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Habitat provided by native species facilitates higher abundances of an invader in its introduced compared to native range. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6385. [PMID: 32286466 PMCID: PMC7156459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63429-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts invasive species have on biodiversity and ecosystem function globally have been linked to the higher abundances they often obtain in their introduced compared to native ranges. Higher abundances of invaders in the introduced range are often explained by a reduction in negative species interactions in that range, although results are equivocal. The role of positive interactions in explaining differences in the abundance of invaders between native and invasive ranges has not been tested. Using biogeographic surveys, we showed that the rocky shore porcelain crab, Petrolisthes elongatus, was ~4 times more abundant in its introduced (Tasmania, Australia) compared to its native (New Zealand) range. The habitat of these crabs in the invaded range (underside of intertidal boulders) was extensively covered with the habitat-forming tubeworm Galeolaria caespitosa. We tested whether the habitat provided by the tubeworm facilitates a higher abundance of the invasive crab by creating mimics of boulders with and without the tubeworm physical structure and measured crab colonisation into these habitats at three sites in both Tasmania and New Zealand. Adding the tubeworm structure increased crab abundance by an average of 85% across all sites in both ranges. Our intercontinental biogeographic survey and experiment demonstrate that native species can facilitate invader abundance and that positive interactions can be important drivers of invasion success.
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Uyà M, Bulleri F, Wright JT, Gribben PE. Facilitation of an invader by a native habitat-former increases along interacting gradients of environmental stress. Ecology 2019; 101:e02961. [PMID: 31863455 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Native habitat-forming species can facilitate invasion by reducing environmental stress or consumer pressure. However, the intensity of one stressor along a local gradient may differ when expanding the scale of observation to encompass major variations in background environmental conditions. In this study, we determined how facilitation of the invasive porcelain crab, Petrolisthes elongatus, by the native tube-forming serpulid, Galeolaria caespitosa, varied with environmental gradients at local (tidal height) and larger (wave exposure) spatial scales. G. caespitosa constructs a complex calcareous matrix on the underside of intertidal boulders and we predicted that its positive effects on P. elongatus density would increase in intensity with shore height and be stronger at wave-sheltered than wave-exposed locations. To test these predictions, we conducted two experiments. First, we determined the effects of serpulid presence (boulders with live or dead serpulid matrix vs. bare boulders) at six shore heights that covered the intertidal distribution of P. elongatus. Second, we determined the effects of serpulid presence (present vs. absent), shore height (high vs. low) and wave exposure (sheltered vs. exposed) on crabs across six locations within the invaded range in northern Tasmania, Australia. In Experiment 1, the presence of serpulids (either dead or alive) enhanced P. elongatus densities at all shore heights, with facilitation intensity (as determined by a relative interaction index; RII) tending to increase with shore height. In Experiment 2, serpulids facilitated P. elongatus across shore heights and wave exposures, although crab densities were lower at high shore levels of wave-sheltered locations. However, the intensity of crab facilitation by serpulids was greater on wave-sheltered than on wave-exposed shores, but only at the high shore level. This study demonstrates that local effects of native habitat-formers on invasive species are dependent on prevailing environmental conditions at larger spatial scales and that, under more stressful conditions, invaders become increasingly reliant on positive interactions with native habitat-formers. Increased strength of local-scale facilitation by native species, dampening broader scale variations in environmental stressors, could enhance the ability of invasive species to establish self-sustaining populations in the invaded range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Uyà
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Roma, Italy
| | - Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Australia
| | - Paul E Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, 2088, New South Wales, Australia
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Wright JT, Holmes ZC, Byers JE. Stronger positive association between an invasive crab and a native intertidal ecosystem engineer with increasing wave exposure. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 142:124-129. [PMID: 30314636 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers are predicted to have stronger facilitative effects when environmental stress is higher. Here we examined whether facilitation of the invasive porcelain crab Petrolisthes elongatus by the ecosystem engineering serpulid tube worm Galeolaria caespitosa increased with wave exposure. Petrolisthes occurs beneath intertidal boulders which often have a high cover of Galeolaria on their underside. Surveys across nine sites demonstrated Petrolisthes abundance beneath boulders increased with wave exposure and Galeolaria cover, although only when the habitat matrix beneath boulders was rock or mixed rock and sand. Moreover, as wave exposure increased, the strength of relationship between Petrolisthes abundance and the surface area of Galeolaria also increased. Experimentally, the presence of Galeolaria on the underside of boulders increased Petrolisthes abundance by 50% compared to boulders lacking Galeolaria. Our findings suggest the facilitative role of Galeolaria is stronger at more wave-exposed sites, which appears to contribute to a higher abundance of invasive Petrolisthes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Australia.
