@article {pmid40439603,
year = {2025},
author = {Dehling, DM and Lai, HR and Stouffer, DB},
title = {Eltonian Niche Modelling: Applying Joint Hierarchical Niche Models to Ecological Networks.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {28},
number = {6},
pages = {e70120},
pmid = {40439603},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {SR200100005//Australian Research Council SRIEAS Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future/ ; MFP-UOC2102//Marsden Fund/ ; },
mesh = {*Models, Biological ; *Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; Animals ; },
abstract = {There is currently a dichotomy in the modelling of Grinnellian and Eltonian niches. Despite similar underlying data, Grinnellian niches are modelled with species-distribution models (SDMs), whereas Eltonian niches are modelled with ecological-network analysis, mainly because the sparsity of species-interaction data prevents the application of SDMs to Eltonian-niche modelling. Here, we propose to adapt recently developed joint species distribution models (JSDMs) to data on ecological networks, functional traits, and phylogenies to model species' Eltonian niches. JSDMs overcome sparsity and improve predictions for individual species by considering non-independent relationships among co-occurring species; this unique ability makes them particularly suited for sparse datasets such as ecological networks. Our Eltonian JSDMs reveal strong relationships between species' Eltonian niches and their functional traits and phylogeny. Moreover, we demonstrate that JSDMs can accurately predict the interactions of species for which no empirical interaction data are available, based solely on their functional traits. This facilitates prediction of new interactions in communities with altered composition, for example, following climate-change induced local extinctions or species introductions. The high interpretability of Eltonian JSDMs will provide unique insights into mechanisms underlying species interactions and the potential impacts of environmental changes and invasive species on species interactions in ecological communities.},
}

*Models, Biological
*Ecosystem
Phylogeny
Animals

@article {pmid40438522,
year = {2025},
author = {Ma, XY and Lu, YZ and He, L and Song, DD and Ma, J},
title = {Two new species of Neohelicosporium (Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales) from freshwater and terrestrial habitats in China.},
journal = {MycoKeys},
volume = {118},
number = {},
pages = {1-17},
pmid = {40438522},
issn = {1314-4049},
abstract = {Neohelicosporium species are a group of helicosporous hyphomycetes with the potential to produce novel bioactive natural compounds. During our investigation on helicosporous hyphomycetes, six isolates were collected from freshwater and terrestrial habitats in the tropical and subtropical regions of southern China. Based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (LSU-ITS-tef1-α-rpb2) and morphological comparisons of Neohelicosporium taxa, two new species (N.guizhouense and N.wuzhishanense) are introduced. Detailed micro-morphological descriptions, illustrations, and DNA molecular data are provided for the newly introduced species to confirm their taxonomic placements.},
}

@article {pmid40434301,
year = {2025},
author = {Cauldron, NC and Daniels, HA and LeBoldus, JM and Grünwald, NJ},
title = {Population Genomic Analysis of Two Independent Clonal Invasions of the Sudden Oak Death Pathogen into One Forest.},
journal = {Phytopathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/PHYTO-10-24-0329-FI},
pmid = {40434301},
issn = {0031-949X},
abstract = {Upon introduction, clonal pathogen populations are expected to go through a genetic bottleneck followed by gradual clonal divergence. Two distinct and purely clonal lineages of the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum recently emerged in forests in the Western United States, providing the unique opportunity to study a naturally replicated invasion into the same ecosystem. We characterized population genomic patterns during early invasion using whole genome sequencing of two P. ramorum clonal lineages sampled in the first five years following their detection. We re-sequenced genomes from populations of two dominant clonal lineages, NA1 (n=134; 2001-2005) and EU1 (n=160; 2015-2019), and obtained 106,070 high-quality SNPs in genic regions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of one introduction for each lineage. The NA1 population had a wider distribution of pairwise genetic distances than EU1 and higher genetic diversity, though neither NA1 nor EU1 populations clustered clearly by year. There was significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance for NA1 (p = 0.042), but not for EU1 (p = 0.402). The genetic diversity in NA1 is strongly driven by loss of heterozygous positions, which impacted more than one-third of the sampled NA1 population. However, loss of heterozygosity was rare in EU1. This work provides novel insights into the invasion biology and dynamics of clonal plant pathogens in natural ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid40433775,
year = {2025},
author = {Han, J and Lv, W and Ji, W and Wang, R and Luo, M and Fu, B},
title = {A novel gliding filamentous bacterium Herpetosiphon tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202 is a promising biocontrol agent for fire blight.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8933},
pmid = {40433775},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {2024B04030//Autonomous region Key R&D Program of Xinjiang, China/ ; 202310758001//National Undergraduate Student Innovation Project, China/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), a devastating bacterial disease, has posed significant challenges to apple and pear production for more than a century. In recent years, the spread of fire blight to China via Xinjiang has heightened concerns among planters and government authorities, particularly given the region's distinct geography and climate, underscoring the urgent need for innovative biocontrol strategies.

