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Unprecedented rates of introduction and spread of non-native species pose burgeoning challenges to biodiversity, natural resource management, regional economies, and human health. Current biosecurity efforts are failing to keep pace with globalization, revealing critical gaps in our understanding and response to invasions. Here, we identify four priority areas to advance invasion science in the face of rapid global environmental change. First, invasion science should strive to develop a more comprehensive framework for predicting how the behavior, abundance, and interspecific interactions of non-native species vary in relation to conditions in receiving environments and how these factors govern the ecological impacts of invasion. A second priority is to understand the potential synergistic effects of multiple co-occurring stressors-particularly involving climate change--on the establishment and impact of non-native species. Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies will need to consider the possible consequences of promoting non-native species, and appropriate management responses to non-native species will need to be developed. The third priority is to address the taxonomic impediment. The ability to detect and evaluate invasion risks is compromised by a growing deficit in taxonomic expertise, which cannot be adequately compensated by new molecular technologies alone. Management of biosecurity risks will become increasingly challenging unless academia, industry, and governments train and employ new personnel in taxonomy and systematics. Fourth, we recommend that internationally cooperative biosecurity strategies consider the bridgehead effects of global dispersal networks, in which organisms tend to invade new regions from locations where they have already established. Cooperation among countries to eradicate or control species established in bridgehead regions should yield greater benefit than independent attempts by individual countries to exclude these species from arriving and establishing. Key words: biosecurity, climate change, ecological impact, invasive species, management, risk assessment. Les taux sans precedent d'introduction et de propagation d'especes non indigenes posent des defis croissants a la biodiversite, a la gestion des ressources naturelles, aux economies regionales et a la sante humaine. Les efforts actuels en matiere de biosecurite ne parviennent pas a suivre le rythme de la mondialisation, revelant des lacunes critiques dans notre comprehension et notre reponse face aux invasions. Les auteurs identifient ici quatre domaines prioritaires permettant de faire progresser la science des invasions face aux changements environnementaux mondiaux rapides. Premierement, la science des invasions devrait s'efforcer de developper un cadre plus complet pour predire comment le comportement, l'abondance et les interactions interspecifiques des especes non indigenes varient en fonction des conditions des environnements recepteurs et comment ces facteurs regissent les impacts ecologiques des invasions. Une deuxieme priorite consiste a comprendre les effets synergiques potentiels de multiples facteurs de stress concomitants--notamment les changements climatiques--sur l'etablissement et l'impact des especes non indigenes. Les strategies d'adaptation au climat et d'attenuation devront tenir compte des consequences possibles de la promotion des especes non indigenes, et des reponses de gestion appropriees aux especes non indigenes devront etre elaborees. La troisieme priorite est de s'attaquer a l'obstacle taxonomique. La capacite a detecter et a evaluer les risques d'invasion est compromise par un deficit croissant de competences taxonomiques, qui ne peut etre compense de maniere adequate par les nouvelles technologies moleculaires seules. La gestion des risques de biosecurite deviendra de plus en plus difficile a moins que les universites, l'industrie et les gouvernements forment et emploient du nouveau personnel dans les domaines de la taxonomie et de la systematique. Quatriemement, nous recommandons que les strategies de cooperation internationale en matiere de biosecurite tiennent compte des effets de tete de pont des reseaux de dispersion mondiaux, dans lesquels des organismes ont tendance a envahir de nouvelles regions a partir d'endroits ou ils sont deja etablis. La cooperation entre les pays pour eradiquer ou controler les especes etablies dans les regions de tete de pont devrait donner de meilleurs resultats que les tentatives independantes de chaque pays pour empecher ces especes d'arriver et de s'etablir. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: biosecurite, changements climatiques, impact ecologique, especes envahissantes, gestion, evaluation des risques., 1. Introduction Invasion science--the systematic investigation of the causes and consequences of biological invasions--is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field. Its explosive growth over the past few decades mirrors societal concern [...]

In discussing the vital importance of taxonomic expertise for managing biological invasions, we noted that difficulties in recognizing cryptic species can challenge the use of classical biological control. As an [...]

