant species. However, the information regarding the distribution of alien plants in this county is incomplete. Our study aims to address this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of the current distribution of alien plant species based on field records collected from September 2019 to November 2022. Following the guidelines of the POIM/178/4/1/120008 project, data were collected across diverse habitats. Our findings reveal 89 alien plant taxa, including 58 newly reported at the county level. Over half of the alien plant species (66.29%) are also present in the natural protected areas. The study contributes essential information for biodiversity conservation, emphasizing ongoing monitoring and invasive species management within Giurgiu County's protected areas.

Assessing the Current and Future Potential Distribution of Solanum rostratum Dunal in China Using Multisource Remote Sensing Data and Principal Component Analysis

Accurate information concerning the spatial distribution of invasive alien species’ habitats is essential for invasive species prevention and management, and ecological sustainability. Currently, nationwide identification of suitable habitats for the highly destructive and potentially invasive weed, Solanum rostratum Dunal (S. rostratum), poses a series of challenges. Simultaneously, research on potential future invasion areas and likely directions of spread has not received adequate attention. This study, based on species occurrence data and multi-dimensional environmental variables constructed from multi-source remote sensing data, utilized Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in combination with the Maxent model to effectively model the current and future potential habitat distribution of S. rostratum in China, while quantitatively assessing the various factors influencing its distribution. Research findings indicate that the current suitable habitat area of S. rostratum covers 1.3952 million km2, all of which is located in northern China. As the trend of climate warming persists, the potential habitat suitability range of S. rostratum is projected to shift southward and expand in the future; while still predominantly located in northern China, it will have varying degrees of expansion at different time frames. Notably, during the period from 2040 to 2061, under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the habitat area exhibits the most significant increase, surpassing the current scenario by 19.23%. Furthermore, attribution analysis based on PCA inverse transformation reveals that a combination of soil, climate, spatial, humanistic, and topographic variables collectively influence the suitability of S. rostratum habitats, with soil factors, in particular, playing a dominant role and contributing up to 75.85%. This study identifies target areas for the management and control of S. rostratum, providing valuable insights into factor selection and variable screening methods in species distribution modeling (SDM).

Чужорідні види ссавців у колекції зоологічного музею Луганського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка

This paper presents a review of information on the specimens of the theriological part of the stock and exhibition collections of the Zoological Museum of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University in Luhansk as of 2014. Specimens of species and subspecies belonging to the group of alien mammals were taken into account. The review included both introductions, invaders, and animals belonging to the group of regional invaders (expanded their range within the region), reintroductions and alien species that occur naturally but do not form stable natural populations. Information on specimens of such invasive alien species as Lutra lutra, Nyctereutes procyonoides, Neogale vison, Ondatra zibethicus provide useful data for analysing the distribution and abundance of alien species in certain regions of the Siverskyi Donets basin. The majority of these species occurred in the main channel of the Donets and its immediate tributaries, which once again underlines the important role of river basins in the distribution of mammalian amphibians. The collections of a number of other alien species and subspecies are small, represented only by single specimens of rodents (Sciurus vulgaris exalbidus, Myocastor coypus) and ungulates (Cervus nippon, Dama dama, Bison bonasus, Saiga tatarica) originating from other regions of Ukraine or without information on the place of occurrence. The collections of such species as Castor fiber and Rattus norvegicus, which comprise 4 and 5 specimens respectively, contain specimens from Luhansk region, but information on their distribution is incomplete or insufficient for analysis or comparison. All the specimens listed in the text are valuable for the study of geographical distribution, craniological and morphological studies of alien species from the territory of Luhansk region and other regions of Ukraine, in particular from Poltava (Lutra lutra), Crimea (Sciurus vulgaris exalbidus) and Kherson (Dama dama).

UPDATE OF THE ALIEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE JASMINE LACEBUG THROUGH A CITIZEN-SCIENCE APPROACH

Alien lacebugs have been recorded in most Mediterranean countries and, in Italy, in several western coastal regions. In this work, we collected new data on the jasmine lacebug Corythauma ayyari through a citizen-science approach. We reported for the first time its presence in three new Italian regions (Lombardy, Piedmont, and Marche), as well as in the hinterland areas of Israel, France, and Spain, up to over 220 km from the nearest coastal area. Through molecular analyses based on the mitochondrial gene of cytochrome oxidase I, we identified three new mitochondrial haplotypes in Italy, suggesting the possibility of recent introductions through plant trading. The increased distribution range towards the European hinterlands by C. ayyari needs to be monitored, as these introduced aliens are responsible for severe impacts on ornamental plants. Furthermore, improved controls in port areas should be recommended to prevent new invasions. We strongly recommend using multi-taxon, pan-continental platforms of citizen-science to collect data and keep the distribution of alien species updated. Key Words: Corythauma ayyari; Mediterranean basin; mitochondrial DNA; online citizen-science platforms; Tingidae.

