Find research datasets worth reusing

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Trophic sensitivity of invasive predator and native prey interactions: integrating environmental context and climate change

Climate change is predicted to intensify the impacts of invasive species by enhancing their performance relative to their native counterparts. However, few studies have compared the performance of invasive predators and native prey, despite the fact that non-native predators are well known to disrupt native communities. The 'trophic sensitivity hypothesis' suggests that predators are less tolerant of increasing environmental stress than their prey, whereas the 'tolerant invaders hypothesis' suggests that invaders are more tolerant than native species due to selection during the introduction process. It is therefore unclear how invasive predators will respond to increasing climate stressors. We coupled physiological measurements (thermal tolerance, thermal optima, salinity tolerance, predation rate) with environmental time-series data to assess the effects of warming and extreme low salinity events on non-native predators (gastropods) and native prey (oysters) from a coastal ecosystem. In general support of the trophic sensitivity hypothesis, we found that both non-native predators exhibited lower thermal optima relative to native prey, lower salinity tolerance and one predator was less tolerant of warming. However, because warming tolerance was extremely high (i.e. habitat temperature is 7·9–21 °C below thermal tolerance), near-term warming may first increase predator performance (consumption and growth rates), with negative effects on prey. Low salinity will likely produce heterogeneous effects on predator–prey interactions due to varying watershed sizes among estuaries that control the duration of low salinity events. The trophic sensitivity hypothesis may be a useful framework for understanding community responses to extreme climate change, which portends a decoupling of predator–prey interactions. However, we conclude that this hypothesis must be evaluated in environmental context and that coupling physiological metrics with in situ environmental data offers the best predictive power of near-term climate change impacts on invaded communities. Within our study system, warming is likely to intensify the impacts of both invasive predators, which may greatly reduce the abundance of the native oyster, a species of conservation and restoration focus.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Spatial dynamics of habitat use informs reintroduction efforts in the presence of an invasive predator

1. Islands experience major impacts from introduced species, especially nocturnal predators. The Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) extirpated almost the entire native avifauna on Guam shortly after introduction. Reintroductions from neighboring islands can restore bird communities but will take place in heavily managed units where snake populations can be controlled. Yet reintroductions often proceed without relevant biological information such as nocturnal habitat and space use when nocturnal predators are present. To guide efforts, we studied diurnal and nocturnal habitat and space use by the avian frugivore community on the nearby island of Saipan where the snake is absent. 2. Using radio telemetry and a Bayesian framework, we first compared data typically accessible to resource managers (diurnal home range [DHR] and habitat selection) and which often forms the basis of reintroduction plans. We contrast this with data on nocturnal habitat use that is often not available but relevant when nocturnal predation threat is high. 3. DHR size varied within and among species with Micronesian Starlings (Aplonis opaca) having DHRs at least 45 ha larger than other species. For all species, night roost locations were generally spatially clustered within a DHR and covered a smaller spatial extent. Two species had higher probabilities of roosting outside DHR boundaries but, when outside, roosts were often within 200 m of the DHR boundary. All species selected forested habitats during day and night, with some species choosing native forest over non-native habitat. 4. Synthesis and applications If individuals roosted randomly throughout DHR's, landscape-level suppression of B. irregularis might be the only viable option for reintroductions of some species. However, individuals of all species showed clustered roosting and high site fidelity. If site fidelity is common, then individuals that roost within fenced areas where snake populations are severely reduced or eliminated will experience high survivorship even if DHRs extend into surrounding unprotected matrix. There was large overlap in habitat selection during day and night indicating managed areas should be composed of native forest with non-native forests of secondary importance. In systems with nocturnal predators, understanding variability in diurnal and nocturnal habitat use could lead to better informed decisions.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Predation risk affects growth and reproduction of an invasive snail and its lethal effect depends on prey size

The behavior of invasive species under predation risk has been studied extensively, but their growth and reproductive responses have rarely been investigated. We conducted experiments with juveniles and adults of the invasive freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata, and we observed changes in growth and reproduction in response to predation risk from a caged predator (Trachemys scripta elegans). P. canaliculata produced eggs earlier in the presence of predators and injured conspecifics compared with the control group (no risk), although the total number of egg masses laid by per female was exceeded by that of the controls after 15 days. Egg hatching success noticeably decreased under predation risk, and the incubation period was significantly prolonged; however, the oviposition height of the snails was not affected. A lethal effect of predation risk was detected in juvenile snails but not in adults. The growth of juvenile P. canaliculata was inhibited under predation risk, probably due to a reduction in food intake. Adult females exhibited a greater reduction in growth under predation risk than males, which likely resulted in part from the high reproductive investment of females in egg laying. These results indicate that P. canaliculata snails under predation risk face a trade-off between predator avoidance and growth and reproduction, where the lethal effect of predation risk is linked to the size of the prey.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Supplementary material 1 from: Muraro M, Romagnoli S, Barzaghi B, Falaschi M, Manenti R, Ficetola GF (2021) Invasive predators induce plastic and adaptive responses during embryo development in a threatened frog. NeoBiota 70: 69-86. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.70.65454

