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  • Tags / Keywords miconia
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  • Tags / Keywords rhodophyta
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First report of marine alien species in mainland Ecuador: threats of invasion in rocky shores
Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB
Available Online

Bigatti, G.

,

Cornejo, M.

,

Coronel, J.

,

Cárdenas, A.

,

Cárdenas-Calle, M.

,

Keith, I.

,

Martinez, P.

,

Mora, E.

,

Pérez-Correa, J.

,

Rivera, F.

,

Torres, G.

,

Triviño, M.

,

Troccoli, L.

,

Villamar, F.

,

Zambrano, R.

2019
Invasive species are of signi?cant concern, especially in mega-diverse countries, because they cause negative e?ects such as loss of native biodiversity, ecological alterations, disease spread, and impacts on economic development and human health. In mainland Ecuador, information on invasive invertebrates in marine ecosystems is scarce. The objective of this study was to describe and locate the invasive species present in the rocky shores of the intertidal and subtidal zones along 10 areas (83 sites) covering most of the Ecuadorian coast during 2015–2016. Benthic macroinvertebrates communities were measured over quadrats located randomly on a 50 m transect positioned parallel to the coast in the intertidal and subtidal zone, covering an area of 1,860 km2. Six invasive species were recorded: Arthropoda (Amphibalanus amphitrite), Cnidaria (Pennaria disticha, Carijoa riisei), Bryozoa (Bugula neritina), Rhodophyta (Asparagopsis taxiformis) and Chlorophyta (Caulerpa racemosa). The areas with highest abundance of invasive species were in Jama (not a protected area), Marine and Costal Wildlife Reserve Puntilla of Santa Elena and Santa Clara Island Wildlife Refuge (protected areas). The most abundant species was Carijoa riisei with a relative abundance of up to 80%. It was the most aggressive of the invasive species registered in the subtidal zone, mainly in northern centre of the Ecuadorian coast. C. riisei is growing on native coral (Pocillopora spp.) and on sessile macroinvertebrate communities (Pinctada mazatlanica, Muricea appresa and Aplysina sp.) that are being a?ected by its invasion. This study must be taken into account by local and regional government authorities to create public policy programmes of monitoring for surveillance and control of invasive species. These programmes should focus on integration of socio-economic and ecological e?ects. They should be complemented by experimental design and analysis of environmental variables to provide technical information for a baseline of bio-invasion analysis along the Ecuadorian coast and Galápagos, to avoid the expansion of invasive species negatively a?ecting the marine biodiversity of mega-diverse countries such as Ecuador and other countries of South America.
Eradication programmes complicated by long-lived seed banks: lessons learnt from 15 years of miconia control on O'ahu Island, Hawai'i
Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB
Available Online
2019
The invasive tree Miconia calvescens (Melastomataceae) is a priority for control on the Hawaiian Island of O?ahu due to its potential to replace native ??hi?a (Metrosideros polymorpha, Myrtaceae) forests and degrade watershed function if allowed to establish. The O?ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) is attempting to eradicate this species from the island of O?ahu. OISC uses a bu?er strategy based on estimated seed dispersal distance to determine the area under surveillance. This strategy has worked well enough to suppress the number of trees reaching reproductive age. The number of mature trees removed annually is now less than the number initially removed when the programme started in 2001. In 2016, just 12 mature trees were removed from 54.71 km2 surveyed compared to 2002, when 40 mature trees were removed from 8.26 km2 surveyed, a 96% drop in mature trees per square kilometre surveyed. However, miconia has a long-lived seed bank and can germinate after 20 years of dormancy in the soil. Funding shortages and gaps in surveys due to refusal of private property owners to allow access have resulted in some long-range extensions. OISC’s results suggest that seed bank longevity is an important factor when prioritising invasive species risk and that allocating more resources at the beginning of a programme to eradicate a species with long-lived seed banks may be a better strategy than starting small and expanding.
Invasive species, climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation: addressing multiple drivers of global change
Climate Change Resilience, BRB
Available Online

Burglele Stanley W.

,

Muir Adrianna A

2010
This report is targeted at policy-makers, particularly those responsible for developing climate mitigation and adaption strategies that address issues like conservation, ecosystem services, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods. It focuses on the primary linkages between invasive species and climate change, as well as the secondary and tertiary interactions of their corresponding impacts. Finally, the enclosed recommendations are intended to provide guidance on the best ways to integrate invasive species prevention and management into the consideration of climate change responses across a range of sectors. Building on a review of existing scientific and conservation literature (which is frequently centered on well-studied invasive species in developed countries), our research has reaffirmed that there are significant gaps and questions about the intersection of these two major drivers of change. The case studies included below highlight key relationships and questions related to invasive species, climate change and the role of ecosystem-based adaptation. The three key messages that can be distilled from this report are: 1. Climate change will have direct and second order impacts that facilitate the introduction, establishment and/or spread of invasive species. 2.Invasive species can increase the vulnerability of ecosystems to other climate-related stressors and also reduce their potential to sequester greenhouse gasses. 3.Using an ecosystem-based adaptation approach, these pressures on ecosystems and their ability to provide important services can be offset by preventing the introduction of new invasive species and by eradicating or controlling those damaging species already present.