RESULTS: This study introduced a predatory bacterium, Herpetosiphon tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202, isolated from natural forest soil in Xinjiang, China, that could be a new type of promising biological control agent for the management of fire blight. Strain NSE202 differs from the five other reported Herpetosiphon species in terms of its physiological characteristics and genomic composition. Using morphological, 16S ribosomal RNA gene and whole-genome analysis, the NSE202 strain was assigned to H. tianshanensis sp. nov. Strain NSE202 demonstrated strong predatory capability against Erwinia amylovora (Ea) in vitro. The biocontrol capacity of NSE202 was assayed on isolated inflorescences of fragrant pear and biennial potted pear seedlings under greenhouse conditions. The protective control efficacy of NSE202 was 64.8% in the inflorescences assay. Bacterial spraying of NSE202 significantly reduced the incidence and disease index on pear seedlings with protective and therapeutic control efficacies of 71.9% and 61.5%, respectively. Strain NSE202 demonstrated stable colonization on pear blossoms and twigs under greenhouse conditions. The pathogen population was suppressed significantly in planta treated with NSE202, as shown by colony counts on plates, scanning electron microscopy, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Further investigation demonstrated that secondary metabolites of strain NSE202, collected via macroporous resin, and extracellular proteins, precipitated using ammonium sulfate, had pronounced lytic activity against the fire blight pathogen. In addition, certain lipases, glycoside hydrolases, and peptidases secreted by strain NSE202 may contribute significantly to the predation process. These findings suggest that such components may serve as promising biocontrol factors.

CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of H. tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202 provides a new and promising strategy for combating fire blight. The isolates' multiple capacities to colonize and exert antagonistic effects against Erwinia amylovora makes them highly promising candidates for an integrated biological solution. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

@article {pmid40349538,
year = {2025},
author = {Dubos, N and Geslin, B and Jourdan, H and Renault, D and Zakardjian, M},
title = {Contrasting effects of climate and anthropogenic change on future invasion risk of a solitary bee Amegilla pulchra.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {385},
number = {},
pages = {125711},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125711},
pmid = {40349538},
issn = {1095-8630},
mesh = {Animals ; Bees/physiology ; *Climate Change ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; Humans ; Pollination ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Anthropogenic Effects ; Australia ; },
abstract = {Amegilla pulchra is a solitary bee from Australia that has recently been spread throughout many islands of the Pacific. The non-regulated human-driven spread of the species may affect the local pollinator communities and their interactions with host plants. We used an ecological niche modelling approach, accounting for non-equilibrium and anthropogenic spread with the most recently recommended methods, and predicted the potential spread of the species under current and future conditions. We expected climate change and increase in human density to offer new suitable environments for the spread of the species. Invasion risks will increase in the future overall, but more in the non-native regions compared to the native region. In the native region, the projected effect of future environmental change was highly contrasted, we projected invasion risk to increase in human-dense areas but decrease elsewhere. We identified high risks of invasion in eastern Asia and in the Caribbean region and provide a world ranking for surveillance priority which accounts for maritime traffic. This study highlights potential contrasted effects between climate and anthropogenic change, with differing projections between the native and the non-native regions. Public awareness and prevention will be key to prevent further spread and mitigate potential adverse effects of the species on island systems. In regions that are already invaded, we propose that habitat restoration is a promising strategy for both the mitigation of the spread and the conservation of local communities.},
}

Animals
Bees/physiology
*Climate Change
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
Humans
Pollination
Conservation of Natural Resources
Anthropogenic Effects
Australia

@article {pmid40431110,
year = {2025},
author = {Luo, X and Shen, S and Liao, K and Li, S and Pan, Q and Ma, J and Li, W and Yang, X},
title = {Invasion Status, Mechanisms, and Future Distribution Prediction of Solidago canadensis in the Trade Port Region: A Case Study of Ningbo Port, China.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431110},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {2023Z146, 2024Z249, 2024Z262//the Key Technology Breakthrough Plan Project of Science and Innovation Yongjiang 2035/ ; 42371027//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {Trade ports are the first places where alien species invade and the source of their spread to other areas. Controlling invasions in these regions can effectively reduce invasion pressure and disrupt the spread pathways of invasive species, thereby significantly reducing their threat to local ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Based on 595 field survey plots, the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Species Distribution Model (MaxEnt) were employed to analyze and predict the invasion mechanisms and future possible distribution of Solidago canadensis in the Ningbo Port, China. The results indicate that the invasion of S. canadensis in the Ningbo Port was particularly severe, with a 67.7% occurrence rate of all sampling plots in the field survey, and a risk level classified as Grade 1. Biodiversity (p < 0.001) and the minimum temperature of the coldest month (p < 0.01) significantly affect the invasiveness. Highly diverse communities could resist the invasion of alien species, which support Elton's diversity-invasibility hypothesis. Low temperatures had a restrictive effect on the invasion of S. canadensis. The total suitable area continued to expand under three different climate change scenarios compared to current conditions (increased by 3.73%, 5.67%, and 3.74% by the 2070s). The total potential habitat area of S. canadensis reached its maximum extent (89.77%) under the medium greenhouse gas emission scenario in the 2050s. Meanwhile, the medium suitable area exhibited the greatest fluctuation among the three climate scenarios. Under the low emission condition, the medium suitable area of S. canadensis diminished by 63.10 km[2], but in the medium and high emission condition, its area expanded by 91.13 km[2] and 16.20 km[2], respectively. Under future climate warming scenarios, the invasion risk of S. canadensis in Ningbo Port will continue to increase. The results of our study reveal the diffusion mechanisms of invasive plants at the colonization source, providing important theoretical support for invasive alien species' initial prevention and control.},
}

