Moussab/ORKG-training-evaluation-set huggingface dataset:
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: The island biogeography of exotic bird species
Abstract: Aim: A recent upsurge of interest in the island biogeography of exotic species has followed from the argument that they may provide valuable information on the natural processes structuring island biotas. Here, we use data on the occurrence of exotic bird species across oceanic islands worldwide to demonstrate an alternative and previously untested hypothesis that these distributional patterns are a simple consequence of where humans have released such species, and hence of the number of species released. Location: Islands around the world. Methods: Statistical analysis of published information on the numbers of exotic bird species introduced to, and established on, islands around the world. Results: Established exotic birds showed very similar species-area relationships to native species, but different species-isolation relationships. However, in both cases the relationship for established exotics simply mimicked that for the number of exotic bird species introduced. Exotic bird introductions scaled positively with human population size and island isolation, and islands that had seen more native species extinctions had had more exotic species released. Main conclusion: The island biogeography of exotic birds is primarily a consequence of human, rather than natural, processes. © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: A comparative analysis of the relative success of introduced land birds on islands
Abstract: It has been suggested that more species have been successfully introduced to oceanic islands than to mainland regions. This suggestion has attracted considerable ecological interest and several theoretical mechanisms havebeen proposed. However, few data are available to test the hypotheses directly, and the pattern may simply result from many more species being transported to islands rather than mainland regions. Here I test this idea using data for global land birds and present evidence that introductions to islands have a higher probability of success than those to mainland regions. This difference between island and mainland landforms is not consistent among either taxonomic families or biogeographic regions. Instead, introduction attempts within the same biogeographic region have been significantly more successful than those that have occurred between two different biogeographic regions. Subsequently, the proportion of introduction attempts that have occurred within a single biogeographic region is thus a significant predictor of the observed variability in introduction success. I also show that the correlates of successful island introductions are probably different to those of successful mainland introductions.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
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 — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Are islands more susceptible to be invaded than continents? Birds say no
Abstract: Island communities are generally viewed as being more susceptible to invasion than those of mainland areas, yet empirical evidence is almost lacking. A species-by-species examination of introduced birds in two independent island-mainland comparisons is not consistent with this hypothesis. In the New Zealand-mainland Australia comparison, 16 species were successful in both regions, 19 always failed and only eight had mixed outcomes. Mixed results were observed less often than expected by chance, and in only 5 cases was the relationship in the predicted direction. This result is not biased by differences in introduction effort because, within species, the number of individuals released in New Zealand did not differ significantly from those released in mainland Australia. A similar result emerged in the Hawaiian islands-mainland USA comparison: among the 35 species considered, 15 were successful in both regions, seven always failed and 13 had mixed outcomes. In this occasion, the results fit well to those expected by chance, and in only seven cases was the relationship in the direction predicted. I therefore conclude that, if true, the view that islands are less resistant than continents to invasions is far from universal.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Sexual plumage differences and the outcome of game bird (Aves: Galliformes) introductions on oceanic islands
Abstract: Galliformes, after Passeriformes, is the group of birds that has been most introduced to oceanic islands. Among Passeriformes, whether the species’ plumage is sexually monochromatic or dichromatic, along with other factors such as introduction effort and interspecific competition, has been identified as a factor that limits introduction success. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that sexually dichromatic plumage reduces the probability of success for 51 species from 26 genera of game birds that were introduced onto 12 oceanic islands. Analyses revealed no significant differences in probability of introduction success between monochromatic and dichromatic species at either the generic or specific levels. We also found no significant difference between these two groups in size of native geographic range, wing length or humanintroduction effort. Our results do not support the hypothesis that sexually dichromatic plumage (probably a response to sexual selection) predicts introduction outcomes of game birds as has been reported for passerine birds. These findings suggest that passerine and non-passerine birds differ fundamentally in terms of factors that could influence introduction outcome, and should therefore be evaluated separately as opposed to lumping these two groups as ‘land birds’.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Patterns of extinction in the introduced Hawaiian avifauna: a reexamination of the role of competition
