Use Of Non-native Species Research Articles

Ancient and Recent Hybridization in the Oreochromis Cichlid Fishes.

Cichlid fishes of the genus Oreochromis (tilapia) are among the most important fish for inland capture fisheries and global aquaculture. Deliberate introductions of non-native species for fisheries improvement and accidental escapees from farms have resulted in admixture with indigenous species. Such hybridization may be detrimental to native biodiversity, potentially leading to genomic homogenization of populations and the loss of important genetic material associated with local adaptation. By contrast, introgression may fuel diversification when combined with ecological opportunity, by supplying novel genetic combinations. To date, the role of introgression in the evolutionary history of tilapia has not been explored. Here we studied both ancient and recent hybridization in tilapia, using whole genome resequencing of 575 individuals from 23 species. We focused on Tanzania, a natural hotspot of tilapia diversity, and a country where hybridization between exotic and native species in the natural environment has been previously reported. We reconstruct the first genome-scale phylogeny of the genus and reveal prevalent ancient gene flow across the Oreochromis phylogeny. This has likely resulted in the hybrid speciation of one species, O. chungruruensis. We identify multiple cases of recent hybridization between native and introduced species in the wild, linked to the use of non-native species in both capture fisheries improvement and aquaculture. This has potential implications for both conservation of wild populations and the development of the global tilapia aquaculture industry.

An overview of fish stocking in Brazil

Abstract Fish stocking is a common management strategy in Brazil, yet no assessment has examined its real extent and features. The present work investigated fish stocking practices in Brazil between 2010 and 2019 to characterize propagule pressure, species composition, the use of non-native species, geographical and temporal trends, environment types, and responsible agencies. Based on information disseminated on the internet, the study detected 1,155 stocking events (ca. 115 events/year). In total, ca. 56.4 million fish were stocked, with an average of ca. 90 thousand fish/event. We found events in all Brazilian regions involving 436 municipalities and 21 states. Most events occurred in the Northeast region (66.3%), which received alone ca. 41 million fish. Reservoirs were the primary target environment, and the public sector conducted most events. Fish stocking involved 63 taxa, including 14 non-native taxa and three hybrids. Considering the events that informed composition, 62.4% released non-native species, which summed 19.7 million fish. These results provide a broad overview of fish stocking practices in Brazil, and reveal that this action is widely disseminated. Its frequent use, associated with the lack of proper criteria and the illegal stocking of non-native species, raise concerns about technical aspects, outcomes, and potential environmental impacts.

ECOLOGICAL REHABILITATION INDICATORS FOR ONE EUCALYPTUS REFORESTATION WITH AN OAK FOREST AS REFERENCE

The evaluation of reforestation for ecological restoration purposes in an area requires the comparison of similarity indicators with nearby reference forests. The objective of this study was to compare the vegetal composition, structure, falling debris, and their decomposition in the soil of a reforestation site of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, planted more than 50 years ago, and a neighbouring forest dominated by Quercus deserticola Trel. and Q. laeta Liebm (used as reference), in an area of the State of Mexico; and obtain quantitative indicators of the trajectory of rehabilitation through the use of non-native species of Mexico. In reforestation and oak forest, we established 12 sampling sites where the composition, structure and two ecological processes (falling debris and decomposition) were determined. In addition, solar radiation was estimated by taking zenith photos of the canopy, using a hemispherical lens. When data was within normal distribution, we used the Student test, and when it was not, the Wilcoxon test was used to compare the variables studied. The reference forest outperformed reforestation (p ≤ 0.05) in: richness (68 and 50 species); diversity (Simpson index, 1.6-2.6 and 0.7-2.3); normal diameter (21.3 and 13.7 cm), accumulated leaf litter (18.2 and 9.2 Mg ha-1), detritus fall (0.606 and 0.321 Mg ha-1 per month), and litter decomposition (0.443 and 0.251 Mg ha-1 per month). Reforestation had a higher total radiation (5384 vs. 4376 MJ m-2 year-1) and tree height (8.1 vs. 7.4 m). The percentage values of importance were 32.8 and 26.9 % for Quercus deserticola and Q. laeta in the oak forest, and 70 % for E. camaldulensis in the reforestation. After 50 years, reforestation still showed statistical differences from forest in composition, structure, and soil processes.

Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

The use of contaminated soils in food production imposes the need for the reduction in heavy metals concentrations, using various techniques, in order to eliminate the toxic effects of pollution and ensure safety in the consumption of agricultural products. Phytoremediation is a promising, effective, and publicly acceptable method to remove soils’ toxicity. This study aims to investigate the current knowledge on plants’ metal tolerance mechanisms, the use of Mediterranean plants in phytoremediation, and the economic perspective for its application on large scales. A total of 166 research studies were systematically reviewed, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The findings indicate that phytoremediation has more advantages compared to other techniques. It can be a sustainable and affordable option, especially for developing countries, due to the relatively low application and maintenance costs. Many hyperaccumulating plants have been identified that can be used in soil cleansing, enhancing the applicability and replicability of the method. The selection of the appropriate plant species is based on their specific physiological characteristics to remove undesirable elements from the soils and, in certain cases, there is a preference for use of non-native species. However, such species may exhibit invasive behaviors, introducing high uncertainties and risks in the preservation of local ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean zone, since they can have a serious impact on the environmental and ecological dynamics of the local plant communities. The use of native plants is generally more advantageous since they are better acclimated, have no effects on the local ecological balance, and can eliminate the legal restrictions for their use (seed availability, planting, etc.).

Phytoremediation Potential of Native Herbaceous Plant Species Growing on a Paradigmatic Brownfield Site

Phytomanagement techniques using native species allow the recovery of contaminated soils at low cost and circumvent the ecological risks associated with the use of non-native species. In this context, a paradigmatic brownfield megasite highly contaminated by As and Pb was sampled in order to analyze soil–plant interactions and identify plant species with phytoremediation potential. A survey was first carried out in a 20-ha area to obtain an inventory of species growing spontaneously throughout the site. We then performed another survey in the most polluted sub-area (1 ha) within the site. Pseudototal concentrations of contaminants in the soil, aerial parts of the plants, and roots were measured by ICP-MS. A detailed habitat classification was done, and a specific index of coverage was applied by means of a 1-year quadrat study in various sampling stations. Results converged in the selection of six herbaceous species (Dysphania botrys, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus hispidus, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Medicago lupulina). All of these plants are fast-growing, thereby making them suitable for use in phytostabilization strategies. Furthermore, they are all easy to grow and propagate and are generally self-sustaining. All six plants showed accumulation factors below 1, thus revealing them as pseudomethallophytes and excluders. However, L. hispidus and M. lupulina showed translocation capacity and are considered worthy of further study.

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

Indigenous plants promote insect biodiversity in urban greenspaces.

The contribution of urban greenspaces to support biodiversity and provide benefits for people is increasingly recognized. However, ongoing management practices favor vegetation oversimplification, often limiting greenspaces to lawns and tree canopy rather than multi-layered vegetation that includes under- and midstorey, and the use of nonnative species. These practices hinder the potential of greenspaces to sustain indigenous biodiversity, particularly for taxa like insects that rely on plants for food and habitat. Yet, little is known about which plant species may maximize positive outcomes for taxonomically and functionally diverse insect communities in greenspaces. Additionally, while cities are expected to experience high rates of introductions, quantitative assessments of the relative occupancy of indigenous vs. introduced insect species in greenspace are rare, hindering understanding of how management may promote indigenous biodiversity while limiting the establishment of introduced insects. Using a hierarchically replicated study design across 15 public parks, we recorded occurrence data from 552 insect species on 133 plant species, differing in planting design element (lawn, midstorey, and tree canopy), midstorey growth form (forbs, lilioids, graminoids, and shrubs) and origin (nonnative, native, and indigenous), to assess (1) the relative contributions of indigenous and introduced insect species and (2) which plant species sustained the highest number of indigenous insects. We found that the insect community was overwhelmingly composed of indigenous rather than introduced species. Our findings further highlight the core role of multi-layered vegetation in sustaining high insect biodiversity in urban areas, with indigenous midstorey and canopy representing key elements to maintain rich and functionally diverse indigenous insect communities. Intriguingly, graminoids supported the highest indigenous insect richness across all studied growth forms by plant origin groups. Our work highlights the opportunity presented by indigenous understory and midstorey plants, particularly indigenous graminoids, in our study area to promote indigenous insect biodiversity in urban greenspaces. Our study provides a blueprint and stimulus for architects, engineers, developers, designers, and planners to incorporate into their practice plant species palettes that foster a larger presence of indigenous over regionally native or nonnative plant species, while incorporating a broader mixture of midstorey growth forms.