@article {pmid40431082,
year = {2025},
author = {Mohammed, S and Mummenhoff, K},
title = {More than Just a Shell: Indehiscent Fruits Drive Drought-Tolerant Germination in Invasive Lepidium Species.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431082},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {DFG (MU 1137/8-2)//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to K.M./ ; n/a//Georg Förster Postdoctoral Research Grant (Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung) to S.M./ ; },
abstract = {This study aims to assess the drought stress tolerance of germinating seeds of the invasive indehiscent fruit-producing Lepidium species, specifically Lepidium appelianum, Lepidium draba, and the invasive dehiscent fruit-producing L. campestre. Drought stress tolerance experiments were conducted using various concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) following standard protocols. The results revealed that seeds/fruits of L. appelianum and L. draba exhibited significantly higher drought stress tolerance compared to seeds of L. campestre. Fresh seeds and fruits of L. appelianum were capable of germinating under various drought stress treatments, while fresh and after-ripened seeds and fruits of L. draba germinated in every condition except for -0.8 MPa. Conversely, L. campestre fresh seeds did not germinate under the most severe drought stress conditions (-0.6 and -0.8 MPa). It is crucial to note that fresh fruits of L. draba displayed pericarp-mediated chemical dormancy, while fresh seeds of L. campestre demonstrated physiological dormancy. However, fresh seeds and fruits of L. appelianum did not exhibit any dormancy. This study suggests that germinating seeds and fruits of L. appelianum demonstrate the strongest tolerance to drought stress, while L. draba exhibits moderate tolerance. On the contrary, L. campestre seeds display the least tolerance to drought stress. The differences in drought stress tolerance among the studied Lepidium species reflect the climatic facets in their native distribution areas. Given the potential high invasiveness associated with the drought stress tolerance of L. appelianum and L. draba, it is imperative to develop special control strategies to manage these invasive species in the face of future climate change.},
}

@article {pmid40431075,
year = {2025},
author = {Javed, Q and Bouhadi, M and Ban, SG and Ban, D and Heath, D and Iqbal, B and Sun, J and Černe, M},
title = {Smart Chip Technology for the Control and Management of Invasive Plant Species: A Review.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431075},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {HRZZ- IPS-2022-02-2099//Croatian Science Foundation/ ; },
abstract = {Invasive plant species threaten biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and are costly to manage. Standard control methods, such as mechanical and chemical (herbicides), are usually ineffective and time-consuming and negatively affect the environment, especially in the latter case. This review explores the potential of smart chip technology (SCT) as a sustainable, precision approach tool for invasive species management. Integrating microchip sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) into the Internet of Things (IoT) and remote sensing technology allows for real-time monitoring, predictive modelling, and focused action, significantly improving management effectiveness. As one of many examples discussed herein, AI-driven decision-making systems can process real-time data from IoT-enabled environmental sensors to optimize invasive species detection. Smart chip technology also offers real-time monitoring of invasive species' life processes, spread, and environmental effects, enabling artificial intelligence-powered eco-friendly control strategies that minimize herbicide usage and lessen collateral ecosystem damage. Despite the potential of SCT, challenges remain, including cost, biodegradability, and regulatory constraints. However, recent advances in biodegradable electronics and AI-driven automation offer promising solutions to many identified obstacles. Future research should focus on scalable deployment, improved predictive analytics, and interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation. Using SCT can help make invasive species control more sustainable while supporting biodiversity and strengthening agricultural systems.},
}

@article {pmid40429219,
year = {2025},
author = {Ombuya, A and Guo, J and Liu, W},
title = {Insect Mating Behaviors: A Review of the Regulatory Role of Neuropeptides.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429219},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {Grant No. 2024YFC2607600//National Key R&D Program of China/ ; XZ202401ZY0001//The Key R&D Project of Tibet Autonomous Region/ ; },
abstract = {Insect mating behaviors are complex, diverse, and primarily regulated by neuropeptides and their receptors. Neuropeptides are peptide signaling molecules mainly secreted by insects' central nervous system (CNS) to reach target organs. A substantial body of research on the role of neuropeptides in regulating mating behaviors in insects has been undertaken. This review aims to (1) synthesize existing knowledge on insect mating behaviors, (2) elucidate the neuropeptidergic mechanisms governing these behaviors, and (3) identify knowledge gaps and propose future research directions. The mating process, covering mate attraction, courtship rituals, copulation, and post-mating behaviors, was elucidated with appropriate examples. Additionally, specific neuropeptides involved at each stage of the mating process, their functions, and mechanistic aspects were discussed as demonstrated in research. The review highlights that insects display behavioral dimorphism in the mating process driven by a complex underlying neuropeptidergic mechanism. While previous publications have generally addressed the role of neuropeptides in insect behavior, none has intensively and methodically examined their role in mating behaviors. In this review, we synthesized 18 neuropeptides that we found to regulate mating behaviors in insects. We note that some of the neuropeptides are malfunctional in their regulatory roles, while others are specific. We also note that these neuropeptides execute their regulatory functions through the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway but may take different routes and messengers downstream to effect behavioral change. Neuropeptides also interact with other regulatory systems, such as the endocrine system, to discharge their functions. Given their significance in mediating mating and reproduction, targeted manipulation of the signaling system of neuropeptides could serve as viable targets in the production of ecologically friendly pest management tools. Tools that could disrupt the mating process would be applied in crop production systems to reduce the population pressure of destructive pests, consequently reducing the urge to use chemical pesticides that are ecologically unfriendly. Our findings not only advance the understanding of neuropeptide-mediated mating regulation but also highlight their potential as eco-friendly pest control targets.},
}