Abstract: Among introduced passeriform and columbiform birds of the six major Hawaiian islands, some species (including most of those introduced early) may have an intrinsically high probability of successful invasion, whereas others (including many of those introduced from 1900 through 1936) may be intrinsically less likely to succeed. This hypothesis accords well with the observation that, of the 41 species introduced on more than one of the Hawaiian islands, all but four either succeeded everywhere they were introduced or failed everywhere they were introduced, no matter what other species or how many other species were present. Other hypotheses, including competitive ones, are possible. However, most other patterns that have been claimed to support the hypothesis that competitive interactions have been key to which species survived are ambiguous. We propose that the following patterns are true: (1) Extinction rate as a function of number of species present (S) is not better fit by addition of an S2 term. (2) Bill-length differences between pairs of species that invaded together may tend to be less for pairs in which at least one species became extinct, but the result is easily changed by use of one reasonable set of conventions rather than another. In any event, the relationship of bill-length differences to resource overlap has not been established for these species. (3) Surviving forest passeriforms on Oahu may be overdispersed in morphological space, although the species pool used to construct the space may not have been the correct one. (4) Densities of surviving species on species-poor islands have not been shown to exceed those on species-rich islands.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Human-related processes drive the richness of exotic birds in Europe
Abstract: Both human-related and natural factors can affect the establishment and distribution of exotic species. Understanding the relative role of the different factors has important scientific and applied implications. Here, we examined the relative effect of human-related and natural factors in determining the richness of exotic bird species established across Europe. Using hierarchical partitioning, which controls for covariation among factors, we show that the most important factor is the human-related community-level propagule pressure (the number of exotic species introduced), which is often not included in invasion studies due to the lack of information for this early stage in the invasion process. Another, though less important, factor was the human footprint (an index that includes human population size, land use and infrastructure). Biotic and abiotic factors of the environment were of minor importance in shaping the number of established birds when tested at a European extent using 50×50 km2 grid squares. We provide, to our knowledge, the first map of the distribution of exotic bird richness in Europe. The richest hotspot of established exotic birds is located in southeastern England, followed by areas in Belgium and The Netherlands. Community-level propagule pressure remains the major factor shaping the distribution of exotic birds also when tested for the UK separately. Thus, studies examining the patterns of establishment should aim at collecting the crucial and hard-to-find information on community-level propagule pressure or develop reliable surrogates for estimating this factor. Allowing future introductions of exotic birds into Europe should be reconsidered carefully, as the number of introduced species is basically the main factor that determines the number established.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Ecological biogeography of southern oceanic islands: species-area relationships, human impacts, and conservation
Abstract: Previous studies have concluded that southern ocean islands are anomalous because past glacial extent and current temperature apparently explain most variance in their species richness. Here, the relationships between physical variables and species richness of vascular plants, insects, land and seabirds, and mammals were reexamined for these islands. Indigenous and introduced species were distinguished, and relationships between the latter and human occupancy variables were investigated. Most variance in indigenous species richness was explained by combinations of area and temperature (56%)—vascular plants; distance (nearest continent) and vascular plant species richness (75%)—insects; area and chlorophyll concentration (65%)—seabirds; and indigenous insect species richness and age (73%)—land birds. Indigenous insects and plants, along with distance (closest continent), explained most variance (70%) in introduced land bird species richness. A combination of area and temperature explained most variance in species richness of introduced vascular plants (73%), insects (69%), and mammals (69%). However, there was a strong relationship between area and number of human occupants. This suggested that larger islands attract more human occupants, increasing the risk of propagule transfer, while temperature increases the chance of propagule establishment. Consequently, human activities on these islands should be regulated more tightly.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Low prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in the introduced house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Brazil
Abstract: Species that are introduced to novel environments can lose their native pathogens and parasites during the process of introduction. The escape from the negative effects associated with these natural enemies is commonly employed as an explanation for the success and expansion of invasive species, which is termed the enemy release hypothesis (ERH). In this study, nested PCR techniques and microscopy were used to determine the prevalence and intensity (respectively) of Plasmodium spp. and Haemoproteus spp. in introduced house sparrows and native urban birds of central Brazil. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted by Laplace approximation considering a binomial error distribution and logit link function. Location and species were considered as random effects and species categorization (native or non-indigenous) as fixed effects. We found that native birds from Brazil presented significantly higher parasite prevalence in accordance with the ERH. We also compared our data with the literature, and found that house sparrows native to Europe exhibited significantly higher parasite prevalence than introduced house sparrows from Brazil, which also supports the ERH. Therefore, it is possible that house sparrows from Brazil might have experienced a parasitic release during the process of introduction, which might also be related to a demographic release (e.g. release from the negative effects of parasites on host population dynamics).