Geographic coordinates of the monitored sites and the significance of the independent variables in the three parental investment mixed models.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Evolutionary change in metabolic rate of Daphnia pulicaria following invasion by the predator Bythotrephes longimanus

Metabolic rate is a trait that may evolve in response to the direct and indirect effects of predator-induced mortality. Predators may indirectly alter selection by lowering prey densities and increasing resource availability or by intensifying resource limitation through changes in prey behaviour (e.g. use of less productive areas). In the current study we quantify evolution of metabolic rate in the zooplankton Daphnia pulicaria following an invasive event by the predator Bythotrephes longimanus in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, US. This invasion has been shown to dramatically impact D. pulicaria, causing a ~60% decline in their biomass. Using a resurrection ecology approach, we compared the metabolic rate of D. pulicaria clones originating from prior to the Bythotrephes invasion with that of clones having evolved in the presence of Bythotrephes. We observed a 7.4% reduction in metabolic rate among post-invasive clones compared to pre-invasive clones, and discuss the potential roles of direct and indirect selection in driving this change.

opencc-zeroOct 2022View details →

Data for Land-sea linkages depend on macroalgal species, predator invasion history in a New Zealand archipelago

Seabirds on islands create a circular seabird economy - whereby they feed in the ocean, transport marine-derived nutrients onshore to their breeding colonies, and then seabird-derived nutrients run off into the ocean, enriching nearshore ecosystems. Invasive predators reduce seabird colonies and nutrient subsidies; thus, predator eradication is critical for restoring seabird islands. Few studies have linked nearshore marine recovery to terrestrial ecosystem attributes and none have in temperate zones. Here, we tested the influence of seabird driven soil nutrients, terrestrial abiotic variables, and marine variables on nearshore algal communities using in-depth repeated sampling of four islands in a New Zealand island archipelago. We show seabird land-sea linkages are disrupted when predators invade, and are not restored three decades after invasive predator removal in the studied archipelago. Our study is the first account of how seabird influences on land impact nearshore marine environments on islands cleared of invasive predators in temperate ecosystems. Such information can help provide baseline information for which abiotic and ecological variables are most important when studying the linkages from land to sea in island ecosystems.

opennotspecifiedJul 2024View details →

FIGURE 3 in A host, a parasite, and a predator: the dynamics of successive invasions in the eastern Mediterranean

FIGURE 3. Charybdis longicollis collected off Ashdod, Israel, November 2022, at 40 m depth, male, CW 28.9 mm, bearing 6 mature externae (photo: Oz Rittner).

opennotspecifiedJul 2024View details →

FIGURE 1 in A host, a parasite, and a predator: the dynamics of successive invasions in the eastern Mediterranean

FIGURE 1. Carapace width of Charybdis longicollis collected off Ashdod, Israel, at 40 m depth. Legend: stripes—unparasitized crabs; black dots—internally parasitized crabs; white dots—externa-bearing crabs; males on the left, females on the right.

FIGURES 12‑17 in Anatomy Of Predator Snail Huttonella Bicolor, An Invasive Species In Amazon Rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Streptaxidae)

FIGURES 12‑17: Huttonella bicolor anatomy: 12) foregut and peribuccal region, dorsal-slightly right view; 13) whole specimen just extracted from shell, right view; 14) same, ventral view; 15) pulmonary-pallial cavity, ventral-inner view; 16) digestive tubes as in situ and some adjacent structures, dorsal-slightly right view; 17) buccal mass isolated, right view. Scales = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 18‑24 in Anatomy Of Predator Snail Huttonella Bicolor, An Invasive Species In Amazon Rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Streptaxidae)

