Moussab/ORKG-training-evaluation-set huggingface dataset:
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Do biodiversity and human impact influence the introduction or establishment of alien mammals?
Abstract: What determines the number of alien species in a given region? ‘Native biodiversity’ and ‘human impact’ are typical answers to this question. Indeed, studies comparing different regions have frequently found positive relationships between number of alien species and measures of both native biodiversity (e.g. the number of native species) and human impact (e.g. human population). These relationships are typically explained by biotic acceptance or resistance, i.e. by influence of native biodiversity and human impact on the second step of the invasion process, establishment. The first step of the invasion process, introduction, has often been ignored. Here we investigate whether relationships between number of alien mammals and native biodiversity or human impact in 43 European countries are mainly shaped by differences in number of introduced mammals or establishment success. Our results suggest that correlation between number of native and established mammals is spurious, as it is simply explainable by the fact that both quantities are linked to country area. We also demonstrate that countries with higher human impact host more alien mammals than other countries because they received more introductions than other countries. Differences in number of alien mammals cannot be explained by differences in establishment success. Our findings highlight importance of human activities and question, at least for mammals in Europe, importance of biotic acceptance and resistance.
Extracted statement — Measure of invasion success: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Do biodiversity and human impact influence the introduction or establishment of alien mammals?
Abstract: What determines the number of alien species in a given region? ‘Native biodiversity’ and ‘human impact’ are typical answers to this question. Indeed, studies comparing different regions have frequently found positive relationships between number of alien species and measures of both native biodiversity (e.g. the number of native species) and human impact (e.g. human population). These relationships are typically explained by biotic acceptance or resistance, i.e. by influence of native biodiversity and human impact on the second step of the invasion process, establishment. The first step of the invasion process, introduction, has often been ignored. Here we investigate whether relationships between number of alien mammals and native biodiversity or human impact in 43 European countries are mainly shaped by differences in number of introduced mammals or establishment success. Our results suggest that correlation between number of native and established mammals is spurious, as it is simply explainable by the fact that both quantities are linked to country area. We also demonstrate that countries with higher human impact host more alien mammals than other countries because they received more introductions than other countries. Differences in number of alien mammals cannot be explained by differences in establishment success. Our findings highlight importance of human activities and question, at least for mammals in Europe, importance of biotic acceptance and resistance.
Extracted statement — Measure of resistance/susceptibility: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Global patterns of introduction effort and establishment success in birds
Abstract: Theory suggests that introduction effort (propagule size or number) should be a key determinant of establishment success for exotic species. Unfortunately, however, propagule pressure is not recorded for most introductions. Studies must therefore either use proxies whose efficacy must be largely assumed, or ignore effort altogether. The results of such studies will be flawed if effort is not distributed at random with respect to other characteristics that are predicted to influence success. We use global data for more than 600 introduction events for birds to show that introduction effort is both the strongest correlate of introduction success, and correlated with a large number of variables previously thought to influence success. Apart from effort, only habitat generalism relates to establishment success in birds.
Extracted statement — Measure of resistance/susceptibility: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Global assessment of establishment success for amphibian and reptile invaders
Abstract: Abstract Context. According to the tens rule, 10% of introduced species establish themselves. Aims. We tested this component of the tens rule for amphibians and reptiles globally, in Europe and North America, where data are presumably of good quality, and on islands versus continents. We also tested whether there was a taxonomic difference in establishment success between amphibians and reptiles. Methods. We examined data comprising 206 successful and 165 failed introduction records for 161 species of amphibians to 55 locations, and 560 successful and 641 failed introduction records for 469 species of reptiles to 116 locations around the world. Key results. Globally, establishment success was not different between amphibians (67%) and reptiles (62%). Both means were well above the 10% value predicted by the tens rule. In Europe and North America, establishment success was lower, although still higher than 10%. For reptiles, establishment success was higher on islands than on continents. Our results question the tens rule and do not show taxonomic differences in establishment success. Implications. Similar to studies on other taxa (birds and mammals), we found that establishment success was generally above 40%. This suggests that we should focus management on reducing the number of herptile species introduced because both reptiles and amphibians have a high likelihood of establishing. As data collection on invasions continue, testing establishment success in light of other factors, including propagule pressure, climate matching and taxonomic classifications, may provide additional insight into which species are most likely to establish in particular areas.
