The comparison of dispersal rate between invasive and native species varied by plant life form and functional traits.

A long dispersal distance is widely used to indicate high invasiveness, but it ignores the temporal dimensions of plant invasion. Faster dispersal rates (= distance/time) of invasive species than native ones have been widely used in modeling species invasion and planning control management. However, the comparison of dispersal rate between invasive and native plants, particularly for dispersal on a local or landscape scale, has not been tested with a comprehensive dataset.

Examining the reproductive success of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana, Phaeophyceae, Laminariales) in climate change conditions.

Climate change is affecting marine ecosystems in many ways, including raising temperatures and leading to ocean acidification. From 2014 to 2016, an extensive marine heat wave extended along the west coast of North America and had devastating effects on numerous species, including bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Bull kelp is an important foundation species in coastal ecosystems and can be affected by marine heat waves and ocean acidification; however, the impacts have not been investigated on sensitive early life stages.

Biological invasions alter consumer-stress relationships along an estuarine gradient.

Estuaries represent steep stress gradients for aquatic organisms, with abiotic stress due to temperature and salinity typically increasing with distance into estuary. Invertebrate communities and their predators are strongly influenced by these stress gradients. The environmental stress model predicts that the importance of predation in structuring communities decreases with increasing environmental stress.

Mapping oysters on the Pacific coast of North America: A coast-wide collaboration to inform enhanced conservation.

To conserve coastal foundation species, it is essential to understand patterns of distribution and abundance and how they change over time. We synthesized oyster distribution data across the west coast of North America to develop conservation strategies for the native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida), and to characterize populations of the non-native Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas). We designed a user-friendly portal for data entry into ArcGIS Online and collected oyster records from unpublished data submitted by oyster experts and from the published literature.

Balanced polymorphism fuels rapid selection in an invasive crab despite high gene flow and low genetic diversity.

Adaptation across environmental gradients has been demonstrated in numerous systems with extensive dispersal, despite high gene flow and consequently low genetic structure. The speed and mechanisms by which such adaptation occurs remain poorly resolved, but are critical to understanding species spread and persistence in a changing world. Here, we investigate these mechanisms in the European green crab Carcinus maenas, a globally distributed invader.

Conservation aquaculture as a tool for imperiled marine species: Evaluation of opportunities and risks for Olympia oysters, Ostrea lurida.

Conservation aquaculture is becoming an important tool to support the recovery of declining marine species and meet human needs. However, this tool comes with risks as well as rewards, which must be assessed to guide aquaculture activities and recovery efforts. Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) provide key ecosystem functions and services along the west coast of North America, but populations have declined to the point of local extinction in some estuaries.

Scaling up experimental stress responses of grass invasion to predictions of continental-level range suitability.

Understanding how the biological invasion is driven by environmental factors will improve model prediction and advance early detection, especially in the context of accelerating anthropogenic ecological changes. Although a large body of studies has examined how favorable environments promote biological invasions, a more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of invasive species response to unfavorable/stressful conditions is still developing. Grass invasion has been problematic across the globe; in particular, C grass invaders, with high drought tolerance, adaptations to high temperatures, and high water use efficiency, could become more severe.

Stage-specific overcompensation, the hydra effect, and the failure to eradicate an invasive predator.

As biological invasions continue to increase globally, eradication programs have been undertaken at significant cost, often without consideration of relevant ecological theory. Theoretical fisheries models have shown that harvest can actually increase the equilibrium size of a population, and uncontrolled studies and anecdotal reports have documented population increases in response to invasive species removal (akin to fisheries harvest). Both findings may be driven by high levels of juvenile survival associated with low adult abundance, often referred to as overcompensation.

Local and regional variation in effects of burrowing crabs on plant community structure.

Burrowing animals can profoundly influence the structure of surrounding communities, as well as the performance of individual species. Changes in the community structure of burrowing animals or plants together with changing abiotic parameters could shift the influence of burrowers on surrounding habitats. For example, prior studies in salt marshes suggest that fiddler crabs stimulate cordgrass production, but leaf-grazing crabs suppress cordgrass production.

Nutrients mitigate the impacts of extreme drought on plant invasions.

Extreme climate events, such as drought, are becoming increasingly important drivers of plant community change, yet little is known about their impacts on invasive plants. Further, drought impacts may be altered by other anthropogenic stressors, such as eutrophication. We found drought dramatically reduced density of invasive Lepidium latifolium in salt marshes, and this die-back was mitigated by nutrient addition.

Supporting Spartina: Interdisciplinary perspective shows Spartina as a distinct solid genus.

In 2014, a DNA-based phylogenetic study confirming the paraphyly of the grass subtribe Sporobolinae proposed the creation of a large monophyletic genus Sporobolus, including (among others) species previously included in the genera Spartina, Calamovilfa, and Sporobolus. Spartina species have contributed substantially (and continue contributing) to our knowledge in multiple disciplines, including ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, biogeography, experimental ecology, biological invasions, environmental management, restoration ecology, history, economics, and sociology. There is no rationale so compelling to subsume the name Spartina as a subgenus that could rival the striking, global iconic history and use of the name Spartina for over 200 yr.