Alien species of vascular plants of Taimyr

The features of alien plant species distribution in Taimyr district of Krasnoyarsk region are characterized. Totally, 54 alien plant species (5.5 % of the district’s flora) were found in the area, 27 of them were observed by the authors more than once or found in the region for the first time. The general features of the distribution, occurrence and timing of these species are given. For row of species, methods of introduction and assessment of population dynamics (emergence and extinction) are considered. It has been noted that a large part of noted imported species populations are very short-lived (1-2 years, rarely more). It is also discussed whether certain species are alien or natural. A relatively new group of introduced species - those spreading from culture (mainly from lawn mixtures) - has been identified that requires a separate special study. The likelihood of significant introductions of alien species into natural ecosystems, based on available observations, is assessed as low. As a rule, introduced plant species appear only in the early stages of post-anthropogenic succession or under constant influence of technogenic factors, later they are still superseded by the native pioneer erosiophilic species. Nevertheless, the need to monitor the invasion of alien species and the dynamics of their populations remains relevant as a general element in the dynamics of the composition of the Arctic flora.

The distribution of invasive alien plant species in peri-urban areas: a case study from the city of Kolkata

The distribution of invasive alien plant species in peri-urban areas: a case study from the city of Kolkata

Mapping invasive alien plants through citizen science: shortlisting species of concern for the Nilgiris

Species introduced from elsewhere are known as alien species. They may be introduced as crop plants or ornamental plants, or for timber. A small proportion of introduced species can become invasive thereby spreading at the cost of native species and habitats, negatively affecting biodiversity, food security, and human wellbeing. Despite the growing recognition of the threat of invasive alien species, we still lack information about the distribution and abundance of species widely accepted to be invasive. To address this information gap regarding invasive alien species distributions, we initiated a pilot citizen science effort to create an atlas of invasive plants in the Moyar-Bhavani landscape of the Nilgiri District. We aimed, through this pilot effort, to develop and test user-friendly mapping protocols and develop an interface for citizen scientists to use. Ultimately, we hope to create a model that can be scaled up to large conservation landscapes, such as the Western Ghats, the central Indian Highlands, and the Himalaya.

Erratum to: Effects of anthropogenic activities and climate factors on the distribution of invasive alien species in China

Erratum to: Effects of anthropogenic activities and climate factors on the distribution of invasive alien species in China

Distribution and Expansion of Alien Fish Species in the Karun River Basin, Iran.

We assessed the distribution of alien fishes in the Karun River Basin, Iran. Fish were collected from 39 sites during the November-December 2018 low-flow period. In total, 39 fish species from nine orders and 14 families were documented. Among these, 10 species were alien to the basin (986 individuals; 15.7%). Four species were the most abundant alien species and primarily in impounded, downstream reaches. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted to identify the extent of changes in alien fish assemblages with environmental parameters. RDA1 and RDA2 accounted for 36.24% and 25.33% of the variation of alien species, respectively. Altitude, depth, electrical conductivity, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and river width were the most significant parameters affecting alien species distributions. We present a dual-pathway cause-and-effect hypothesis proposing that alien fish species presence causes declines in the ecological status of native fish communities. We then explore how human-induced aquatic ecosystem degradation creates opportunities for alien species to invade new ecosystems, further impacting native fish communities. Our study contributes insight into the cause and effect of the presence of alien fish species in the Karun River Basin and emphasizes the urgency of conservation measures to protect this critically endangered watershed.

Distribution and environmental impact of alien woody species in lowland riparian forest habitats: Case study in the protected areas of Georgia, South Caucasus

Distribution and environmental impact of alien woody species in lowland riparian forest habitats: Case study in the protected areas of Georgia, South Caucasus

Distribution of Alien and Translocated Freshwater Fish Species in Bulgarian Lotic Ecosystems, according to the WFD Classification