Kõik värviks: Eestis kasvanud taimedest saadud värvid tekstiilil / All for colours: dyes from plants growing in Estonia on textile

The research carried out during practical work at the Department of Textile Design of the Estonian Academy of Arts focuses on the acquisition of plant and alternative synthetic textile dyes in Estonian weather conditions in the context of textile printing and dyeing. The aim is to study the effect of plant dyes on textiles, by modifying different variables. As the result of testing, the author wanted to select more intensive plants and techniques, which withstand at least a first warm washing, and which could be studied further via a more systematic experimenting and testing.
 In order to get multiple results at once, the majority of tests in fact comprise 12 tests, the results of which are presented on one page, including 12 samples of dye and the initial information about plants and procedures. A collection of dye samples comprises 132 test sheets, and presents the practical results of the research. All practical tests are documented with written descriptions compiled as an annex to the test sheets; some tests are also photographed.
 It was observed how the dyeing results depend upon different conditions, e.g. the time of collecting plants, the dyeing process, the dyed textile fibres or the acidity of the solution. In order to fix the dye in textile different methods were applied, and the impact of temperature, time, different tanning substances, water and oxygen on the tone of the dye and its intensity was studied. Most samples of dyes have been washed in water at least 50 °C warm and ironed at a minimum of 200 °C after the dyeing process.
 The author searched for possible sources of natural dyes in Estonia, taking into account the local tradition of natural dyes, and also exploring the options of introducing species not so well known as dyeing plants. The author cultivated plants for testing and collected species widespread in nature. The author discusses environmental problems connected with collecting and growing the plants, such as moving in nature and the hazard of the expansion of invasive non-native species on the local richness of species.
 The choice of plants for this research paper is based on several different principles, which typically occur when searching for a possible source of dye. Based on the courses of thought, the author divides the plants used into eight theme groups with conditional names is as follows: ‘Primeval’, ‘Exotic’, ‘Weeds’, ‘Name shows the destiny’, ‘Compost’, ‘Minor relatives’, ‘Plants with beautiful colour’ and ‘Two-in-one’. 
 Common bright colours, which tolerated washing in warm water but needed technological improvement for increased light-resistance could be mentioned, e.g. the Dyer’s woad giving the blue dye, the Northern bedstraw giving red tones, Safflower that gives pink and yellow tones. Many plants gave warm brown tones. Among technologies, the most promising proved to be Joy Boutrup’s technique for reserve printing, during which the sodium alginate printed on the cloth is transferred into unsolvable form.
 Biological tanning substances, renewable energy like solar power, and the use of a high temperature by extending the low dyeing time and bacterial fermentation dyeing might be some further steps in the development of sustainable dyeing processes. Finding low-cost production dyeing plants among weeds, the restricted use of non-native species, and of plant residue of food industry and other sectors would be a valuable and sustainable source of dye.
 Key words: dyeing with plants, natural dyes, dye plants, textile printing, printing techniques, tannins

Small-scale coastal fisheries in European Seas are not what they were: Ecological, social and economic changes