When feeding on blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) either stab into the mollusc's gaping valves or hammer through its dorsal or ventral shell. Whilst the selectivity of hammering and stabbing oystercatchers for specific prey morphologies has been well studied, the way in which the effects of environment on M. edulis morphology can in turn affect feeding methods of H. ostralegus is very poorly understood. Based on morphological analyses on randomly selected shells from three intertidal zones, this study failed to detect differences in morphology or distribution of dorsally and ventrally hammered shells but confirms the finding of previous authors that hammering oystercatchers select thinner mussels than stabbing birds. Additionally, we show that this difference in optimal prey morphology can lead to spatial patterns in oystercatcher feeding behaviour. Whilst at the low intertidal and higher mid intertidal zones, characterised by comparatively thick shells, most empty shells had apparently been stabbed, hammering was the dominant feeding behaviour at the lower mid intertidal zone, where shells were thinner. Preference of hammering birds for smaller mussels was not ubiquitous. Sagittal shell shape was predominantly influenced by allometric growth effects and had only minor effect on prey selection. All oystercatchers preferred less inlated mussels, with the degree of shell inflation gradually increasing with higher intertidal elevation. Our results illustrate the importance of small-scale patterns in prey ecophenotypes in determining the distribution and feeding dynamics of wading birds., Introduction Optimal foraging theory (OFT) states that, in order to maximise their net rate of energy intake, foraging predators must select prey that yields the maximum amount of energy for [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01249.x Byline: REUBEN P. KELLER (*[dagger]), PHILINE S. E. ZU ERMGASSEN (*), DAVID C. ALDRIDGE (*) Keywords: ballast water; contaminants; invasive species; invasive species policy; nursery plants; pet trade Abstract: Abstract: Nonindigenous freshwater species cause large ecological and economic impacts in Great Britain. In response the government is in the process of implementing a broad, new nonindigenous species strategy. We assembled a list of all nonindigenous freshwater species that are or were established in Great Britain, their date of first record, and their vector of introduction. This list provides a baseline against which the success of new policies can be assessed. Because the biota of Great Britain has been well recorded, our results provide a highly resolved case study of the vectors and drivers of species transport and establishment. A total of 117 nonindigenous freshwater species are currently established in Great Britain; a further 17 species were once established but are now extirpated. Between 1800 and 2000 the number of established species increased at an accelerating rate, and this increase correlated with the growth in human population and gross domestic product. The construction of large reservoirs in Great Britain occurred over a short period and overlapped high rates of new species establishment, indicating that habitat modification may have been an important driver of establishment. Nonindigenous species now account for 24% of fish, 12% of plant, 54% of amphibian, and 88% of decapod crustacean freshwater species richness in Great Britain. The ornamental trades have been responsible for the greatest percentages of intentionally (73%) and unintentionally (34%) introduced species that have become established. Shipping and aquaculture have also been strong vectors. These vectors should be prioritized for management within the new nonindigenous species strategy. Abstract (Spanish): Vectores y Temporizacion de Invasiones Dulceacuicolas en Gran Bretana Resumen: Las especies dulceacuicolas no nativas causan grandes impactos ecologicos y economicos en Gran Bretana. En respuesta, el gobierno esta en el proceso de implementar una nueva estrategia integral para especies no nativas. Elaboramos una lista con todas las especies dulceacuicolas que estan o estuvieron establecidas en Gran Bretana, la fecha de su primer registro y el vector que las introdujo. Esta lista proporciona una base para evaluar el exito de las nuevas politicas. Debido a que la biota de Gran Bretana ha sido bien registrada, nuestros resultados proporcionan un estudio de caso de alta resolucion de los vectores y directrices del transporte y establecimiento de especies. En la actualidad, un total de 117 especies estan establecidas en Gran Bretana; otras 17 estuvieron establecidas pero han sido extirpadas. El numero establecido entre 1800 y 2000 incremento aceleradamente, y este incremento se correlaciono con el crecimiento de la poblacion humana y del producto domestico bruto. La construccion de grandes represas en Gran Bretana ocurrio en un corto periodo de tiempo en el que hubo altas tasas de establecimiento de especies, lo que indica que la modificacion del habitat pudo ser un factor importante para el establecimiento. Las especies no nativas ahora corresponden a 24% de la riqueza de especies dulceacuicolas de peces, 12% de plantas, 54% de anfibios y 88% de crustaceos decapodos de Gran Bretana. El comercio de especies ornamentales tambien ha sido responsable de los mayores porcentajes de especies introducidas intencional (73%) y no intencionalmente (34%) que se han establecido. Los barcos y la acuacultura tambien han sido vectores importantes. Estos vectores deberan ser priorizados para su manejo en la nueva estrategia de especies no nativas. Author Affiliation: (*)Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom Article History: Paper submitted May 13, 2008; revised manuscript accepted March 2, 2009. Article note: ([dagger]) Current address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, U.S.A., email rkeller2@nd.edu

Author(s): D. H. Browne, David C. Aldridge, Catherine Rhodes, William Sutherland Author Affiliations: Brexit threatens biosecurity -- from data to strategy Biosecurity is likely to be seriously compromised by the [...]