The terms ‘non-native’, ‘non-indigenous’, ‘alien’, and ‘exotic’ refer to species or races that do not occur naturally in an area, i.e., they have not previously existed there, or their dispersal into the area has been mediated by humans. In a broad sense, these terms can refer to species that may originate within the same region or country but not occur naturally in a particular water body until colonization is facilitated by humans. In Bulgaria, some efforts have been made to summarize the distribution of alien fish species, but nothing is known about the translocated species. Here, both groups are considered according to the Water Framework Directive’s (WFD) classification of lotic ecosystems: the main ichthyogeographical regions, the river typology, and the ecological status of the Biological Quality Element (BQE) “Fish”. In total, 7 alien species and 15 translocated species were established, with approximately the same total number of specimens. In general, even though the relative abundance of non-native species reaches 100% in single cases, their total numbers are low, compared to native species. Concerning certain basins/river types, these percentages are slightly higher, due to a complex of parameters determining their distribution: environmental factors (hydromorphological) reflecting the ecological (species’ requirements and tolerance) factors. Some river types are more vulnerable to colonization. The relative abundances of the non-native fish species per sampling site showed a weak connection with the ecological status of the BQE “Fish”. As the distribution of organisms is affected by environmental parameters and biotic interactions, standardized multiannual data, as viewed by the WFD, could become a solid basis for elucidating various aspects of this complex issue.

Exploring the capability of high-resolution satellite data in delineating the potential distribution of common invasive alien plant species in the Tshivhase Tea Estate

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) continue to exert significant impacts on agriculture in many countries, resulting in food insecurity. IAPs reduce agricultural production through competition and parasitism with planted crops. More recently, the IAPs continue to extend their plasticity to tea plantations, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. This study thus aimed at exploring the potential of SPOT 7 and Sentinel 2 satellite data in mapping the occurrence and co-occurrence of three common IAPs Solanum mauritianum, Lantana camara, and Chromolaena odorata in the Tshivhase Tea Estate in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The stepwise logistic regression models were generated for Solanum mauritianum and Lantana camara occurrence as well as the observed and conditional co-occurrence probability of S. mauritianum (P1), L. camara (P2) and C. odorata (P3). From the remote sensing indices, the Brightness Index (BI) was significant in most SPOT 7 stepwise logistic regression models at p<0.05 whereas the blue, red, and near infrared (NIR) bands and standard deviation (STDv) variables were significant at p<0.05 in most of the Sentinel 2 models. The SPOT 7 model performed Sentinel-2 models, thus resulting in the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 for the conditional co-occurrence of S. mauritianum (P1) and L. camara (P2). The Sentinel 2 model yielded an AUC of 0.83. The SPOT 7 model performed superior in mapping the conditional co-occurrence of S. mauritianum and L. camara than the Sentinel 2 model. These results suggest that high spatial resolution satellite images like SPOT 7 can delineate the potential distribution of IAPs in the tea plantation and thus assisting in management strategies geared towards IAP’s elimination and control.

Diversity and distribution of invasive alien plant species along elevation gradient in Makawanpur district, central Nepal

Diversity and distribution of invasive alien plant species along elevation gradient in Makawanpur district, central Nepal

Different facets of the same niche: Integrating citizen science and scientific survey data to predict biological invasion risk under multiple global change drivers.

Citizen science initiatives have been increasingly used by researchers as a source of occurrence data to model the distribution of alien species. Since citizen science presence-only data suffer from some fundamental issues, efforts have been made to combine these data with those provided by scientifically structured surveys. Surprisingly, only a few studies proposing data integration evaluated the contribution of this process to the effective sampling of species' environmental niches and, consequently, its effect on model predictions on new time intervals. We relied on niche overlap analyses, machine learning classification algorithms and ecological niche models to compare the ability of data from citizen science and scientific surveys, along with their integration, in capturing the realized niche of 13 invasive alien species in Italy. Moreover, we assessed differences in current and future invasion risk predicted by each data set under multiple global change scenarios. We showed that data from citizen science and scientific surveys captured similar species niches though highlighting exclusive portions associated with clearly identifiable environmental conditions. In terrestrial species, citizen science data granted the highest gain in environmental space to the pooled niches, determining an increased future biological invasion risk. A few aquatic species modelled at the regional scale reported a net loss in the pooled niches compared to their scientific survey niches, suggesting that citizen science data may also lead to contraction in pooled niches. For these species, models predicted a lower future biological invasion risk. These findings indicate that citizen science data may represent a valuable contribution to predicting future spread of invasive alien species, especially within national-scale programmes. At the same time, citizen science data collected on species poorly known to citizen scientists, or in strictly local contexts, may strongly affect the niche quantification of these taxa and the prediction of their future biological invasion risk.