Coastal, small-scale fisheries (SSF), whether artisanal (professional) or recreational, represent important socioeconomic activities across Europe that are currently undergoing a number of changes. This paper reviews and analyses the drivers of these changes, and makes recommendations for the future management of SSF. From the biological standpoint, the use of fishing gears that actively select certain species, sizes and sexes, the deployment of fishing gears on certain fragile habitats, the loss of fishing gears and the use of non-native species as bait are examples of how SSFs can threaten the sustainability of vulnerable coastal species and habitats. From a socioeconomic perspective, several factors are altering the traditional characteristics of coastal SSF. Among the most important is the growth of recreational fisheries in coastal waters and the disappearance of traditional low technology fisheries or their substitution by more mechanised, technical fisheries, which is leading to a loss of the traditional ecological knowledge held by artisanal fishers. On the other hand, the increasing competition between artisanal and recreational fisheries, and between them and commercial fishing operations, are also altering the classical features of coastal fisheries in some European countries. SSFs must adapt to the requirements of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), namely management based on Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), multi-annual management plans and ecosystem based principles. It is concluded that it is necessary to integrate different assessment approaches (biological, social and economic), with active participation from stakeholders, governments and relevant research institutions, to better evaluate and manage coastal fisheries.

Phytoremediation capability of native plant species living on Pb-Zn and Hg-As mining wastes in the Cantabrian range, north of Spain

Purpose phytoremediation with native species is a low cost technique for recovering contaminated soils avoiding ecological risks associated to the use of non-native species. Materials and methods six ancient mining tailings extremely contaminated by heavy metal(oid)s (Pb, Zn, As and Hg) were sampled in the Principality of Asturias (northern Spain) (3 from Hg-As mining tailings: Caunedo, Soterraña and Terronal, and 3 from Pb-Zn mining: Carmina; San Jose and Mánforas Mánforas). In order to both analyze soil-plant interactions and identify plant species with phytoremediation potential. In this survey, 118 samples of plants and the corresponding soils were taken within the abovementioned sites. Soil and plant samples were analyzed for total concentrations of relevant metals and metalloids by ICP-MS. In soils, exchangeable metal concentration, pH, conductivity and CIC, were determined. Eighty representative plant species (13 of them replicated in several locations) were finally evaluated. Results and discussion this survey identified Coincyamonensis as a Zn hyperaccumulator with high soil to pant transfer factor for Cd. Among grasses, the endemic Agrostis durieui tolerated high tissue Pb concentrations and this species was dominant at Pb-Zn spoil heaps at Carmina. Holcus lanatus and Festuca rubra excluded Hg and As more efficiently than Dactylis glomerata. Among the legume species Cytisus striatus, Cytisus scoparius, Genista legionensis and Lotus corniculatus were efficient excluders. Prevailing tree species also were efficient excluders, excepting willows. Conclusions the mining area of the Asturian Principality is an important reservoir of a large number of plant species with high potential for phytostabilization or phytoextraction of soils contaminated by Hg, As, Zn and/or Pb.

Ecological restoration across the Mediterranean Basin as viewed by practitioners

Restoration efforts in the Mediterranean Basin have been changing from a silvicultural to an ecological restoration approach. Yet, to what extent the projects are guided by ecological restoration principles remains largely unknown. To analyse this issue, we built an on-line survey addressed to restoration practitioners.We analysed 36 restoration projects, mostly from drylands (86%). The projects used mainly soil from local sources. The need to comply with legislation was more important as a restoration motive for European Union (EU) than for non-EU countries, while public opinion and health had a greater importance in the latter. Non-EU countries relied more on non-native plant species than EU countries, thus deviating from ecological restoration guidelines. Nursery-grown plants used were mostly of local or regional provenance, whilst seeds were mostly of national provenance. Unexpected restoration results (e.g. inadequate biodiversity) were reported for 50% of the projects and restoration success was never evaluated in 22%. Long term evaluation (>6years) was only performed in 31% of cases, and based primarily on plant diversity and cover. The use of non-native species and species of exogenous provenances may: i) entail the loss of local genetic and functional trait diversity, critical to cope with drought, particularly under the predicted climate change scenarios, and ii) lead to unexpected competition with native species and/or negatively impact local biotic interactions. Absent or inappropriate monitoring may prevent the understanding of restoration trajectories, precluding adaptive management strategies, often crucial to create functional ecosystems able to provide ecosystem services. The overview of ecological restoration projects in the Mediterranean Basin revealed high variability among practices and highlighted the need for improved scientific assistance and information exchange, greater use of native species of local provenance, and more long-term monitoring and evaluation, including functional and ecosystem services' indicators, to improve and spread the practice of ecological restoration.