Extracted statement — Measure of resistance/susceptibility: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Establishment success across convergent Mediterranean ecosystems: an analysis of bird introductions
Abstract: Abstract: Concern over the impact of invaders on biodiversity and on the functioning of ecosystems has generated a rising tide of comparative analyses aiming to unveil the factors that shape the success of introduced species across different regions. One limitation of these studies is that they often compare geographically rather than ecologically defined regions. We propose an approach that can help address this limitation: comparison of invasions across convergent ecosystems that share similar climates. We compared avian invasions in five convergent mediterranean climate systems around the globe. Based on a database of 180 introductions representing 121 avian species, we found that the proportion of bird species successfully established was high in all mediterranean systems (more than 40% for all five regions). Species differed in their likelihood to become established, although success was not higher for those originating from mediterranean systems than for those from nonmediterranean regions. Controlling for this taxonomic effect with generalized linear mixed models, species introduced into mediterranean islands did not show higher establishment success than those introduced to the mainland. Susceptibility to avian invaders, however, differed substantially among the different mediterranean regions. The probability that a species will become established was highest in the Mediterranean Basin and lowest in mediterranean Australia and the South African Cape. Our results suggest that many of the birds recently introduced into mediterranean systems, and especially into the Mediterranean Basin, have a high potential to establish self‐sustaining populations. This finding has important implications for conservation in these biologically diverse hotspots.
Extracted statement — Measure of resistance/susceptibility: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Establishment success of introduced amphibians increases in the presence of congeneric species
Abstract: Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis predicts that the success of alien invaders will decrease with increasing taxonomic similarity to the native community. Alternatively, shared traits between aliens and the native assemblage may preadapt aliens to their novel surroundings, thereby facilitating establishment (the preadaptation hypothesis). Here we examine successful and failed introductions of amphibian species across the globe and find that the probability of successful establishment is higher when congeneric species are present at introduction locations and increases with increasing congener species richness. After accounting for positive effects of congeners, residence time, and propagule pressure, we also find that invader establishment success is higher on islands than on mainland areas and is higher in areas with abiotic conditions similar to the native range. These findings represent the first example in which the preadaptation hypothesis is supported in organisms other than plants and suggest that preadaptation has played a critical role in enabling introduced species to succeed in novel environments.
Extracted statement — Measure of resistance/susceptibility: Establishment success
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Functional differences in response to drought in the invasive Taraxacum officinale from native and introduced alpine habitat ranges
Abstract: Background: Phenotypic plasticity and ecotypic differentiation have been suggested as the main mechanisms by which widely distributed species can colonise broad geographic areas with variable and stressful conditions. Some invasive plant species are among the most widely distributed plants worldwide. Plasticity and local adaptation could be the mechanisms for colonising new areas. Aims: We addressed if Taraxacum officinale from native (Alps) and introduced (Andes) stock responded similarly to drought treatment, in terms of photosynthesis, foliar angle, and flowering time. We also evaluated if ontogeny affected fitness and physiological responses to drought. Methods: We carried out two common garden experiments with both seedlings and adults (F2) of T. officinale from its native and introduced ranges in order to evaluate their plasticity and ecotypic differentiation under a drought treatment. Results: Our data suggest that the functional response of T. officinale individuals from the introduced range to drought is the result of local adaptation rather than plasticity. In addition, the individuals from the native distribution range were more sensitive to drought than those from the introduced distribution ranges at both seedling and adult stages. Conclusions: These results suggest that local adaptation may be a possible mechanism underlying the successful invasion of T. officinale in high mountain environments of the Andes.