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Diversity, loss, and gain of malaria parasites in a globally invasive bird
Abstract: Invasive species can displace natives, and thus identifying the traits that make aliens successful is crucial for predicting and preventing biodiversity loss. Pathogens may play an important role in the invasive process, facilitating colonization of their hosts in new continents and islands. According to the Novel Weapon Hypothesis, colonizers may out-compete local native species by bringing with them novel pathogens to which native species are not adapted. In contrast, the Enemy Release Hypothesis suggests that flourishing colonizers are successful because they have left their pathogens behind. To assess the role of avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites in the global spread of a common invasive bird, we examined the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites (order Haemosporida, genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) infecting house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We sampled house sparrows (N = 1820) from 58 locations on 6 continents. All the samples were tested using PCR-based methods; blood films from the PCR-positive birds were examined microscopically to identify parasite species. The results show that haemosporidian parasites in the house sparrows' native range are replaced by species from local host-generalist parasite fauna in the alien environments of North and South America. Furthermore, sparrows in colonized regions displayed a lower diversity and prevalence of parasite infections. Because the house sparrow lost its native parasites when colonizing the American continents, the release from these natural enemies may have facilitated its invasion in the last two centuries. Our findings therefore reject the Novel Weapon Hypothesis and are concordant with the Enemy Release Hypothesis.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Birds
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Positive interactions between nonindigenous species facilitate transport by human vectors
Abstract: Numerous studies have shown how interactions between nonindigenous spe- cies (NIS) can accelerate the rate at which they establish and spread in invaded habitats, leading to an "invasional meltdown." We investigated facilitation at an earlier stage in the invasion process: during entrainment of propagules in a transport pathway. The introduced bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata is tolerant of several antifouling biocides and a common component of hull-fouling assemblages, a major transport pathway for aquatic NIS. We predicted that colonies of W. subtorquata act as nontoxic refugia for other, less tolerant species to settle on. We compared rates of recruitment of W. subtorquata and other fouling organisms to surfaces coated with three antifouling paints and a nontoxic primer in coastal marinas in Queensland, Australia. Diversity and abundance of fouling taxa were compared between bryozoan colonies and adjacent toxic or nontoxic paint surfaces. After 16 weeks immersion, W. subtorquata covered up to 64% of the tile surfaces coated in antifouling paint. Twenty-two taxa occurred exclusively on W. subtorquata and were not found on toxic surfaces. Other fouling taxa present on toxic surfaces were up to 248 times more abundant on W. subtorquata. Because biocides leach from the paint surface, we expected a positive relationship between the size of W. subtorquata colonies and the abundance and diversity of epibionts. To test this, we compared recruitment of fouling organisms to mimic W. subtorquata colonies of three different sizes that had the same total surface area. Sec- ondary recruitment to mimic colonies was greater when the surrounding paint surface contained biocides. Contrary to our predictions, epibionts were most abundant on small mimic colonies with a large total perimeter. This pattern was observed in encrusting and erect bryozoans, tubiculous amphipods, and serpulid and sabellid polychaetes, but only in the presence of toxic paint. Our results show that W. subtorquata acts as a foundation species for fouling assemblages on ship hulls and facilitates the transport of other species at greater abundance and frequency than would otherwise be possible. Invasion success may be increased by positive interactions between NIS that enhance the delivery of prop- agules by human transport vectors.
Extracted statement — Investigated species: Bryozoan
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Land Use and Avian Species Diversity Along an Urban Gradient
Abstract: I examined the distribution and abundance of bird species across an urban gradient, and concomitant changes in community structure, by censusing summer resident bird populations at six sites in Santa Clara County, California (all former oak woodlands). These sites represented a gradient of urban land use that ranged from relatively undisturbed to highly developed, and included a biological preserve, recreational area, golf course, residential neighborhood, office park, and business district. The composition of the bird community shifted from predominantly native species in the undisturbed area to invasive and exotic species in the business district. Species richness, Shannon diversity, and bird biomass peaked at moderately disturbed sites. One or more species reached maximal densities in each of the sites, and some species were restricted to a given site. The predevelopment bird species (assumed to be those found at the most undisturbed site) dropped out gradually as the sites became more urban. These patterns were significantly related to shifts in habitat structure that occurred along the gradient, as determined by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) using the environmental variables of percent land covered by pavement, buildings, lawn, grasslands, and trees or shrubs. I compared each formal site to four additional sites with similar levels of development within a two-county area to verify that the bird communities at the formal study sites were rep- resentative of their land use category.
Extracted statement — Focal entity: Communities
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Treatment-based Markov chain models clarify mechanisms of invasion in na invaded grassland community
Abstract: What are the relative roles of mechanisms underlying plant responses in grassland communities invaded by both plants and mammals? What type of community can we expect in the future given current or novel conditions? We address these questions by comparing Markov chain community models among treatments from a field experiment on invasive species on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile. Because of seed dispersal, grazing and disturbance, we predicted that the exotic European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) facilitates epizoochorous exotic plants (plants with seeds that stick to the skin an animal) at the expense of native plants. To test our hypothesis, we crossed rabbit exclosure treatments with disturbance treatments, and sampled the plant community in permanent plots over 3 years. We then estimated Markov chain model transition probabilities and found significant differences among treatments. As hypothesized, this modelling revealed that exotic plants survive better in disturbed areas, while natives prefer no rabbits or disturbance. Surprisingly, rabbits negatively affect epizoochorous plants. Markov chain dynamics indicate that an overall replacement of native plants by exotic plants is underway. Using a treatment-based approach to multi-species Markov chain models allowed us to examine the changes in the importance of mechanisms in response to experimental impacts on communities.
Extracted statement — Ecological Level of evidence: Community