Storability and freezing tolerance of Douglas fir and Norway spruce seedlings grown in mid-Sweden

ABSTRACTClimate change provides new challenges to Nordic forestry. Use of non-native species, such as Douglas fir, can be a means of mitigating the effects of climate change and meeting the growing demand for biomass. When Douglas fir is grown in Sweden, it is several degrees of latitude north of its normal range, which can affect timing of growth cessation, hardening of seedlings, and seedling storability. The objective of this study was to investigate tolerance to freezing and sub-zero storability of seven Douglas fir provenances and make comparisons with the native Norway spruce. Freezing tolerance and storability were evaluated by measuring the electrolytic leakage of shoots and roots after freezing, complemented with a three-week cultivation test after storage. All provenances of Douglas fir used in this study were able to tolerate frozen storage at −4°C for about four months. Norway spruce and the interior Douglas fir provenance, Three Valley, could be stored earlier in the autumn than the southern coastal Douglas fir provenances. Consequently, it should be possible to store Douglas fir seedlings with the same routines as for Norway spruce.

Increased forest biomass production in the Nordic and Baltic countries – a review on current and future opportunities

The Nordic and Baltic countries are in the frontline of replacing fossil fuel with renewables. An important question is how forest management of the productive parts of this region can support a sustainable development of our societies in reaching low or carbon neutral conditions by 2050. This may involve a 70% increased consumption of biomass and waste to meet the goals. The present review concludes that a 50–100% increase of forest growth at the stand scale, relative to today’s common level of forest productivity, is a realistic estimate within a stand rotation (~70 years). Change of tree species, including the use of non-native species, tree breeding, introduction of high-productive systems with the opportunity to use nurse crops, fertilization and afforestation are powerful elements in an implementation and utilization of the potential. The productive forests of the Nordic and Baltic countries cover in total 63 million hectares, which corresponds to an average 51% land cover. The annual growth is 287 million m and the annual average harvest is 189 million m (65% of the growth). A short-term increase of wood-based bioenergy by utilizing more of the growth is estimated to be between 236 and 416 TWh depending on legislative and operational restrictions. Balanced priorities of forest functions and management aims such as nature conservation, biodiversity, recreation, game management, ground water protection etc. all need consideration. We believe that these aims may be combined at the landscape level in ways that do not conflict with the goals of reaching higher forest productivity and biomass production.33

Do water quality criteria based on nonnative species provide appropriate protection for native species?

The potential use of toxicity data for nonnative species to derive water quality criteria is controversial because it is sometimes questioned whether criteria based on species from one geographical region provide appropriate protection for species in a different region. However, this is an important concept for the development of Chinese water quality criteria or standards. Data were assembled on 38 chemicals for which values were available for both native and nonnative species. Sensitivities of these organisms were compared based on the 5% hazardous concentration values and the species sensitivity distribution from a literature review. Results of the present study's analysis showed that there is approximately 74% certainty that use of nonnative species to generate water quality criteria would be sufficiently protective of aquatic ecosystems in China. Without applying any assessment factor to the water quality criteria generated from nonnative species, the uncertainty would be 26% when the native Chinese species might be under protection. Applying an assessment factor of 10 would offer adequate protection to native Chinese species for approximately 90% of tested chemicals and thus reduce the uncertainty from 26% to 10%.

Evaluating the Risk of Establishing a Self-Sustaining Population of Non-Native Oysters Through Large-Scale Aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay

ABSTRACT A multistep invasive species methodology was used to evaluate the probability that the deployment of sterile non-native oysters (Crassostrea ariakensis, called Asian oyster) in field-based aquaculture could give rise to a reproductive population in Chesapeake Bay. Several pathways that could potentially lead to the unintentional release of reproductive C. ariakensis from aquaculture were identified. For the four quantifiable pathways, a probability was estimated for each step based on knowledge of ecological rates. A conservative estimate for the number of reproductive C. ariakensis that could arise over one spawning season at a hypothetical aquaculture site was estimated. A statistical expansion of this probability estimated that it is highly likely that the cultivation of putatively sterile C. ariakensis would initiate a reproductive population in Chesapeake Bay over a 10-year time span. The potential benefits of restoration actions involving non-native species in estuarine ecosystems must be weighed against potential ecological risks. A probabilistic approach can provide a useful method for summarizing the risk of an unintended introduction that may occur despite a reasonable and presumably “safe” approach for realizing benefits of a non-native species in aquaculture. The results presented here have important implications for future proposals involving the commercial use of non-native species in natural ecosystems.