Extracted statement — Specific traits: Fitness and physiological responses to drought
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Predicting the number of ecologically harmful exotic species in an aquatic system
Abstract: Most introduced species apparently have little impact on native biodiversity, but the proliferation of human vectors that transport species worldwide increases the probability of a region being affected by high‐impact invaders – i.e. those that cause severe declines in native species populations. Our study determined whether the number of high‐impact invaders can be predicted from the total number of invaders in an area, after controlling for species–area effects. These two variables are positively correlated in a set of 16 invaded freshwater and marine systems from around the world. The relationship is a simple linear function; there is no evidence of synergistic or antagonistic effects of invaders across systems. A similar relationship is found for introduced freshwater fishes across 149 regions. In both data sets, high‐impact invaders comprise approximately 10% of the total number of invaders. Although the mechanism driving this correlation is likely a sampling effect, it is not simply the proportional sampling of a constant number of repeat‐offenders; in most cases, an invader is not reported to have strong impacts on native species in the majority of regions it invades. These findings link vector activity and the negative impacts of introduced species on biodiversity, and thus justify management efforts to reduce invasion rates even where numerous invasions have already occurred.
Extracted statement — Habitat: Freshwater and marine
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Using ecological restoration to constrain biological invasion
Abstract: Summary 1 Biological invasion can permanently alter ecosystem structure and function. Invasive species are difficult to eradicate, so methods for constraining invasions would be ecologically valuable. We examined the potential of ecological restoration to constrain invasion of an old field by Agropyron cristatum, an introduced C3 grass. 2 A field experiment was conducted in the northern Great Plains of North America. One-hundred and forty restored plots were planted in 1994–96 with a mixture of C3 and C4 native grass seed, while 100 unrestored plots were not. Vegetation on the plots was measured periodically between 1994 and 2002. 3 Agropyron cristatum invaded the old field between 1994 and 2002, occurring in 5% of plots in 1994 and 66% of plots in 2002, and increasing in mean cover from 0·2% in 1994 to 17·1% in 2002. However, A. cristatum invaded one-third fewer restored than unrestored plots between 1997 and 2002, suggesting that restoration constrained invasion. Further, A. cristatum cover in restored plots decreased with increasing planted grass cover. Stepwise regression indicated that A. cristatum cover was more strongly correlated with planted grass cover than with distance from the A. cristatum source, species richness, percentage bare ground or percentage litter. 4 The strength of the negative relationship between A. cristatum and planted native grasses varied among functional groups: the correlation was stronger with species with phenology and physiology similar to A. cristatum (i.e. C3 grasses) than with dissimilar species (C4 grasses). 5 Richness and cover of naturally establishing native species decreased with increasing A. cristatum cover. In contrast, restoration had little effect on the establishment and colonization of naturally establishing native species. Thus, A. cristatum hindered colonization by native species while planted native grasses did not. 6 Synthesis and applications. To our knowledge, this study provides the first indication that restoration can act as a filter, constraining invasive species while allowing colonization by native species. These results suggest that resistance to invasion depends on the identity of species in the community and that restoration seed mixes might be tailored to constrain selected invaders. Restoring areas before invasive species become established can reduce the magnitude of biological invasion.
Extracted statement — Measure of species similarity: Functional groups
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Establishment and Management of Native Functional Groups in Restoration
Abstract: The limiting similarity hypothesis predicts that communities should be more resistant to invasion by non‐natives when they include natives with a diversity of traits from more than one functional group. In restoration, planting natives with a diversity of traits may result in competition between natives of different functional groups and may influence the efficacy of different seeding and maintenance methods, potentially impacting native establishment. We compare initial establishment and first‐year performance of natives and the effectiveness of maintenance techniques in uniform versus mixed functional group plantings. We seeded ruderal herbaceous natives, longer‐lived shrubby natives, or a mixture of the two functional groups using drill‐ and hand‐seeding methods. Non‐natives were left undisturbed, removed by hand‐weeding and mowing, or treated with herbicide to test maintenance methods in a factorial design. Native functional groups had highest establishment, growth, and reproduction when planted alone, and hand‐seeding resulted in more natives as well as more of the most common invasive, Brassica nigra. Wick herbicide removed more non‐natives and resulted in greater reproduction of natives, while hand‐weeding and mowing increased native density. Our results point to the importance of considering competition among native functional groups as well as between natives and invasives in restoration. Interactions among functional groups, seeding methods, and maintenance techniques indicate restoration will be easier to implement when natives with different traits are planted separately.
