Detecting the distribution of and public attitudes to charismatic alien species based on media coverage

Charismatic species are often reported by the media,providing information for detecting population status and public perception.To identify the number and distribution of free-living Black Swan(Cygnus atratus),a charismatic alien species in Chinese mainland and to detect the public and the media attitudes to the species,we analyzed the reports and emotional tendency from media coverage in 2000-2022 using manual reading,crawler extraction and latent Dirichlet allocation.A total of 6654 Black Swans were reported at 711 sites,including 147 individuals at 30 nature reserves.Successful breeding was reported at one-fourth of the total sites,including five nature reserves.The proportion of positive emotional tendency to Black Swans was overwhelming in the reports and was higher than that to alien species in general,suggesting that the public and the media are unaware of the risk of biological invasion.Effective management of invasive species requires the media clarifies the invasion risk of charismatic alien species.Promoting the unity between the harmfulness of abstract concept of alien species and the charisma of a specific alien species among the public help effective management.

Effect of an Alien Species Spartina alterniflora Loisel on Biogeochemical Processes of Intertidal Ecosystem in the Jiangsu Coastal Region,China

Spartina alterniflora Loisel, a species vegetating in intertidal flats along the eastern coast of the United States, was introduced in China almost 30 years ago and has become an urgent topic due to its invasiveness in the coastal zone of China. The impacts of this alien species S. alterniflora on intertidal ecosystem processes in the Jiangsu coastland were investigated by comparing the sediment nutrient availability and trace element concentration characteristics in a mud flat and those of a four-year old Spartina salt marsh that had earlier been a mudflat. At each study site, fifteen plots were sampled in different seasons to determine the sediment characteristics along the tidal flats. The results suggested that Spartina salt marsh sediments had significantly higher total N, available P, and water content, but lower pH and bulk density than mudflat sediments. Sediment salinity, water content, total N, organic C, and available P decreased along a seaward gradient in the Spartina salt marsh and increased with vegetation biomass. Furthermore, the concentrations of trace elements and some metal elements in the sediment were higher under Spartina although these increases were not significant. Also, in the Spartina marsh, some heavy metals were concentrated in the surface layer of the sediment. The Spartina salt marsh in this study was only four years old; therefore, it is suggested that further study of this allen species on a longer time frame in the Jiangsu coastland should be carried out.

Structure design and establishment of database application system for alien species in Shandong Province,China

This paper presents a case study on structure design and establishment of database application system for alien species in Shandong Province, integrating with Geographic Information System, computer network, and database technology to the research of alien species. The modules of alien species database, including classified data input, statistics and analysis, species pictures and distribution maps, and out date input, were approached by Visual Studio.net 2003 and Microsoft SQL server 2000. The alien species information contains the information of classification, species distinction characteristics, biological characteristics, original area, distribution area, the entering fashion and route, invasion time, invasion reason, interaction with the endemic species, growth state, danger state and spatial information, i.e. distribution map. Based on the above bases, several models including application, checking, modifying, printing, adding and returning models were developed. Furthermore, through the establishment of index tables and index maps, we can also spatially query the data like picture, text and GIS map data. This research established the technological platform of sharing information about scientific resource of alien species in Shandong Province, offering the basis for the dynamic inquiry of alien species, the warning technology of prevention and the fast reaction system. The database application system possessed the principles of good practicability, friendly user interface and convenient usage. It can supply full and accurate information inquiry services of alien species for the users and provide functions of dynamically managing the database for the administrator.