Citizen science reveal new distribution record and possibility of herpetofauna alien species spread in Java – Bali Region

In Indonesia, several reports have been related to the distribution of alien herpetofauna species, especially in Java-Bali. This research aims to reveal the distribution record and possible new distribution of herpetofauna species in the Java-Bali region, including the possibility of alien species. Amfibi Reptil Kita (ARK) uses citizen science methods to collect herpetofauna data from 2017 – 2020 to see possible distribution of herpetofauna new species in the Java – Bali region. The data are then separated by year and region for analysis. After sorting, the data matched the distribution of species through various libraries and geotagged references based on each account. There are six new species recorded in Java-Bali referred to alien species. There are six new species recorded in Java-Bali reffered to alien species. Polypedates macrotis is a new record for Java, while two other amphibian species, Ranoidea caerulea and Lithobates catesbeianus are species whose natural distribution is not in Java-Bali. For reptiles, three types are indicated as alien species in Java-Bali, namely Calotes versicolor, Lamprolepis smaragdina and Pelodiscus sinensis. If alien species such as Lithobates catesbeianus, Calotes versicolor and Lamprolepis smaragdina are not managed properly there are possibility of becoming invasive species and threatening the existence of local species.

Naturalized and invasive alien plants in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, covers an area of 20,000 km2 and is one of the world’s most widely known protected areas. Like many protected areas, KNP is facing an increasing problem with the introduction and spread of alien plants. However, species prioritization using poor baseline data remains a key challenge for managers globally. Publications, expert opinion, and field observations indicate that 407 alien plant taxa have been recorded in the KNP; this list also included hybrids, ornamentals, records that could only be identified to the genus level, and extralimitals (i.e., species native elsewhere in South Africa; 22 species in total); in addition, two species are considered eradicated, and three potentially eradicated. Such extensive lists of poorly defined species’ statuses accumulated over long periods of time poses challenges to current decision-making processes. This is especially important for the management of naturalized (maintaining self-sustaining populations) and invasive species (subset of naturalized species that have spreading populations), because management needs to identify and target high-priority species and vulnerable sites. Here, we provide an up-to-date inventory of alien plant species that occur in natural areas in KNP (i.e., beyond tourist camps and other infrastructure) and thus represent a potential threat to the native species diversity in the park. We identified 146 such alien taxa, of which 30 are casuals, 58 are naturalized, 21 have become invasive, and for 37 species, the status remains to be determined. Twelve of the invasive species in KNP are globally widespread, occurring in more than 100 regions, and five (i.e., Pontederia crassipes, Lantana camara, Opuntia stricta, Chromolaena odorata and Mimosa pigra) are listed among 100 of the world’s worst invasive alien species. The alien flora in KNP comprises 41 families. Solanaceae (45.5%) and Asteraceae (26.1%) are over-represented among invasive species compared to non-invasive species. The alien flora of KNP mostly originates from North America and South America, and largely consists of perennials and herbaceous species. We found no significant results regarding the effect of origin and life span on invasion status. Despite a steady increase in the numbers of alien and naturalized plants since the 1980s, species we classified as invasive generally represent earlier introductions and have not increased substantially since the beginning of this century. Our paper highlights that carefully revised naturalized and invasive species lists reflecting the current situation in protected areas present a strong knowledge base for effective management strategies. In addition to addressing data gaps related to the distribution of alien species on a global scale, knowledge from large protected areas such as KNP contributes to understanding invasions in landscapes with varying and unique habitat types.

Life-history habitat suitability modelling of a potential invasive alien species, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), in South Korea

The aim of this study was to predict the distribution of a potential invasive alien species, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), in South Korea using a life-history-based habitat suitability model. Environmental data (air temperature, water temperature, and fish occurrence) at present (2011–2020) were collected from 160 representative sites across the five river basins (Han, Nakdong, Guem, Seomjin, and Yeongsan). Future predictions were conducted under the representative concentration pathway 8.5 scenario in the 2050s (2046–2055) and the 2080s (2076–2085). Two spawning scenarios were implemented in the future, where smallmouth bass will not change the spawning season in the non-adaptive scenario and change the season in the adaptive scenario. The life-history habitat suitability (LHS) of smallmouth bass was evaluated using the geometric mean of the annual habitat suitability indices (HSIs) for each life stage (adult, juvenile, fry, and spawner). The LHS model was validated using the occurrence data of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), which shares most of its habitats with smallmouth bass. The average LHS of smallmouth bass in South Korea was predicted to be 0.519 at present and expected to be 0.491 and 0.541 in the 2080s under non-adaptive and adaptive scenarios, respectively. Considering that the period for spawner fish may change in the future under climate change, the adaptive scenario seems to be more reasonable. The potential presence rate of smallmouth bass in South Korea was 100% at present, except for the Han River Basin (66%) which was expected to increase to 86% in the 2080s under the adaptive scenarios. The LHS model predicted that smallmouth bass could inhabit South Korea, and its distribution may expand under global warming, requiring urgent preventive measures.