Anthropogenically-induced range expansion as an invasion front in native species: An example in North American flying squirrels

Diggins, Corinne A.

doi:10.3389/fevo.2023.1096244

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 139 publications

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“…While range expansion is commonly applied to study ecological invasions (e.g., Hastings et al, 2005), this framework is generally applicable to any type of expansion in which a population expands into a site where it is currently absent (Eigentler et al, 2022). For instance, range expansion theory informs our understanding of climate-related shifts (Lenoir & Svenning, 2015), disease spread (Rees et al, 2009), and native species expansions (Diggins, 2023). Recently, range expansion theory has been proposed as a useful framework to understand the population-level processes that drive fauna recolonization during ecosystem recovery (Acevedo et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recolonization of secondary forests by a locally extinct Caribbean anole through the lens of range expansion theory

Acevedo,

Fankhauser,

González

et al. 2024

Ecological Applications

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Disturbance and recovery dynamics are characteristic features of many ecosystems. Disturbance dynamics are widely studied in ecology and conservation biology. Still, we know less about the ecological processes that drive ecosystem recovery. The ecological processes that mediate ecosystem recovery stand at the intersection of many theoretical frameworks. Range expansion theory is one of these complementary frameworks that can provide unique insights into the population‐level processes that mediate ecosystem recovery, particularly fauna recolonization. Although the biodiversity patterns that follow the fauna recolonization of recovering forests have been well described in the literature, the ecological processes at the population level that drive these patterns remain conspicuously unknown. In this study, we tested three fundamental predictions of range expansion theory during the recolonization of recovering forests in Puerto Rico by a shade specialist anole, Anolis gundlachi. Range expansion theory predicts that individuals at the early stages of recolonization (i.e., younger forests) would have a high prevalence of dispersive traits, experience less density dependence, and suffer less parasitism. To test these predictions, we conducted a chronosequence study applying space‐for‐time substitution where we compared phenotypic traits (i.e., body size, body condition, and relative limb size), population density, population growth rates, and Plasmodium parasitism rates among lizard populations living in young (<30 years), mid (~40–70 years), and old‐growth forests (>75 years). Lizard populations in younger forests had lower densities, higher population growth rates, and lower rates of Plasmodium parasitism compared with old‐growth forests. Still, while we found that individuals had larger body sizes, and longer forelimbs in young forests in one site, this result was not consistent among sites. This suggests a potential trade‐off between the traits that provide a dispersal advantage during the initial stages of recolonization and those that are advantageous to establish in novel environmental conditions. Overall, our study emphasizes the suitability of range expansion theory to describe fauna recolonization but also highlights that the ecological processes that drive recolonization are time‐dependent, complex, and nuanced.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recolonization of secondary forests by a locally extinct Caribbean anole through the lens of range expansion theory

Acevedo,

Fankhauser,

González

et al. 2024

Ecological Applications

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Genetic structure of native and naturalized populations of sable (Martes zibellina L.) of the Central Siberian Plateau and adjacent territories

Filimonov,

Zakharov,

Kochkarev

et al. 2024

Biol Invasions

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Seasonal nest use of sympatric North American flying squirrels

Minns,

Persad,

Menelon

et al. 2024

Wildlife Res.

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Context Nest or roost sites are important for social thermoregulators – not only because the locations provide shelter from harsh climates, but also because they provide sites for social aggregations. Nest use can therefore be informative about selection pressures facing social thermoregulators. Aims The aim of this study was to assess seasonal changes in nest use of sympatric northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern (Glaucomys volans) flying squirrels. Local sympatry at our study site allowed us to evaluate nest use by individuals of both species subject to similar nest availability. We hypothesised that southern flying squirrels should be more selective than northern flying squirrels, especially in winter due to lower cold tolerance by the southern species. Methods We used radio telemetry to track 57 squirrels during 2019–2022 at a site in central Ontario, Canada. Each squirrel was tracked during the day to their nest site, and tree characteristics – including diameter at breast height, tree species, nest type and decay class – were recorded. Key results Northern flying squirrels used both coniferous and deciduous trees, as well as a mix of cavities, dreys and subterranean nests. Southern flying squirrels nested most often in deciduous tree cavities and used dreys less frequently than northern flying squirrels. The only significant effects in regression models, however, were effects of tree diameter. Both species used large-diameter trees in the winter and summer, and these effects were larger in the winter months. In both seasons, southern flying squirrels used larger trees than northern flying squirrels. Conclusions Our study results were consistent with the hypothesis that nest selection is associated with temperature and squirrel aggregation size. Both northern and southern flying squirrels used large trees during summer and winter months, as would be an expected requirement for aggregation; however, this effect was amplified in southern flying squirrels and in the winter. Implications Cold ambient temperature is an underlying factor in winter months, creating the need for social thermoregulation and increased squirrel aggregation sizes, especially in the small-bodied southern flying squirrel. This in turn leads to a need for large-diameter cavity trees for nest groups to occupy during winter.

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Anthropogenically-induced range expansion as an invasion front in native species: An example in North American flying squirrels

Cited by 3 publications

References 139 publications

Recolonization of secondary forests by a locally extinct Caribbean anole through the lens of range expansion theory

Recolonization of secondary forests by a locally extinct Caribbean anole through the lens of range expansion theory

Genetic structure of native and naturalized populations of sable (Martes zibellina L.) of the Central Siberian Plateau and adjacent territories

Seasonal nest use of sympatric North American flying squirrels

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