InvasionDB: A genome and gene database of invasive alien species

Invasive alien species(IAS) are species whose introduction to areas outside of their native range cause harm to economics, biodiversity, and the environment. Understanding the genetic basis of invasiveness is critical for preventing invasion by an alien species and managing IAS with eco-friendly control methods. In addition, uncovering the genomic features of IAS is essential for accurately predicting invasiveness. However, even though increasing efforts have been devoted to sequencing the genomes of IAS, there is still not an integrated genome database for the invasive biology community. Here, we first determined a list of invasive plants and animals by mining references and databases. Then, we retrieved the genomic and gene data of these IAS, and constructed a database, Invasion DB. Invasion DB encompasses 131 IAS genomes, 76 annotated IAS assemblies, and links these data to conventional functions such as searching for gene coding sequences and Pfam, KEGG, NR annotations, BLAST server, JBrowse, and downloads services. Next, we analyzed 19 invasivenessrelated gene families which confer invasiveness in insects. To study the roles of noncoding RNA in invasiveness, we also annotated 135 494 mi RNAs, 89 294 r RNAs, and 2 671 941 t RNAs from these IAS. In summary, Invasion DB is useful for studying the invasiveness at the genomic level, and thus helps to develop novel management strategies to control IAS.

Investigation and Study on the Alien Species in Aquaculture in the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The lower reaches of the Yangze River is one of the central areas of freshwater shallow lakes in China and has the diverse climates with both warm temperate zone and sub-tropical zone,which makes it become one of the best areas for aquaculture,so nearly all of the aquaculture species from the world can live in the area.It is important for perfecting alien aquaculture species information data-base and environmental risk assessment system to investigate and study the aquaculture alien species in the lower reaches of the Yangze River.The results showed that the number of aquaculture alien species in the lower reaches of the Yangze River is 45 species,including 33 species of fishes,4 species of shellfish,7 species of crustaceans and 1 species of amphibian.Most of alien species are from America and the main transmitting way is intentional introducing.

An unprotected vulnerable relict subtropical conifer-Keteleeria evelyniana: Its forests, populations, growth and endangerment by invasive alien plant species in China

Relict subtropical coniferous forests in China face severe fragmentation,resulting in declining populations,and some are under significant threat from invasive alien species.Despite the crucial importance of understanding forest dynamics,knowledge gaps persist,particularly regarding the impact of invasive plants on vulnerable natives like Keteleeria evelyniana.In this study,we investigated the impact of invasive plants on the regeneration of forests dominated by K.evelyniana,a subtropical relict species in southwestern China.For this purpose,we characterized forest dynamics of 160 forest plots featuring K.evelyniana as the primary dominant species and determined whether the presence of invasive plants was correlated with regeneration of K.evelyniana.We identified four distinct forest types in which K.evelyniana was dominant.We found that radial growth of K.evelyniana trees is faster in younger ageclasses today than it was for older trees at the same age.The population structure of K.evelyniana in each forest type exhibited a multimodal age-class distribution.However,three forest types lacked established saplings younger than 10 years old,a situation attributed to the dense coverage of the invasive alien Ageratina adenophora.This invasive species resulted in a reduction of understory species diversity.Additionally,our analysis uncovered a significant negative correlation in phylogenetic relatedness(net relatedness index)between native and invasive alien plant species in eastern Yunnan.This suggests closely related invasive species face heightened competition,hindering successful invasion.Taken together,our findings indicate that successful establishment and habitat restoration of K.evelyniana seedling/saplings require effective measures to control invasive plants.

Zoonotic parasites carried by invasive alien species in China

Background:The invasive alien species may lead to great environmental and economic crisis due to its strong capability of occupying the biological niche of native species and altering the ecosystem of the invaded area.However,its potential to serve as the vectors of some specific zoonotic pathogens,especially parasites,has been neglected.Thus,the damage that it may cause has been hugely underestimated in this aspect,which is actually an important public health problem.This paper aims to discuss the current status of zoonotic parasites carried by invasive alien species in China.Main body:This review summarizes the reported zoonotic parasites carried by invasive alien species in China based on the Database of Invasive Alien Species in China.We summarize their prevalence,threat to human health,related reported cases,and the roles of invasive alien species in the life cycle of these parasites,and the invasion history of some invasive alien species.Furthermore,we sum up the current state of prevention and control of invasive alien species in China,and discuss about the urgency and several feasible strategies for the prevention and control of these zoonoses under the background of booming international communications and inevitable globalization.Conclusions:Information of the zoonotic parasites carried by invasive alien species neither in China or worldwide,especially related case reports,is limited due to a long-time neglection and lack of monitoring.The underestimation of their damage requires more attention to the monitoring and control and compulsory measures should be taken to control the invasive alien species carrying zoonotic parasites.