@article {pmid40429186,
year = {2025},
author = {Kandori, I and Ogata, Y and Yokoi, T},
title = {Nesting Preferences of Osmia orientalis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the Field and Its Potential as a Strawberry Pollinator in Greenhouses.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429186},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The western honeybee, Apis mellifera, is used worldwide as a pollinator of crops such as strawberries; however, it is an introduced species in Japan. The mason bee, Osmia orientalis Benoist (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is native to Japan, where it nests in empty snail shells and has potential as a crop pollinator. We conducted three experiments to collect information on the nesting habits and potential agricultural use of this species as a pollinator of greenhouse-grown strawberries. Our first experiment investigated the bees' nesting preferences in the field by placing the empty shells of four snail species, Euhadra amaliae, Satsuma japonica, Sinotaia quadrata histrica, and Helix lucorum, in six different environments. The nesting rate was significantly higher in medium-sized, empty E. amaliae shells. Regarding the surrounding environment, O. orientalis preferred tall and short grasslands to bare ground and forest interiors. Our second experiment investigated per-visit strawberry flower pollination efficiency. The results indicated that the efficiency of O. orientalis was equal to or greater than that of A. mellifera. In our third experiment, as a replacement for empty snail shells, which are scarce natural sources, four types of plastic artificial shells were created and placed inside a greenhouse together with E. amaliae shells. The nesting rates in three types of artificial shells were nearly identical to those in E. amaliae shells, implying that these artificial shells may be effective nesting materials. Although many questions remain before practical application, our results indicate the potential for using O. orientalis as a pollinator of greenhouse-grown strawberries.},
}

@article {pmid40429156,
year = {2025},
author = {Pemberton, RW},
title = {Explosive Growth of the Jorō Spider (Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch): Araneae: Araneidae) and Concurrent Decline of Native Orbweaving Spiders in Atlanta, Georgia Forests at the Forefront of the Jorō Spider's Invasive Spread.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429156},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The Jorō spider (Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch): Araneae: Araneidae), an invasive species from Asia, and native orbweaving spiders were censused at 25 forest sites in the Atlanta, Georgia, region at the forefront of the Jorō spider's spread from 2022 through 2024. The Jorō spider was found in all 25 sites in all three years, doubling in abundance each year. In 2022, the number of Jorō spiders found was 444 or 16.34 per hour of census. This doubled in 2023 to 859 or 30.54 per hour. The Jorō numbers doubled again in 2024 to 1713 or 59.14 per hour. This contrasts markedly with the seven species of native orbweavers found during the censuses, which declined by ca. 40% each year. In 2022, 52 or 1.72 individuals per hour of six native orbweaver species were found at 18 sites. In 2023, the number dropped to 32 or 1.06 individuals per hour of six species found at 11 sites. In 2024, the number further declined to 18 or 0.55 individuals of six species found at eight sites. The Jorō spider's spread and rapid increase in abundance may disrupt trophic networks and negatively influence the abundance of both native orbweavers and flying insect species.},
}

@article {pmid40427740,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, C and Zhou, Y and Wang, C and Pan, X and Wang, Y and Qi, X and Wan, F},
title = {Research on the Economic Loss Model of Invasive Alien Species Based on Multidimensional Data Spatialization-A Case Study of Economic Losses Caused by Hyphantria cunea in Jiangsu Province.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/biology14050552},
pmid = {40427740},
issn = {2079-7737},
support = {2023YFC2605200//National Key Research and Development Program Project/ ; GD22XYJ32//Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Project/ ; },
abstract = {IAS imposes significant impacts on native ecosystems and economies. Current assessment methods for economic losses predominantly rely on habitat suitability estimation and database extrapolation, often lacking integration of causal inference and dynamic spatial drivers. H. cunea, a pervasive invasive pest in Jiangsu Province, China, exemplifies this challenge through its rapid spread and multi-sector economic impacts. To address these limitations, we innovatively integrated three models: (1) Difference-in-Differences (DID) quantified causal economic impacts through spatiotemporal comparison of infested/non-infested areas; (2) GeoDetector identified key spatial drivers via stratified heterogeneity analysis; (3) MaxEnt projected ecological suitability under climate scenarios. The synergy enabled dynamic loss attribution: GeoDetector optimized DID's variable selection, while MaxEnt constrained loss extrapolation to ecologically plausible zones, achieving multi-scale causal-spatial-climate integration absent in conventional approaches. In Jiangsu Province, H. cunea caused CNY 89.2 million in primary sector losses in 2022, with forestry disproportionately impacted, accounting for 58.3% of the total losses. The DID model revealed nonlinear temporal impacts indicating a loss of 0.163 forestry per 30 m[2] grid, while MaxEnt projected 22% habitat contraction under the SSP5-8.5 scenario by 2060, which corresponds to climate-adjusted losses of CNY 147 million. Spatial prioritization identified northern Jiangsu (e.g., Xuzhou, Lianyungang) as high-risk zones requiring immediate intervention. The framework enables spatially explicit prioritization of containment efforts-grids identified as high-risk necessitate a tripling of funding in comparison to low-risk areas. And SSP-specific loss projections support dynamic budget planning under climate uncertainty. By integrating causal attribution, ecological realism, and climate resilience, this model transforms IAS management from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven governance. It provides a replicable toolkit for balancing ecological preservation and economic stability in the Anthropocene.},
}