Extracted statement — Measure of species similarity: Functional groups
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Plant functional group diversity as a mechanism for invasion resistance
Abstract: A commonly cited mechanism for invasion resistance is more complete resource use by diverse plant assemblages with maximum niche complementarity. We investigated the invasion resistance of several plant functional groups against the nonindigenous forb Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa). The study consisted of a factorial combination of seven functional group removals (groups singularly or in combination) and two C. maculosa treatments (addition vs. no addition) applied in a randomized complete block design replicated four times at each of two sites. We quantified aboveground plant material nutrient concentration and uptake (concentration × biomass) by indigenous functional groups: grasses, shallow‐rooted forbs, deep‐rooted forbs, spikemoss, and the nonindigenous invader C. maculosa. In 2001, C. maculosa density depended upon which functional groups were removed. The highest C. maculosa densities occurred where all vegetation or all forbs were removed. Centaurea maculosa densities were the lowest in plots where nothing, shallow‐rooted forbs, deep‐rooted forbs, grasses, or spikemoss were removed. Functional group biomass was also collected and analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur. Based on covariate analyses, postremoval indigenous plot biomass did not relate to invasion by C. maculosa. Analysis of variance indicated that C. maculosa tissue nutrient percentage and net nutrient uptake were most similar to indigenous forb functional groups. Our study suggests that establishing and maintaining a diversity of plant functional groups within the plant community enhances resistance to invasion. Indigenous plants of functionally similar groups as an invader may be particularly important in invasion resistance.
Extracted statement — Measure of species similarity: Functional groups
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Resistance of Native Plant Functional Groups to Invasion by Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae)
Abstract: <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Understanding the relative importance of various functional groups in minimizing invasion by medusahead is central to increasing the resistance of native plant communities. The objective of this study was to determine the relative importance of key functional groups within an intact Wyoming big sagebrush–bluebunch wheatgrass community type on minimizing medusahead invasion. Treatments consisted of removal of seven functional groups at each of two sites, one with shrubs and one without shrubs. Removal treatments included (1) everything, (2) shrubs, (3) perennial grasses, (4) taprooted forbs, (5) rhizomatous forbs, (6) annual forbs, and (7) mosses. A control where nothing was removed was also established. Plots were arranged in a randomized complete block with 4 replications (blocks) at each site. Functional groups were removed beginning in the spring of 2004 and maintained monthly throughout each growing season through 2009. Medusahead was seeded at a rate of 2,000 seeds m<jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> (186 seeds ft<jats:sup>−2</jats:sup>) in fall 2005. Removing perennial grasses nearly doubled medusahead density and biomass compared with any other removal treatment. The second highest density and biomass of medusahead occurred from removing rhizomatous forbs (phlox). We found perennial grasses played a relatively more significant role than other species in minimizing invasion by medusahead. We suggest that the most effective basis for establishing medusahead-resistant plant communities is to establish 2 or 3 highly productive grasses that are complementary in niche and that overlap that of the invading species.</jats:p>
Extracted statement — Measure of species similarity: Functional groups
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: A test of the effects of functional group richness and composition on grassland invasibility
Abstract: Although many theoretical and observational studies suggest that diverse systems are more resistant to invasion by novel species than are less diverse systems, experimental data are uncommon. In this experiment, I manipulated the functional group richness and composition of a grassland community to test two related hypotheses: (1) Diversity and invasion resistance are positively related through diversity's effects on the resources necessary for invading plants' growth. (2) Plant communities resist invasion by species in functional groups already present in the community. To test these hypotheses, I removed plant functional groups (forbs, C3 graminoids, and C4 graminoids) from existing grassland vegetation to create communities that contained all possible combinations of one, two, or three functional groups. After three years of growth, I added seeds of 16 different native prairie species (legumes, nonleguminous forbs, C3 graminoids, and C4 graminoids) to a1 3 1 m portion of each 4 3 8 m plot. Overall invasion success was negatively related to resident functional group richness, but there was only weak evidence that resident species repelled functionally similar invaders. A weak effect of functional group richness on some resources did not explain the significant diversity-invasibility relationship. Other factors, particularly the different responses of resident functional groups to the initial disturbance of the experimental manipulation, seem to have been more important to community in- vasibility.
Extracted statement — Measure of species similarity: Functional groups