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Keogh CL, Miura O, Nishimura T, Byers JE. The double edge to parasite escape: invasive host is less infected but more infectable. Ecology 2017; 98:2241-2247. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn L. Keogh
- Odum School of Ecology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - Osamu Miura
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - Tomohiro Nishimura
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science; Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - James E. Byers
- Odum School of Ecology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
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Nawrot R, Albano PG, Chattopadhyay D, Zuschin M. Climate change and body size shift in Mediterranean bivalve assemblages: unexpected role of biological invasions. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.0357. [PMID: 28768884 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size is a synthetic functional trait determining many key ecosystem properties. Reduction in average body size has been suggested as one of the universal responses to global warming in aquatic ecosystems. Climate change, however, coincides with human-enhanced dispersal of alien species and can facilitate their establishment. We address effects of species introductions on the size structure of recipient communities using data on Red Sea bivalves entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. We show that the invasion leads to increase in median body size of the Mediterranean assemblage. Alien species are significantly larger than native Mediterranean bivalves, even though they represent a random subset of the Red Sea species with respect to body size. The observed patterns result primarily from the differences in the taxonomic composition and body-size distributions of the source and recipient species pools. In contrast to the expectations based on the general temperature-size relationships in marine ectotherms, continued warming of the Mediterranean Sea indirectly leads to an increase in the proportion of large-bodied species in bivalve assemblages by accelerating the entry and spread of tropical aliens. These results underscore complex interactions between changing climate and species invasions in driving functional shifts in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Nawrot
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria .,Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Paolo G Albano
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Devapriya Chattopadhyay
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur WB-741246, India
| | - Martin Zuschin
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Abstract
Ecosystem engineers facilitate communities by providing a structural habitat that reduces abiotic stress or predation pressure for associated species. However, disturbance may damage or move the engineer to a more stressful environment, possibly increasing the importance of facilitation for associated communities. In this study, we determined how disturbance to intertidal boulders (i.e., flipping) and the subsequent movement of a structural ecosystem engineer, the tube-forming serpulid worm Galeolaria caespitosa, from the bottom (natural state, low abiotic stress) to the top (disturbed state, high abiotic stress) surface of boulders influenced the importance of facilitation for intertidal communities across two intertidal zones. Theory predicts stronger relative facilitation should occur in the harsher environments of the top of boulders and the high intertidal zone. To test this prediction, we experimentally positioned boulders with the serpulids either face up or face down for 12 months in low and high zones in an intertidal boulder field. There were very different communities associated with the different boulders and serpulids had the strongest facilitative effects on the more stressful top surface of boulders with approximately double the species richness compared to boulders lacking serpulids. Moreover, within the serpulid matrix itself there was also approximately double the species richness (both zones) and abundance (high zone only) of small invertebrates on the top of boulders compared to the bottom. The high relative facilitation on the top of boulders reflected a large reduction in temperature by the serpulid matrix on that surface (up to 10°C) highlighting a key role for modification of the abiotic environment in determining the community-wide facilitation. This study has demonstrated that disturbance and subsequent movement of an ecosystem engineer to a more stressful environment increased the importance of facilitation and allowed species to persist that would otherwise be unable to survive in that environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Paul E Gribben
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, 2088, New South Wales, Australia
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Native ecosystem engineer facilitates recruitment of invasive crab and native invertebrates. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1206-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Ros M, Lacerda MB, Vázquez-Luis M, Masunari S, Guerra-García JM. Studying exotics in their native range: Can introduced fouling amphipods expand beyond artificial habitats? Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Gribben PE, Simpson M, Wright JT. Relationships between an invasive crab, habitat availability and intertidal community structure at biogeographic scales. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 110:124-131. [PMID: 26322856 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
At local scales, habitat availability influences interactions between native and invasive species. Habitat availability may also predict patterns in native communities and invasive species at biogeographic scales when both native and invasive species have specific habitat requirements. The New Zealand porcelain crab, Petrolisthes elongatus, has invaded intertidal rocky shores around Tasmania, Australia, where it is found in high densities (>1800 m(2)) under rocks. A hierarchical sampling approach was used to investigate 1) the relationship between habitat availability (rock cover) and the biomass and abundance of P. elongatus, and 2) the relationship between P. elongatus biomass and native communities at local and regional scales. Invertebrate communities and habitat availability were sampled at multiple sites in the north and south regions of Tasmania. P. elongatus biomass and abundance were positively correlated with rock cover and patterns were consistent at the biogeographic scale (between regions). P. elongatus biomass was positively correlated with native species richness, biomass and abundance highlighting their co-dependence on rock cover. However, multivariate analyses indicated a different native community structure with increasing P. elongatus biomass. Flat, strongly adhering gastropods (chitons and limpets) were positively correlated with P. elongatus biomass, whereas mobile gastropods and crabs were negatively correlated with P. elongatus biomass. Despite local scale variation, there were clear consistent relationships between habitat-availability and the biomass of P. elongatus, and between native communities and the biomass of P. elongatus suggesting that the relationships between native and invasive species may be predictable at large spatial scales. Moreover, the strong relationships between P. elongatus biomass and changes in native community structure suggest a greater understanding of its impact is needed so that appropriate management plans can be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Gribben
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, School of the Environment, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia; Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
| | - Michael Simpson
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 986, Launceston 7250, Australia
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