Climate change, fisheries, and aquaculture: trends and consequences for Canadian marine biodiversity1This manuscript is a companion paper to Vander Zwaag et al. (doi:10.1139/a2012-013) and Hutchings et al. (doi:10.1139/er-2012-0049) also appearing in this issue. These three papers comprise an edited version of a February 2012 Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel Report.

Climate change, fishing, and aquaculture have affected and will continue to influence Canadian marine biodiversity, albeit at different spatial scales. The Arctic is notably affected by reduced quality and quantity of sea ice caused by global warming, and by concomitant and forecasted changes in ocean productivity, species ecology, and human activity. The Atlantic has been especially impacted by severe overfishing and human-induced alterations to food webs. Climate change, fishing, and aquaculture have all affected, to varying degrees, biodiversity on Canada’s Pacific coast. Past and projected trends in key biodiversity stressors reveal marked change. Oceanographic trends include increasing surface water temperatures, reduced salinity, increased acidity, and, in some areas, reduced oxygen. Reductions in Canada’s fishery catches (those in 2009 were half those of the late 1980s), followed by reductions in fishing pressure, are associated with dramatic changes in the species composition of commercial catches in the Atlantic (formerly groundfish, now predominantly invertebrates and pelagic fish) and the Pacific (formerly salmon, now predominantly groundfish). Aquaculture, dominated by the farming of Atlantic salmon, grew rapidly from the early 1980s until 2002 and has since stabilized. Climate change is forecast to affect marine biodiversity by shifting species distributions, changing species community composition, decoupling the timing of species’ resource requirements and resource availability, and reducing habitat quality. Harvest-related reductions in fish abundance, many by 80% or more, coupled with fishing-induced changes to food webs, are impairing the capacity of species to recover or even persist. Open-sea aquaculture net pens affect biodiversity by (i) habitat alteration resulting from organic wastes, chemical inputs, and use of nonnative species; (ii) exchange of pathogens between farmed and wild species; and (iii) interbreeding between wild fish and farmed escapees. Physical and biological changes in the oceans, along with direct anthropogenic impacts, are modifying Canadian marine biodiversity with implications for food security and the social and economic well-being of coastal communities. To assess the consequences of changes in biodiversity for Canada’s oceans and society, it is necessary to understand the current state of marine biodiversity and how it might be affected by projected changes in climate and human uses.

The Beat

The Beat

The possible nutritional consequences for giant panda of establishing reserve corridors with various bamboo species

Efforts to conserve pandas in China now concentrate on providing a large enough contiguous reserve to ensure food sufficiency. Fragmented reserves are to be joined up by corridors. Planting or encouraging the growth of the panda's natural food—bamboo—will form an important part of the corridor formation. Local people, in general, lose income as a result of reservation and corridor formation. Planting alternative bamboo species gives local people the possibility to generate an alternative income. This study was undertaken to see if there might be either opportunities or threats to panda nutrition based on the way in which the species used to form the corridors were chosen. The nutritional contents of 12 suitable bamboo species from a bamboo garden nearby the most northerly panda population in China were analysed. Six species were native to the region and six were exotics. Three samples were taken from the mountainside in the panda reserve at Qinling mountains for comparison. It was found that there were only small differences between species or sites for most characteristics tested and the small differences that exist are unlikely to be of much practical significance. While only in the nature of a preliminary study, the results do not indicate any great opportunities for significant improvement in panda nutrition by bamboo species enrichment. However, neither do they indicate any great risk to panda nutrition by the introduction of bamboo species utilisable by village industries in the margin of these corridors. The use of the six native species should pose no ecological risk but the use of non-native species needs caution. However, our study has also shown that a diet of bamboo leaves by itself would not necessarily satisfy the panda's nutritional requirements. Given that nutrient contents vary seasonally and between plant parts, this study should be followed up by a more comprehensive sampling study.