Bio-Morphological Characters of Alien Legume Species, Influencing Their Invasion in Natural Plant Communities

Five alien legume species, actively invading in natural plant communities in European part of Russia, were studied—Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl., Galega orientalis Lam., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Amorpha fruticosa L. and Caragana arborescens L. Distribution ranges (considering their invasive status) were mapped. Not a single bio-morphological character to forecast invasion success in natural plant communities within secondary distribution range was found. The data of key value/importance for explaining invasive success of the species studied were obtained. Two hypotheses— Propagule Pressure and Evolution of Invasiveness—were critically analyzed in view of the received data.

Alien species of mammals and their impact on natural ecosystems in the biosphere reserves of Russia

The paper analyses the results of a survey of 37 Russian biosphere reserves using questionnaires concerning thepresence of alien species of mammals, their pathways of penetration, and their impacts on protected ecosystems.The penetration of alien mammals into terrestrial ecosystems of Russia is extensive, both in places with maximumhuman environmental impact (inhabited areas and agricultural lands) and in biosphere reserves with minimal humanimpact. There are 62 mammal species registered as alien in Russian ecosystems and they account for 22% of theterrestrial mammal fauna of Russia. The percentage of alien species in biosphere reserves is 32.6% at most. In mostregions, Castor fiber, Ondatra zibethicus, Nyctereutes procyonoides, Canis familiaris, Neovison vison and Susscrofa are very dangerous, and both Castor fiber and Sus scrofa can have environment-forming impacts.

Seed bank dynamics of an invasive alien species, Helianthus annuus L.

Aims The ability to form persistent seed banks is one of the best predictors of species’potential to establish in new ranges.Wild sunflower is native to North America where the formation of persistent seed banks is promoted by disturbance and it plays a key role on the establishment and persistence of native populations.However,the role of the seed banks on the establishment and persistence of invasive populations has not been studied.Here,we evaluated the role of seed bank and disturbance on the establishment and fitness,and seed persistence in the soil in several sunflower biotypes collected in ruderal(wild Helianthus annuus)and agrestal(natural crop–wild hybrid)habitats of Argentina as well as volunteer populations(progeny of commercial cultivars).Methods In a seed-bank experiment,we evaluated emergence,survival to reproduction,survival of emerged seedlings,inflorescences per plant and per plot under disturbed and undisturbed conditions over 2 years;in a seed-burial experiment,we evaluated seed persistence in the soil over four springs(6,18,30 and 42 months).Important Findings Overall,seedling emergence was early in the growing season(during winter),and it was promoted by disturbance,especially in the first year.Despite this,the number of inflorescences per plot was similar under both conditions,especially in ruderals.In the second year,emergence from the seed bank was much lower,but the survival rate was higher.In the seed-burial experiment,genetic differences were observed but seeds of ruderals and agrestals persisted up to 42 months while seeds of the volunteer did not persist longer than 6 months.The agrestal biotype showed an intermediate behavior between ruderals and volunteers in both experiments.Our findings showed that wild and crop–wild sunflower can form persistent seed banks outside its native range and that disturbance may facilitate its establishment in new areas.

Uses of Invasive Alien Plant Species in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary of Bangladesh

An exploratory survey was conducted on the uses and role of invasive alien species(IAS) to local livelihoods in the Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeastern hilly region of Bangladesh.Vegetation was sampled in 50 quadrates,each 10 m×10 m,and 25 line transects,each 50 m×20 m,through a combination of random and systematic sampling.Group discussions were also arranged with fifty local inhabitants(17 % of the total inhabitants) to learn the various uses of IAS.A total of 17 alien plant species belonging to 10 different families,of which Leguminosae constitutes the highest number(5 species),include tree(53%) followed by herb(12%),shrub(12%) and others(weed,climber and palm).The majority of the identified species were found to be used for fuel,followed by timber production,medicinal or curative uses,fodder,and many others.In addition to providing various forest products,alien tree species planted in forest plantation help provide many vital ecosystem services such as soil amelioration through nitrogen fixation.It is true that the alien species have some negative impacts on local ecosystems,and not all of them are harmful.Therefore,a national programme must be initiated to distinguish the harmful from the harmless species and to identify the uses and impacts of the former and latter.

