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1. Ecological opportunity (i.e. the diversity of available resources) has a pivotal role in shaping niche variation and trophic specialisation of animals. However, ecological opportunity can be described with regard to both diversity and abundance of resources. The degree to which these two components contribute to niche variation remains unexplored. 2. To address this, we used an extensive dataset on fish diet and benthic invertebrate diversity and density from 73 sampling events in three Norwegian rivers in order to explore realised trophic niches and the response of dietary niche variation along gradients of resource diversity (potential trophic niches), resource density (as a proxy of resource abundance) and fish density (as a proxy of inter-and intraspecific competition) in a freshwater top predator (the brown trout, Salmo trutta L.). 3. Linear models indicated that individual and population niche variation increased with increasing ecological opportunity in terms of prey diversity. However, no simple cause-and-effect associations between niche indices and prey abundance were found. Our multiple regression analyses indicated that the abundance of certain resources (e.g. Chironomidae) can interact with prey diversity to determine individual and population realised trophic niches. Niche variation (within-individual component and inter-individual diet variation) decreased with increasing interand intra-specific competition. 4. This study extends prevailing trophic ecology theory by identifying diversity, rather than density, of available prey resources as a primary driver of niche variation in fish of temperate riverine systems with no extensive resource limitation. The study also shows that ecological opportunity may mask the direction of the effect (compression or expansion) of competition on niche variation when food resources are diverse. 5. Our study provides novel empirical insight to the driving forces behind niche variation and reveals that diversity, rather than density, of available prey resources may be a primary driver of niche variation in freshwater fish. Our study supports | 45 SÁNCHEZ-HERNÁNDEZ Et al.

1. Due to globalisation, trade and transport, the spread of alien species is increasing dramatically. Some alien species become ecologically harmful by threatening native biota. This can lead to irreversible changes in local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and, ultimately, to biotic homogenisation. 2. We risk‐assessed all alien plants, animals, fungi and algae, within certain delimitations, that are known to reproduce in Norway. Mainland Norway and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard plus Jan Mayen were treated as separate assessment areas. Assessments followed the Generic Ecological Impact Assessment of Alien Species (GEIAA) protocol, which uses a fully quantitative set of criteria. 3. A total of 1,519 species were risk‐assessed, of which 1,183 were species reproducing in mainland Norway. Among these, 9% were assessed to have a severe impact, 7% high impact, 7% potentially high impact, and 49% low impact, whereas 29% had no known impact. In Svalbard, 16 alien species were reproducing, one of which with a severe impact. 4. The impact assessments also covered 319 so‐called door‐knockers, that is, species that are likely to establish in Norway within 50 years, and 12 regionally alien species. Of the door‐knockers, 8% and 10% were assessed to have a severe and high impact, respectively. 5. The impact category of most species was driven by negative interactions with native species, transformation of threatened ecosystems, or genetic contamination. The proportion of alien species with high or severe impact varied significantly across the different pathways of introduction, taxonomic groups, time of introduction and the environments colonised, but not across continents of origin. 6. Given the large number of alien species reproducing in Norway and the preponderance of species with low impact, it is neither realistic nor necessary to eradicate all of them. Our results can guide management authorities in two ways. First, the use of quantitative assessment criteria facilitates the prioritisation of management resources across species. Second, the background information collected for each species, such as introduction pathways, area of occupancy and ecosystems affected, helps designing appropriate management measures.

Biological invasions are regarded as one of the largest threats to native biodiversity. The eradication of non-native parasites by culling of hosts are a controversial conservation strategy, particularly when using indiscriminate methods involving whole ecosystem collateral damage. While short-term effects are abundantly documented, long-term surveys are needed to detect potential wider ecosystem effects. Here, we report a six-year study on effects of the piscicide rotenone on invertebrate communities from a Norwegian water course using a Before-After-Control-Impact design. Kick-net samples of benthic invertebrates were collected from three lentic sampling stations and two lotic stations two to four times per year in both a control and a treated watershed. In general, only relatively minor short-term effects immediately after the treatment on species turnover, measured as temporal beta-diversity, of benthic invertebrates were observed both in lentic and lotic locations. However, the lotic fauna was temporarily severely negatively affected following a period of rotenone exposure from an upstream lake. Species turnover co-varied markedly between control and treatment locations, indicating that natural environmental variation override effects of rotenone treatment. Likewise, the abundance of invertebrate taxa varied considerably both over time and between control and treatment locations. Our study indicates minor short-term (i.e. < one month) or long-term (i.e. four years) effects of rotenone treatment on benthic invertebrates, but severe effects on the lotic fauna eight months after treatment. However, long-term effects are likely to be taxa-specific and vary depending on habitat connectivity and thus potential for re-colonization and will differ among locations and among taxa.