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Special Issue "Emerging Alien Species and Their Invasion Processes"

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A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Loss & Dynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 2524

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Dr. Thabiso Michael Mokotjomela

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Guest Editor

South Africa National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Free State National Botanical Gardens, P.O. Box 29036, Danhof, Bloemfontein 9310, South Africa
Interests: biological invasions; conservation ecology; environmental sustainability research; exotic plants; protected area biodiversity management; South African biodiversity economic sector

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasions of alien species into ecosystems can have important ecological and economic consequences. Some estimates suggest that invasive species are the second greatest threat to biological diversity worldwide and cost billions of dollars economically. Although invasion processes and the intentional or unintentional anthropogenically supported establishment of biota in a new ecosystem have occurred for centuries, the relevance of invasion processes is still increasing, with the rapidly evolving functional connectivity, due to globalisation. Therefore, the numbers of alien species are increasing at an alarming rate globally.

Current trends suggest that predictive models can help the development of management strategies that match the rate change in the spread and associated impacts. Additionally, ecological approaches can provide helpful information on the relationship between alien invasions and biological responses; comparative research between invaders and closely related native species can reveal functional traits involved in the invasion success.

In this Special Issue, we invite the submission of contributions that address the emerging alien species’ issues in various ecosystems from natural resources conservation, social dimensions, management and control, including specific interactions, adaptation, patterns of introduction and expansion, responses of natural systems and their functions, and services, etc. Studies presenting case studies at different spatial scales—national regional, continental and global— are most appreciated if they are supported by reliable data sets and are underpinned by accurate scientific protocols.

Dr. Thabiso Michael Mokotjomela
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

invasive species
ecological restoration
biodiversity conservation
ecosystem services
biological invasions
invasive species impacts
invasion resistance
community stability

Published Papers (3 papers)

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12 pages, 953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of Giant River Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in Controlling the Invasive Snail Pomacea canaliculata: Implications for Ecological Farming

and

Diversity 2023, 15(9), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15091001 - 07 Sep 2023

Viewed by 674

Abstract

The invasive golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata has a strong reproductive capacity and has rapidly spread in Asian countries. Current control methods include physical, chemical, and biological approaches, but there has been limited research on the control of P. canaliculata in its different life stages. This study assessed the effectiveness of using giant river prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii in controlling juveniles of P. canaliculata through a controlled indoor experiment. The density, size, and dispersal range of recently hatched juvenile snails were significantly lower among those kept with prawns than those kept without prawns, indicating a control effect of M. rosenbergii at least on P. canaliculata juveniles. Furthermore, the study speculates on the potential application of M. rosenbergii in the context of a rice–prawn symbiotic system of ecological farming to control invasive P. canaliculata. In terms of effectiveness and safety, its application might lead to a win-win situation for both rice-farm profits and the ecological benefits of invasive species control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Alien Species and Their Invasion Processes)

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15 pages, 3499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Invasibility of Common Plant Community Types of the Middle Urals

Denis V. Veselkin

Natalya V. Zolotareva

Denis I. Dubrovin

Elena N. Podgaevskaya

Liliya A. Pustovalova

and

Anastasia A. Korzhinevskaya

Diversity 2023, 15(9), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15090955 - 24 Aug 2023

Viewed by 437

Abstract

This paper specifies the invasibility of common plant community types in the natural habitats of the Middle Urals. Invasibility was defined as the vulnerability of a community to alien plant species invasions, regardless of the conditions in which the community existed. We analyzed 749 vegetation relevés made in natural bogs, floodplains, rocky grasslands, meadows, and forest communities. We surveyed urban and non-urban habitats (30–40 km from the city). Invasibility was calculated in two different ways based on two parameters: the number and proportion of alien species in the relevé. These invasibility parameters are widely applicable and comparable, scale-independent, measurable, and reliable, based on data that do not require the destruction of ecosystems or biota and are based on available data. Based on the invasibility degree, we identified three community-type groups with two subgroups in one group. In ascending order of invasibility degree, the community types were arranged as follows: (1) bogs with and without trees; (2a) coniferous forests; grass communities in floodplains; (2b) deciduous forests, coniferous plantations, floodplain communities with woody plants; and (3) dry meadows and rocky grasslands. Obtained results of the assessment of different plant community invasibility may be used to understand patterns of alien plant distribution in local habitats and the reasons for the different vulnerability of communities to plant invasions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Alien Species and Their Invasion Processes)

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13 pages, 2559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Alien Freshwater Turtles in Greece: Citizen Science Reveals the Hydra-Headed Issue of the Pet Turtle Trade

Konstantinos Kalaentzis

and

Diversity 2023, 15(5), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050691 - 20 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1088

Abstract

Citizen science is emerging as a powerful tool for the early detection of biological invasions. The exotic pet trade has been deemed as the most significant cause of establishment for reptiles, and among them, turtles have the highest number of introduction events. In Europe, at least 13 species of alien freshwater turtles have been recorded in the wild. In Greece, only two species of alien turtles have been reported, namely the American pond slider Trachemys scripta and the Florida cooter Pseudemys floridana. In this study, we provide an updated checklist of the alien freshwater turtles recorded in Greece, using citizen science, personal observations, and literature. Our results provide the first records for the country of five species, namely the Florida red-bellied cooter Pseudemys nelsoni, the Eastern river cooter Pseudemys concinna, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle Mauremys sinensis, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis, and the Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina and new localities for T. scripta. Similar to the myth of the Lernaean Hydra (i.e., for every head chopped off, more would regrow), the pet turtle trade has been proven to have multiple heads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Alien Species and Their Invasion Processes)

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Special Issue "Emerging Alien Species and Their Invasion Processes"

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