Environmental Impacts of Invasive Alien Plant Species on the Biodiversity of the Nyika National Park, Rumphi District, Malawi

Invasive alien plant species have threatened the integrity of ecosystems and threatened biological integrity throughout the world. In the Nyika National Park, a number of alien invasive plant species have been reported. These invasive alien plants are reported to be very difficult that have caused adverse ecological, economic and social impact. The main objective of this study is to assess the environmental impact of plant invasive alien species in Nyika National Park in order to ascertain means of addressing the possible effects on the biodiversity. This study adopted an exploratory stance in order to answer the hypotheses where purposive and simple random sampling was used. Purposive sampling was only used to the staff of Nyika while simple random sampling was used to collect data from households surrounding Nyika National Park. The results revealed that invasive alien plant species have some ecological impacts of on the biodiversity of the Nyika National Park like change in physical habitats such as loss of native habitats, alteration of ground water regime, drying of rivers, loss of native species and alteration of biomass. The study would therefore be important to policy makers in guiding and development of policies and guidelines governing eradication of invasive alien plant species. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) can form partnership with various stakeholders with a clearly stated intention of developing a relationship, based on collaboration to enhance the control of invading alien plant species and the best management practices.

Monitoring River Restoration Efforts: Do Invasive Alien Plants Endanger the Success? A Case Study of the Traisen River

River restoration activities are challenging for the native vegetation and the colonization process. The development of invasive alien plant species (IAS) as well as the development of the pioneer vegetation cover and seed bank were observed in one year prior to construction of a new river bed and within the first two years after construction, along the downstream section of the river Traisen in Austria. One year after completion of the new river channel, the occurrence of IAS above ground decreased while the occurrence of target species increased. Furthermore, no seeds of IAS were detected in the new river bed as a result of proper management of soil movement. Despite the positive impact on the abundance of IAS, the restoration project of the river Traisen shows that the fact that such a restoration activity is a disturbance event must be taken into consideration already during the planning process. Supporting the competitiveness of native plant species is an important tool for reducing the danger of establishment of invasive alien species.

Research on the Control Cover against Solenopsis invicta and Rapid Extinguishment of Its Epidemic

Based on the biological characteristics of Solenopsis invicta and the structural characteristics of its ant nest,a fast and efficient closed treatment device was developed.Compared with the simple chemical treatment commonly used at present,the developed treatment device(the ant nest control cover)is a fast and efficient method to exterminate S.invicta in 7 d,featured by short course,quick results and good effect.

Biology,invasion and management of the agricultural invader:Fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)

The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(J.E.Smith),is native to the Americas.It has rapidly invaded 47 African countries and 18 Asian countries since the first detection of invasion into Nigeria and Ghana in 2016.It is regarded as a super pest based on its host range(at least 353 host plants),its inherent ability to survive in a wide range of habitats,its strong migration ability,high fecundity,rapid development of resistance to insecticides/viruses and its gluttonous characteristics.The inherently superior biological characteristics of FAW contribute to its invasiveness.Integrated pest management(IPM)of FAW has relied on multiple applications of monitoring and scouting,agricultural control,chemical pesticides,viral insecticides,sex attractants,bio-control agents(parasitoids,predators and entomopathogens)and botanicals.Knowledge gaps remain to be filled to:(1)understand the invasive mechanisms of S.frugiperda;(2)understand how to prevent its further spread and(3)provide better management strategies.This review summarizes the biological characters of FAW,their association with its invasiveness and IPM strategies,which may provide further insights for future management.

