Invasion impacts and dynamics of a European‐wide introduced species

• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16207
• Publication Date: 2022-05-16T02:10:01Z
• Authors: Phillip J. Haubrock; Danish A. Ahmed; Ross N. Cuthbert; Rachel Stubbington; Sami Domisch; Jaime R. G. Marquez; Ayah Beidas; Giuseppe Amatulli; Jens Kiesel; Longzhu Q. Shen; Ismael Soto; David G. Angeler; Núria Bonada; Miguel Cañedo‐Arg...; Zoltán Csabai; Thibault Datry; Elvira de Eyto; Alain Dohet; Emma Drohan; Judy England; Maria J. Feio; Marie A. E. Forio; Peter Goethals; Wolfram Graf; Jani Heino; Emma J. Hudgins; Sonja C. Jähnig; Richard K. Johnson; Aitor Larrañaga; Patrick Leitner; Lionel L'Hoste; Marie‐Helene Lizee; Anthony Maire; Jes J. Rasmussen; Ralf B. Schäfer; Astrid Schmidt‐Kl...; Rudy Vannevel; Gábor Várbíró; Peter Wiberg‐Larsen; Peter Haase
• Keywords: [SDE] Environmental Sciences; 0106 biological sciences; vaikutukset; Snails; 590; biological invasion; temporal modelling; 01 natural sciences; RESEARCH ARTICLES; NEW-ZEALAND MUDSNAILS; PLASTICITY; early detection; Eurooppa; rapid response/early detection; SUCCESS; 550 Geowissenschaften; long‐term time series; COMMUNITY; Europe; long-term time series; POTAMOPYRGUS-ANTIPODARUM HYDROBIIDAE; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; SPREAD; ZABR; Biologie; leviäminen; vaeltajakotilo; 570; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; RESEARCH ARTICLE; BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS; MOLLUSK; rapid response; Animals; Potamopyrgus antipodarum; vieraslajit; 14. Life underwater; Ecosystem; ddc:550; 15. Life on land; FRAMEWORK; populaatiodynamiikka; [SDE.BE] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; 13. Climate action; Earth and Environmental Sciences; eläinekologia; ta1181; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Introduced Species; RESPONSES; New Zealand

AbstractGlobalization has led to the introduction of thousands of alien species worldwide. With growing impacts by invasive species, understanding the invasion process remains critical for predicting adverse effects and informing efficient management. Theoretically, invasion dynamics have been assumed to follow an “invasion curve” (S‐shaped curve of available area invaded over time), but this dynamic has lacked empirical testing using large‐scale data and neglects to consider invader abundances. We propose an “impact curve” describing the impacts generated by invasive species over time based on cumulative abundances. To test this curve's large‐scale applicability, we used the data‐rich New Zealand mud snailPotamopyrgus antipodarum, one of the most damaging freshwater invaders that has invaded almost all of Europe. Using long‐term (1979–2020) abundance and environmental data collected across 306 European sites, we observed thatP. antipodarumabundance generally increased through time, with slower population growth at higher latitudes and with lower runoff depth. Fifty‐nine percent of these populations followed the impact curve, characterized by first occurrence, exponential growth, then long‐term saturation. This behaviour is consistent with boom‐bust dynamics, as saturation occurs due to a rapid decline in abundance over time. Across sites, we estimated that impact peaked approximately two decades after first detection, but the rate of progression along the invasion process was influenced by local abiotic conditions. The S‐shaped impact curve may be common among many invasive species that undergo complex invasion dynamics. This provides a potentially unifying approach to advance understanding of large‐scale invasion dynamics and could inform timely management actions to mitigate impacts on ecosystems and economies.