FIGURES 18‑24: Huttonella bicolor anatomy: 18) buccal mass, opened longitudinally on median line in its dorsal wall, dorsal view; 19) same, right view, outer muscular layer removed; 20) same, inner-dorsal layer of muscles sectioned longitudinally and deflected, dorsal view, left m5 only partially shown; 21) same, radular sac and adjacent structures partially removed and deflected to right; 22) genital system, ventral view, base of fertilization complex seen if albumen gland was translucent; 23) detail of penis, sectioned longitudinally, dorsal view; 24) nerve ring, ventral view. Scales = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 7‑11 in Anatomy Of Predator Snail Huttonella Bicolor, An Invasive Species In Amazon Rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Streptaxidae)

FIGURES 7‑11: Huttonella bicolor hard parts in SEM: 7) radula, whole view, scale: 20 µm; 8) same, detail of central region, scale: 20 µm; 9) same, detail of lateral region, scale: 10 µm; 10) same, detail of central region, rachidian close to right side, scale: 10 µm; 11) detail of aperture, MZSP 98761, apertural-slightly right view, scale: 300 µm.

FIGURES 1‑6 in Anatomy Of Predator Snail Huttonella Bicolor, An Invasive Species In Amazon Rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Streptaxidae)

FIGURES 1‑6: Huttonella bicolor shell: 1) MZSP 98761 (Acre, Brazil), apertural view (H 6.1 mm); 2) same, left view; 3) same, dorsal view; 4) same, right view; 5) MZSP 99734 (Acre, Brazil), specimens with thinner shell, apertural view (H 6.0 mm); 6) same, dorsal view.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Visual recognition and coevolutionary history drive responses of amphibians to an invasive predator

During biotic invasions, native prey are abruptly exposed to novel predators and are faced with unprecedented predatory pressures. Under these circumstances, the lack of common evolutionary history may hamper predator recognition by native prey, undermining the expression of effective anti-predatory responses. Nonetheless, mechanisms allowing prey to overcome evolutionary naïveté exist. For instance, in naïve prey, history of coevolution with similar native predators or recognition of general traits characterizing predators can favor recognition of stimuli released by invasive predators. However, few studies assessed how these mechanisms shape prey response at the community level. Here, we evaluated behavioral responses in naïve larvae of 13 amphibian species to chemical and visual cues associated with an invasive predator, the American red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Moreover, we investigated how variation among species responses was related to their coexistence with a similar native crayfish predator. Amphibian larvae altered their behavior in presence of visual stimuli of the alien crayfish, while chemical cues elicited feeble and contrasting behavioral shifts. Activity reduction was the most common and stronger response, whereas in some species we detected more heterogeneous strategies also involving distancing and rapid escape response. Interestingly, species sharing coevolutionary history with the native crayfish were able to finely tune their response to the invasive one, performing bursts to escape. These results suggest native prey can respond to invasive predators through recognition of generic risk cues (e.g., approaching large shapes), still the capability of modulating anti-predator strategies may also depend on their coevolutionary history with similar native predators.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Invasive predator diet plasticity has implications for native fish conservation & invasive species suppression

Diet plasticity is a common behavior exhibited by piscivores to sustain predator biomass when preferred prey biomass is reduced. Invasive piscivore diet plasticity could complicate suppression success; thus, understanding invasive predator consumption is insightful to meeting conservation targets. Here, we determine if diet plasticity exists in an invasive apex piscivore and how plasticity could influence native species recovery benchmarks and invasive species suppression goals. We compared diet and stable isotope signatures of invasive lake trout and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (cutthroat trout) from Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming, U.S.A. as a function of no, low-, moderate-, and high-lake trout density states. Lake trout exhibited plasticity in relation to their density; consumption of cutthroat trout decreased 5-fold (diet proportion from 0.89 to 0.18) from low- to high-density state. During the high-density state, lake trout switched to amphipods, which were also consumed by cutthroat trout, resulting in high diet overlap (Schoener's index value, D = 0.68) between the species. As suppression reduced lake trout densities, more cutthroat trout (moderate-density state proportion of cutthroat trout = 0.42) were consumed, and diet overlap was released between the species (D = 0.30). A shift in lake trout δ13C signatures from the high- to the moderate-density state also corroborated increased consumption of cutthroat trout and lake trout diet plasticity. Observed declines in lake trout are not commensurate with expected cutthroat trout recovery due to lake trout diet plasticity. The abundance of the native species in need of conservation may take longer to recover due to the diet plasticity of the invasive species. The changes observed in diet, diet overlap, and isotopes associated with predator suppression provide more insight into conservation and suppression dynamics than using predator and prey biomass alone. By understanding these dynamics, we can better prepare conservation programs for potential feedbacks caused by invasive species suppression.