Intentional introduction of Artemia sinica(Anostraca) in the high-altitude Tibetan lake Dangxiong Co:the new population and consequences for the environment and for humans

The imbalance between supply and demand of Artemia cysts in China and around the world is increasing now.Salt lakes in Tibet may contribute to the solution of the problem.In Northern Tibet there are 26 saline lakes whose salinity and temperature may support Artemia survival at an altitude of 4 000–5 100 m.We found Artemia in 15 of these lakes.The saline lakes with Artemia populations mainly belong to the shallow basin lakes,and the majority of these lakes are small in area.The total area of lakes without Artemia is more than 1 000 km 2.Lake Dangxiong Co(Co means lake in Tibet) was chosen for the intentional introduction of Artemia sinica.In 2004,850 g of A.sinica cysts,originating from Qinghai,were introduced in the lake.Surveys in 2006–2014 showed that the average abundance of Artemia adults in the lake gradually increased from 20 ind./m 3 in 2006 to 1950 ind./m 3 in 2013.We assume that two subpopulations of A.sinica,separated by depth,may exist in the lake.The new Artemia population caused an increase in the number of species of phytoplankton and heterotrophic protozoa with a decrease of their total abundance.Water transparency also increased.Dominance in phytoplankton passed from cyanobacteria to diatoms.Changes occurred not only in the lake ecosystem;the number of water birds using the lakes also dramatically increased.Preliminary calculations showed that is it possible to harvest at least about 150 t cysts per year from the lake as well as 3.2 thousand tons of frozen or 350 t of dried biomass of adult Artemia.

The origin of invasion of an alien frog species in Tibet, China

Identifying the origins of alien species has important implications for effectively controlling the spread of alien species. The black-spotted frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus, originally from East Asia, has become an alien species on the Tibetan Plateau （TP）. In this study, we collected 300 individuals of P. nigromaculatus from 13 native regions and 2 invasive regions （including Nyingchi and Lhasa） on the TP. To identify the source region of the TP introductions, we sequenced portions of the mitochondrial cyt b gene. We sequenced a -600-bp portion of the mitochondrial cyt b gene to identify 69 haplotypes （124 polymorphic sites） in all sampled populations. According to the network results, we suggest that the P. nigromaculatus found on the TP was most likely originated from Chongqing by human introduction. Furthermore, we found that the genetic diversity was significantly lower for invasive than for native sites due to founder effects. Our study provides genetic evidence that this alien species invaded the cold environment of high elevations and expanded the distribution of P. nigromaculatus in China.

Contrasting responses of native and alien plant species to soil properties shed new light on the invasion of dune systems

Aims Among terrestrial ecosystems,coastal sandy dunes are particularly prone to alien plant invasion.Many studies related the invasion of dune habitats to anthropic causes,but less is known about the role of soil properties and plant traits in plant invasion.In this study,we tested the relationships between soil features and alien plant invasion in dune systems,focusing on the interplay between soil nutrients,soil salinity and plant functional traits.Methods Study sites were sandy barrier islands of the Marano and Grado lagoon(northern Adriatic Sea).One hundred plots(4 m×4 m)were selected within 10 areas according to the main habitats occurring along the ecological gradient of dune system(foredune,backdune and saltmarsh).In each plot,we recorded all plant species occurrence and abundance and we collected a soil core.For each soil sample,soil texture,conductivity(as proxy of soil salinity),organic carbon and nitrogen content were analyzed and related to the species number and cover of native and alien plants.Variation of main reproductive and vegetative functional traits among habitats was also analyzed for both alien and native species.Important Findings Soil properties were strongly related to overall plant diversity,by differently affecting alien and native species pools.In backdune,the most invaded habitat,a high soil conductivity limited the number of alien species,whereas the content of soil organic carbon increased along with alien plant abundance,suggesting also the occurrence of potential feedback processes between plant invasion and soil.We found a significant convergence between native and alien plant functional trait spectra only in backdune habitat,where environmental conditions ameliorate and plant competition increases.Our findings suggest that in harsh conditions only native specialized plants can thrive while at intermediate conditions,soil properties gradient acts in synergy with plant traits to curb/facilitate alien plant richness.