@article {pmid40427360,
year = {2025},
author = {Liang, Y and Hong, J and Song, Y and Yue, K and Chen, M and Wu, J and Ou, Y and Liang, M and Lu, Y},
title = {Seasonal Dynamics of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) Colony Structures Across Camellia oleifera Plantations and Fishponds in South China.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40427360},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {2021YFD1000500//National Key Research and Development Program/ ; 2023YFN0030//Key Research and Development Program of Science and Technology in Sichuan Province/ ; 2023TX07A017//Guangdong Special Support Program-Leading Talents in Science and Technology Innovation/ ; 202405AF140082//Science and Technology Talent and Platform Project of Yunnan (Academician and Expert Workstation)/ ; 2025B04J0001//Key Research and Development Program of Guangzhou: 2025B04J0001./ ; },
abstract = {The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta, RIFA) is a globally invasive species with strong sensitivity to environmental conditions. This study investigated the seasonal dynamics and colony structure of RIFA over the course of one year across two typical habitats in South China: Camellia oleifera plantations and fishponds. The results revealed clear seasonal patterns in caste composition. Worker abundance peaked during winter (December-January), while reproductive individuals (queens, males, and alates) emerged primarily in spring and early summer (March-May). Colony biomass, worker number, and individual dry weight were significantly higher in C. oleifera plantations, whereas fishpond habitats exhibited greater numbers of larvae and male alates, suggesting different reproductive allocation strategies across habitats. An analysis of caste composition indicated that adult workers were dominant in both habitats, but the proportion of pupae was notably higher in fishpond colonies, especially in spring. Significant correlations were found between colony metrics and nest characteristics, including a negative relationship between worker body length and colony biomass. Environmental factor analysis showed that air pressure positively influenced worker numbers, while temperature was negatively associated with them. Precipitation and humidity played key roles in regulating larval and pupal populations. Overall, RIFA exhibited strong seasonal patterns and ecological plasticity in response to habitat differences and environmental variables. These findings provide insights into the species' invasion biology and inform habitat-specific monitoring and management strategies.},
}

@article {pmid40427297,
year = {2025},
author = {Huelbes, S and Gómez, M and Martínez, I and Triay-Portella, R and González-Pleiter, M and Herrera, A},
title = {Microplastics in Cronius ruber: Links to Wastewater Discharges.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {10},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani15101420},
pmid = {40427297},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {(ProID2024010013//Gobierno de Canarias/ ; },
abstract = {Microplastic pollution in the ocean is a growing problem. It affects the entire ecosystem and, therefore, the species that inhabit it. Plastics can be filtered or ingested by organisms, entering and negatively affecting individuals. Among the populations affected are crustaceans. In previous studies, fibers have been found mainly in the stomach contents of these animals, although other types, such as pellets, have also been found. This study examines the presence of microplastics in Cronius ruber, an invasive crab species in the Canary Islands, and investigates their potential links to nearby wastewater discharges. A total of 63 crabs were sampled from four beaches in Gran Canaria in 2021, and their stomach contents were analyzed through alkaline digestion, filtration, and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). Microplastics were detected in 52% of individuals; the particles averaged 0.7 ± 0.5 mm in length, with an average of 1.73 ± 1.02 particles per crab. Fibers constituted 89% of the microplastics, with blue and black being the predominant colors. Rayon, commonly used in textiles, was the most frequently identified polymer (52%), highlighting the role of wastewater from laundry processes as a significant pollution source. Beaches close to unauthorized wastewater discharges, such as Anfi del Mar (n = 3) and El Puertillo (n = 32), showed the highest contamination levels, with a frequency of occurrence (FO) of microplastic particles of 67% and 58%, respectively. Playa de Las Nieves was the one with the lowest contamination level (n = 22), with a frequency of occurrence of microplastic particles of 41%. This is the first study to document microplastic ingestion in C. ruber, raising concerns about its ecological presence and the potential bioaccumulation of contaminants in marine ecosystems. Further research is essential to understand the long-term consequences of microplastic exposure on invasive species and their possible roles in pollutant transfer through food webs.},
}

