Brown, Peter M.J.; Bizama, Gustavo. 2016. Rapid spread of Harmonia axyridis in Chile and its effects on local coccinellid biodiversity. Diversity and Distributions, 22 (9). 982-994. 10.1111/ddi.12455 Contact CEH NORA team at noraceh@ceh.ac.ukThe NERC and CEH trademarks and logos ('the Trademarks') are registered trademarks of NERC in the UK and other countries, and may not be used without the prior written consent of the Trademark owner. The spread and impact of this species has been documented in Europe and North America, but no 28 information exists for South America. The aims of this study were to: 1) document the process of 29 invasion of H. axyridis in Chile, 2) compare the abundance of H. axyridis in different habitats with 30 varying degrees of disturbance, and 3) assess change in the coccinellid assemblages in alfalfa fields 31 over the six years following invasion. 32 Location Chile 33Methods The spread of H. axyridis was estimated using information from citizen scientists alongside 34 records from the National Pest Surveillance System. The abundance of H. axyridis in different habitat 35 types and of all coccinellids in alfalfa fields was assessed using yellow sticky traps. In alfalfa, the 36 variations in species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity and equitability indices through time 37 were compared. 38
The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus C. L. Koch, 1841, is a large spider of the family Theridiidae that belongs to a genus of medical interest owing to its potent neurotoxic venom, which causes severe pain in humans. In America, this alien spider has been found in virtually all countries in the region, mainly associated with human dwellings, but also in agricultural sectors. However, the invasive process and potential distribution of this invasive species across the American continent are completely unknown. In this context, using a combination of both global and regional niche models, it is possible to hypothesize the invasive phase of the species as well as the geographic space where these different phases occur. By comparing the global and regional niches of L. geometricus, we examined its invasive process and potential distribution across the American continent. This work is an innovative approach to understanding the invasion of the brown widow spider in this area and the ecological processes that underlie this invasion. In this context, the global and regional niche comparison constitutes an appropriate tool to account for the complexities of the invasive process, generating different hypotheses amenable to being tested in future studies.
parts of Antarctica were amongst the most rapidly changing regions of the planet during the second half of the Twentieth Century. Even so, today, most of Antarctica remains in the grip of continental ice sheets, with only about 0.2% of its overall area being ice-free. The continent's terrestrial fauna consists only of invertebrates, with just two native species of insects, the chironomid midges Parochlus steinenii and Belgica antarctica. We integrate ecophysiological information with the development of new highresolution climatic layers for Antarctica, to better understand how the distribution of P. steinenii may respond to change over the next century under different IPCC climate change scenarios. We conclude that the species has the potential to expand its distribution to include parts of the west and east coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula and even coastal ice-free areas in parts of continental Antarctica. We propose P. steinenii as an effective native sentinel and indicator species of climate change in the Antarctic. Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands are some of the last wilderness areas remaining on the planet. These remote areas remain, to a great extent, free from direct anthropogenic impacts such as overpopulation and overexploitation of native ecosystems 1 , although they are not immune to wider global anthropogenic processes such as climate change and long-range pollution 2,3. The high latitude regions of the Antarctic Peninsula, Scotia Arc, and the Magellanic Sub-Antarctic have been amongst the most rapidly warming areas in the world in the second half of the Twentieth Century, showing significant glacier retreat and reduction of snow and ice cover in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems 3. While these strong regional warming trends have currently paused, they are predicted to resume through the remainder of the Twenty-first Century 4. These regions are highly sensitive to environmental change and thus are considered natural laboratories in which to study its effects, at all scales, on their ecosystems and biota 3,5. Today, Antarctica remains in the grip of continental ice sheets, with only about 0.2% of its overall area being ice-free 6 , this proportion is somewhat higher in the Antarctic Peninsula region (~3%; British Antarctic Survey unpublished data, Lee et al.. 2017). Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems are generally small and isolated, populated by small invertebrates, lower plants, and microbes 7. The terrestrial fauna consists only of invertebrates, with just two native species of insects, both chironomid midges (the winged Parochlus steinenii Gerke and the brachypterous Belgica antarctica Jacobs), and two established invasive species with currently restricted ranges, Eretmoptera murphyi (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Trichocera maculipennis (Diptera: Trichoceridae) 8. Climatic gradients have changed over geological time at different spatio-temporal scales in these high latitude southern regions, shaping the composition and distribution of modern landscapes and their biota 3,9. The Eocen...
Species climate requirements are useful for predicting their geographic distribution. It is often assumed that the niche requirements for invasive plants are conserved during invasion, especially when the invaded regions share similar climate conditions. California and central Chile have a remarkable degree of convergence in their vegetation structure, and a similar Mediterranean climate. Such similarities make these geographic areas an interesting natural experiment for testing climatic niche dynamics and the equilibrium of invasive species in a new environment. We tested to see if the climatic niche of Eschscholzia californica is conserved in the invaded range (central Chile), and we assessed whether the invasion process has reached a biogeographical equilibrium, i.e., occupy all the suitable geographic locations that have suitable conditions under native niche requirements. We compared the climatic niche in the native and invaded ranges as well as the projected potential geographic distribution in the invaded range. In order to compare climatic niches, we conducted a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Species Distribution Models (SDMs), to estimate E. californica's potential geographic distribution. We also used SDMs to predict altitudinal distribution limits in central Chile. Our results indicated that the climatic niche occupied by E. californica in the invaded range is firmly conserved, occupying a subset of the native climatic niche but leaving a substantial fraction of it unfilled. Comparisons of projected SDMs for central Chile indicate a similarity, yet the projection from native range predicted a larger geographic distribution in central Chile compared to the prediction of the model constructed for central Chile. The projected niche occupancy profile from California predicted a higher mean elevation than that projected from central Chile. We concluded that the invasion process of E. californica in central Chile is consistent with climatic niche conservatism but there is potential for further expansion in Chile.
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