Into the weeds: Matching importation history to genetic consequences and pathways in two widely used biological control agents.

The intentional introduction of exotic species through classical biological control programs provides unique opportunities to examine the consequences of population movement and ecological processes for the genetic diversity and population structure of introduced species. The weevils and (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) have been introduced globally to control the invasive floating aquatic weed, , with variable outcomes. Here, we use the importation history and data from polymorphic microsatellite markers to examine the effects of introduction processes on population genetic diversity and structure.

Timing of stressors alters interactive effects on a coastal foundation species.

The effects of climate-driven stressors on organismal performance and ecosystem functioning have been investigated across many systems; however, manipulative experiments generally apply stressors as constant and simultaneous treatments, rather than accurately reflecting temporal patterns in the natural environment. Here, we assessed the effects of temporal patterns of high aerial temperature and low salinity on survival of Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida), a foundation species of conservation and restoration concern. As single stressors, low salinity (5 and 10 psu) and the highest air temperature (40°C) resulted in oyster mortality of 55.

Coast-wide recruitment dynamics of Olympia oysters reveal limited synchrony and multiple predictors of failure.

Recruitment of new propagules into a population can be a critical determinant of adult density. We examined recruitment dynamics in the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida), a species occurring almost entirely in estuaries. We investigated spatial scales of interannual synchrony across 37 sites in eight estuaries along 2,500 km of Pacific North American coastline, predicting that high vs.

Global threats from invasive alien species in the twenty-first century and national response capacities.

Invasive alien species (IAS) threaten human livelihoods and biodiversity globally. Increasing globalization facilitates IAS arrival, and environmental changes, including climate change, facilitate IAS establishment. Here we provide the first global, spatial analysis of the terrestrial threat from IAS in light of twenty-first century globalization and environmental change, and evaluate national capacities to prevent and manage species invasions.

Optimal approaches for balancing invasive species eradication and endangered species management.

Resolving conflicting ecosystem management goals-such as maintaining fisheries while conserving marine species or harvesting timber while preserving habitat-is a widely recognized challenge. Even more challenging may be conflicts between two conservation goals that are typically considered complementary. Here, we model a case where eradication of an invasive plant, hybrid Spartina, threatens the recovery of an endangered bird that uses Spartina for nesting.

Integrated assessment of biological invasions.

As the main witnesses of the ecological and economic impacts of invasions on ecosystems around the world, ecologists seek to provide the relevant science that informs managers about the potential for invasion of specific organisms in their region(s) of interest. Yet, the assorted literature that could inform such forecasts is rarely integrated to do so, and further, the diverse nature of the data available complicates synthesis and quantitative prediction. Here we present a set of analytical tools for synthesizing different levels of distributional and/or demographic data to produce meaningful assessments of invasion potential that can guide management at multiple phases of ongoing invasions, from dispersal to colonization to proliferation.

Modeling the relationship between propagule pressure and invasion risk to inform policy and management.

Predicting population establishment based on initial population size is a theoretically and empirically challenging problem whose resolution informs a multitude of applications. Indeed, it is a central problem in the management of introduced, endangered, harvested, and pathogenic organisms. We focus here on introduced species.

Sediment quality assessment in tidal salt marshes in northern California, USA: an evaluation of multiple lines of evidence approach.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of integrating a traditional sediment quality triad approach with selected sublethal chronic indicators in resident species in assessing sediment quality in four salt marshes in northern California, USA. These included the highly contaminated (Stege Marsh) and relatively clean (China Camp) marshes in San Francisco Bay and two reference marshes in Tomales Bay. Toxicity potential of contaminants and benthic macroinvertebrate survey showed significant differences between contaminated and reference marshes.

Biotic resistance in marine environments.

Biological invasions depend in part on the resistance of native communities. Meta-analyses of terrestrial experiments demonstrate that native primary producers and herbivores generally resist invasions of primary producers, and that resistance through competition strengthens with native producer diversity. To test the generality of these findings, we conducted a meta-analysis of marine experiments.

Poised to prosper? A cross-system comparison of climate change effects on native and non-native species performance.

Climate change and biological invasions are primary threats to global biodiversity that may interact in the future. To date, the hypothesis that climate change will favour non-native species has been examined exclusively through local comparisons of single or few species. Here, we take a meta-analytical approach to broadly evaluate whether non-native species are poised to respond more positively than native species to future climatic conditions.

Experimental test of the effects of a non-native invasive species on a wintering shorebird.

The abundance of nearly one-quarter of the world's shorebird species is declining. At the same time, the number of non-native species in coastal ecosystems is increasing rapidly. In some cases, non-native species may affect negatively the abundance and diversity of shorebird prey species.

Modeling the impacts of the European green crab on commercial shellfisheries.

Coastal resource managers are often tasked with managing coastal ecosystems that are stressed by overexploitation, climate change, contaminants, and habitat loss, as well as biological invasions. Therefore, managers increasingly need better economic data to help them prioritize their management strategies and distribute their increasingly limited resources to those strategies. Despite frequent pronouncements about the substantial ecological and economic impacts of invasive species, there have been few if any rigorous analyses of the economic impacts of invasive species in coastal systems.