@article {pmid40424232,
year = {2025},
author = {Gangloff, EJ and Bishop, AP and Head, A and Pauly, GB and Perry, C and Vaughn, PL and Winchell, KM and Brock, KM},
title = {Sex-specific morphological shifts across space and time in replicate urban wall lizard introductions.},
journal = {Integrative and comparative biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/icb/icaf060},
pmid = {40424232},
issn = {1557-7023},
abstract = {As species move into new environments through founder events, their phenotypes may diverge from native populations. Understanding the drivers underlying such variation, and the constraints on the adaptive potential of this variation, is essential for understanding how organisms respond to new or rapidly-changing habitats. Such phenotypic divergence may be especially evident in populations introduced to new environments via human-assistant transport or populations in dramatically-altered environments such as cities. Sexually-dimorphic species beg the additional questions of how these new environments may influence sexes differently and how dimorphism may shape the range of potential responses. The repeated translocation, establishment, and spread of wall lizards (Podarcis spp.) from native European populations to new locations in North America provide an excellent natural experiment to explore how phenotypes may differ after establishment in a new environment. Here, we quantify body shape and the multivariate morphological phenotype (incorporating limb dimensions and head length) of common wall lizards (P. muralis) and Italian wall lizards (P. siculus) in replicated North American introductions. In both species, males are larger and have larger head length and limb dimensions than females across all sampled groups. Sexual dimorphism in the multivariate morphological phenotype was of similar magnitude when comparing native and introduced populations for both species, though the trajectory angles in multivariate trait space differed for one species, P. siculus. When comparing introduced lizards from contemporary and historically-collected museum specimens, we identified differences of similar magnitude but in different trajectories between sexes in P. siculus, and differences in both magnitude and direction of sexual dimorphism in P. muralis. These idiosyncratic patterns in phenotypic trajectories provide insight to the potential array of processes generating phenotypic variation within species at the intersection of invasion biology and urban evolution.},
}

@article {pmid40423860,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, H and Xin, T and Jiang, C and Wang, H and Xia, B},
title = {The dual role of the RR-2 cuticular protein gene in development and acaricide susceptibility of Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae).},
journal = {Experimental & applied acarology},
volume = {95},
number = {1},
pages = {5},
pmid = {40423860},
issn = {1572-9702},
support = {13220141//Investigation on the Occurrence, Harm and Diffusion Risk of Agricultural Alien Invasive Species/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Tetranychidae/genetics/growth & development/drug effects/metabolism ; *Acaricides/pharmacology ; *Arthropod Proteins/genetics/metabolism/chemistry ; Female ; Nymph/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism ; Larva/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism ; *Drug Resistance/genetics ; Ovum/growth & development/metabolism ; Oviposition ; },
abstract = {Panonychus citri, a major pest mite globally, causes substantial economic damage in the citrus sector. Due to the prolonged use of acaricides, P. citri has developed resistance; thus, identifying alternative control measures is imperative. The study successfully cloned and characterized three genes from the RR-2 subfamily of cuticular proteins (CP) in P. citri, PcCPR14, PcCPR15.7, and PcCPR16.8. These genes exhibited their highest expression in eggs aged 4 and 5 days and showed relatively high expression in larvae and nymphs on day 1. Inhibitin PcCPR16.8 expression in eggs resulted in only 23% hatching success. Similarly, silencing PcCPR16.8 is inhibited in nymphs led to cuticle rupture and a mortality rate of 81.77%. Silencing in female mites reduced the oviposition rate by 31.06% and significantly decreased chitin content and the expression of key chitin metabolism genes in P. citri. This indicates the crucial role of CP genes in the development and reproduction of P. citri. Moreover, exposure to the acaricides spirobudiclofen and etoxazole typically triggers high expression of PcCPR16.8, and silencing this gene increases the mite's sensitivity to these chemicals. CPs are vital in defending against environmental changes, making them potential targets for developing P. citri control strategies.},
}

Animals
*Tetranychidae/genetics/growth & development/drug effects/metabolism
*Acaricides/pharmacology
*Arthropod Proteins/genetics/metabolism/chemistry
Female
Nymph/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism
Larva/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism
*Drug Resistance/genetics
Ovum/growth & development/metabolism
Oviposition

@article {pmid40422727,
year = {2025},
author = {Baeza-Guzmán, Y and Camargo-Ricalde, SL and Trejo-Aguilar, D and Montaño, NM},
title = {Pine Forest Plantations in the Neotropics: Challenges and Potential Use of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Bacteria as Inoculants.},
journal = {Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40422727},
issn = {2309-608X},
support = {Divisional project//Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana/ ; },
abstract = {Forest plantations in the Neotropics aim to alleviate pressure on primary forests. This study synthesizes knowledge on pine species used in these plantations, emphasizing the challenges and potential of ectomycorrhizal fungi and bacteria as inoculants. An analysis of 98 articles identifies 23 pine species in Mexico and Central America and about 16 fast-growing species in South America. While pine plantations provide a habitat for generalist species, they reduce the richness of specialist species. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and bacterial diversity in plantations with introduced pines is up to 20% lower compared to native ecosystems. Suillus and Hebeloma are commonly used as mycorrhizal inoculants for Neotropical and introduced species, including Pinus ponderosa and Pinus radiata in South America. Commercial inoculants predominantly feature the fungal species Pisolithus tinctorius, alongside bacterial genera such as Bacillus, Cohnella, and Pseudomonas. This study emphasizes the importance of leveraging native microbial communities and their synergistic interactions with ECM fungi and bacteria to enhance seedling growth and quality. Such a combined approach can improve plantation survival, boost resilience to environmental stressors, and promote long-term productivity. These findings underscore the need to incorporate native fungi and bacteria into inoculant strategies, advancing sustainable forestry practices and ecosystem adaptation in the Neotropics.},
}