Does salinity change determine zooplankton variability in the saline Qarun Lake(Egypt)?

Zooplankton and 14 abiotic variables were studied during August 2011 at 10 stations in Lake Qarun, Egypt. Stations with the lowest salinity and highest nutrient concentrations and turbidity were close to the discharge of waters from the El-Bats and E1-Wadi drainage systems. A total of 15 holozooplankton species were identified. The salinity in Lake Qarun increased and fluctuated since 1901：12 g/L in 1901; 8.5 g/L in 1905; 12.0 g/L in 1922; 30.0 g/L in 1985; 38.7 g/L in 1994; 35.3 g/L in 2006, and 33.4 g/L in 2011. The mean concentration of nutrients （nitrate, nitrite and orthophosphate） gradually increased from 35, 0.16 and 0.38 μg/L, respectively, in 1953-1955 to 113, 16.4, and 30.26 μg/L in 2011. From 1999-2003 some decrease of species diversity occurred. Average total zooplankton density was 30 000 ind./m^3 in 1974-1977; 356 125 ind./m^3 in 1989; 534 000 ind./m^3 in 1994-1995; from 965 000 to 1 452 000 ind./m^3 in 2006, and 595 000 ind./m^3 in 2011. A range of long-term summer salinity variability during the last decades was very similar to a range of salinity spatial variability in summer 2011. There is no significant correlation between zooplankton abundance and salinity in spatial and long-term changes. We conclude that salinity fluctuations since at least 1955 did not directly drive the changes of composition and abundance of zooplankton in the lake. A marine community had formed in the lake, and it continues to change. One of the main drivers of this change is a regular introduction and a pressure of alien species on the existent community. Eutrophication also plays an important role. The introduction ofMnemiopsis leidyi, first reported in 2014, may lead to a start of a new stage of the biotic changes in Lake Qarun, when eutrophication and the population dynamics of this ctenophore will be main drivers of the ecosystem change.

Does a shift in shade tolerance as suggested by seedling morphology explain differences in regeneration success of northern red oak in native and introduced ranges?

Across North America, forests dominated by Quercus rubra L. (northern red oak), a moderately shade-tolerant tree species, are undergoing successional replacement by shade-tolerant competitors. Under closed canopies, Q. rubra seedlings are unable to compete with these shade-tolerant species and do not recruit to upper forest strata. In Europe, natural regeneration of introduced Q. rubra is often successful despite the absence of fire, which promotes regeneration in the native range. Considering that understorey light availability is a major factor affecting recruitment of seedlings, we hypothesized that Q. rubra seedlings are more shade tolerant in the introduced range than in the native range. Morphological traits and biomass allocation patterns of seedlings indicative of shade tolerance were compared for Q. rubra and three co-occurring native species in two closed-canopy forests in the native range (Ontario, Canada) and introduced range (Baden-Württemburg, Germany). In the native range, Q. rubra allocated a greater proportion of biomass to roots, while in the introduced range, growth and allocation patterns favored the development of leaves. Q. rubra seedlings had greater annual increases in height, diameter and biomass in the introduced range. Q. rubra seedlings in the introduced range were also younger;however, they had a mean area per leaf and a total leaf area per seedling that were five times greater than seedlings in the native range. Such differences in morphological traits and allocation patterns support the hypothesis that Q. rubra expresses greater shade tolerance in the introduced range, and that natural regeneration of Q. rubra is not as limited by shade as in the native range. The ability of Q. rubra seedlings to grow faster under closed canopies in Europe may explain the discrepancy in regeneration success of this species in native and introduced ranges. Future research should confirm findings of this study over a greater geographical range in native and introduced ecosystems, and examine the genetic and environmental bases of observed differences in plant traits.