@article {pmid40421716,
year = {2025},
author = {Liang, Z and Gozlan, RE and Liu, J and Jackson, D and Guo, C},
title = {Invasive Fish Reshape Biodiversity Patterns in China's Freshwater Lakes.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {31},
number = {5},
pages = {e70267},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.70267},
pmid = {40421716},
issn = {1365-2486},
support = {CARS-45//The Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System/ ; 32172980//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2023YFD2400900//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 202304910486//China Scholarship Council/ ; },
mesh = {*Biodiversity ; China ; *Fishes/physiology ; Animals ; *Lakes ; *Introduced Species ; Phylogeny ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Globalization has dramatically accelerated the spread of non-native species, intensifying threats to freshwater ecosystems. While China ranks among the most heavily invaded countries, the role of non-native species as key drivers of biodiversity changes is often overlooked in research on anthropogenic impacts. This oversight hampers the development of effective conservation and management strategies by limiting a full understanding of what shapes biodiversity patterns. To bridge this gap, an extensive dataset from 131 lakes across China was compiled and analyzed using a novel composite diversity index that integrates species richness with functional and phylogenetic uniqueness, allowing for a more precise identification of fish multidimensional diversity hotspots. Additionally, gradient forest models were employed to elucidate the impacts of non-native species, geography, climate, and physicochemical factors on these patterns. Our findings revealed significant taxonomic and functional homogenization in non-native hotspots within the overall fish community, coupled with phylogenetic diversification. Notably, non-native fish diversity emerged as the primary factor shaping overall and native fish multidimensional diversity patterns. While the establishment of non-native species may provide an immediate enhancement to overall diversity, it often leads to the extirpation/extinction of native species, ultimately resulting in biodiversity loss at local and potentially the regional scale. This study highlights the importance of examining multiple dimensions to characterize the intricate dynamics between native and non-native species, which is essential for understanding their true impact on biodiversity and for achieving global conservation goals.},
}

*Biodiversity
China
*Fishes/physiology
Animals
*Lakes
*Introduced Species
Phylogeny
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40421372,
year = {2025},
author = {Baguette, FMMP and Baider, C and Florens, FBV},
title = {A scoping review of tropical pioneer trees' roles for restoration and conservation management: Harungana madagascariensis (Hypericaceae) a widespread African species as a model.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {e19458},
pmid = {40421372},
issn = {2167-8359},
mesh = {*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; Biodiversity ; Africa ; Forests ; *Trees ; Tropical Climate ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Globally, biodiversity is declining rapidly, including tropical forests ecosystems in particular. To stop and reverse this trend, governments worldwide signed up to international agreements and initiatives, but success to date has been limited. In this context, reviewing pioneer trees' ecology, particularly the most widespread species, can help gauge their pros and cons and guide their judicious use for cost-effective ecological restoration projects.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to review the potential of pioneer tree species for biodiversity conservation and forest restoration and identify eventual knowledge gaps, using a widespread species from Africa, Harungana madagascariensis Lam. (Hypericaceae), as a model. Our specific objective was to synthetize information on the distribution and habitat of H. madagascariensis; its documented interspecific ecological interactions; and its potential for forest restoration.

METHODOLOGY: A scoping review was conducted using multiple databases to identify relevant papers, supplemented by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database (GBIF) to extract distribution records of H. madagascariensis. Following the PRISMA screening process for scoping reviews, 398 publications and 4,379 records from GBIF (2023) were used in the final analysis out of a total of 1,159 unique articles and 5,230 records originally retrieved.

RESULTS: We show that H. madagascariensis, which is native to tropical Africa, Madagascar, and some islands of the Mascarenes, is a key component of young secondary forests, wetland areas, and grasslands. At least 125 species were found to interact directly with H. madagascariensis, including through commensalism, mutualism, and herbivory. It is recognized as a tool for restoration regionally, and considered as invasive in Australia where it has been introduced and, by some, in Mauritius where it is native. The benefits it provides for restoration include its capacity to improve degraded soil fertility, its ability to compete with invasive alien species mostly due to its heliophilous and fast-growing nature, and its good nurse tree potential along with its ecological interactions that support numerous species including threatened ones.

CONCLUSION: The widespread African pioneer tree H. madagascariensis plays a critical role in vegetation dynamic and holds great potential for fostering forest restoration and biodiversity conservation in its range of nearly 13 M km[2]. Its greater use in restoration projects could significantly accelerate ecological restoration, decrease its costs, and increase benefits to biodiversity, leading to larger areas being restored, contributing effectively to national and international objectives. However, a number of aspects deserve further studies, such as the species' role in multitrophic interactions and its precise interactions, and their strengths, with species in each of its specific geographical contexts and through different temporal scales.},
}

*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
Biodiversity
Africa
Forests
*Trees
Tropical Climate
Ecosystem

@article {pmid40419738,
year = {2025},
author = {Soto, I and Courtois, P and Pili, A and Tordoni, E and Manfrini, E and Angulo, E and Bellard, C and Briski, E and Buřič, M and Cuthbert, RN and Kouba, A and Kourantidou, M and Macêdo, RL and Leroy, B and Haubrock, PJ and Courchamp, F and Leung, B},
title = {Using species ranges and macroeconomic data to fill the gap in costs of biological invasions.},
journal = {Nature ecology & evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40419738},
issn = {2397-334X},
abstract = {Biological invasions threaten global biodiversity, human well-being and economies. Many regional and taxonomic syntheses of monetary costs have been produced recently but with important knowledge gaps owing to uneven geographic and taxonomic research intensity. Here we combine species distribution models, macroeconomic data and the InvaCost database to produce the highest resolution spatio-temporal cost estimates currently available to bridge these gaps. From a subset of 162 invasive species with 'highly reliable' documented costs at the national level, our interpolation focuses on countries that have not reported any costs despite the known presence of invasive species. This analysis demonstrates a substantial underestimation, with global costs potentially estimated to be 1,646% higher for these species than previously recorded. This discrepancy was uneven geographically and taxonomically, respectively peaking in Europe and for plants. Our results showed that damage costs were primarily driven by gross domestic product, human population size, agricultural area and environmental suitability, whereas management expenditure correlated with gross domestic product and agriculture areas. We also found a lag time for damage costs of 46 years, but management spending was not delayed. The methodological predictive approach of this study provides a more complete view of the economic dimensions of biological invasions and narrows the global disparity in invasion cost reporting.},
}

@article {pmid40419276,
year = {2025},
author = {Valenta, K and Rajaonarivelo, T and Ferreira, A and Raharinirina, A and Rafaliarison, RR and Farris, A and Watson, JM and deFrance, S and Mayo, D and Filla, C and Ross, A and Bornbusch, SL and Satishchandran, S and Kelly, T and Levy, JK and Randriana, Z and Farris, ZJ},
title = {The impact of free-roaming dogs on lemurs in Madagascar: a decade of research and intervention.},
journal = {Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-18},
doi = {10.1163/14219980-bja10047},
pmid = {40419276},
issn = {1421-9980},
abstract = {Lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals on earth, and invasive species, including domestic dogs, are considered to be the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. Here, we describe and summarize the challenges and results of a decade of research aimed at understanding the impact of dogs on lemurs, and efforts to humanely reduce dog populations in protected areas in Madagascar, to reduce their impact on lemurs and other wildlife, via the non-profit the Mad Dog Initiative. We have found that free-roaming domestic dog populations living in and around Madagascar's protected areas both predate and displace native wildlife, and that the presence of dogs in forests drives a reduction of wildlife in forests. Additionally, dogs vector a number of pathogens that can have lethal consequences for lemur populations, as well as serving as important vectors of anti-microbial resistance. We propose several future directions for research, outreach, and capacity building in Madagascar and other low and middle income countries aimed at better quantifying the threat of domestic species on wildlife, and mitigating its impact.},
}

@article {pmid40419249,
year = {2025},
author = {Gursky, S},
title = {Domestic cats and predation on a free-ranging primate, Gursky's tarsier (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae).},
journal = {Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-15},
doi = {10.1163/14219980-bja10054},
pmid = {40419249},
issn = {1421-9980},
abstract = {Introduced species, also known as invasive species, alien species and exotic species, are a major contributing factor to environmental problems in that they modify or disrupt the ecosystem they colonize. While some invasive species arrive in new areas through natural migration, more often than not they are introduced by the activities of humans. For example, domestic cats (Felis catus) were introduced by humans and are now common pets. Cats have been so successful invading new areas that their worldwide population is reported to exceed 500 million. Over 3 decades of u observations, cats were observed 169 times while observing Gursky's tarsier. Over time, the frequency that cats were observed while observing tarsiers increased. Similarly, the distance from the village that cats were observed increased over time indicating that the cats are moving further into the protected area. The tarsiers exhibited numerous responses to the presence of a cat. They always alarm called, and occasionally mobbed the cat. Several behavioral changes were made including increasing time traveling, increasing their height in the forest canopy, decreasing distance between group members. The cats attempted to prey on a tarsier 19 times. Twelve attempts were successful. Given that cat predation is known to have already caused faunal extinctions on islands, this threat to the tarsiers and other endemic species in Tangkoko Nature Reserve should not be taken lightly. One potential way to mitigate the negative impacts of cats on the tarsier population is by developing bylaws that restrict cat ownership adjacent to protected areas.},
}

@article {pmid40417069,
year = {2025},
author = {Feldman, EV and Kettenring, KM},
title = {Bet Hedging to Aid Seed-Based Wetland Restoration Under Hydrologic Extremes.},
journal = {Wetlands (Wilmington, N.C.)},
volume = {45},
number = {5},
pages = {52},
pmid = {40417069},
issn = {0277-5212},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Reestablishing native plant communities following invasive species management is a common restoration goal for wetland managers. Although passive recolonization is occasionally sufficient, often, active revegetation through seeding is required. However, the outcomes of seeding likely differ by site (due to varying environmental conditions) and the composition of the seed mix. We evaluated the effects of both passive recolonization and seeding treatments (varying density and diversity of natives) on wetland plant community cover and composition at two sites in the Great Salt Lake Watershed, USA, over two years. We found that passive recolonization was insufficient to increase native plant cover at one location and limit invasive species' cover at either location. Furthermore, different emergent wetland restoration sites, despite geographic proximity, had different plant community outcomes, likely due to distinct site environmental conditions. We also found that the effects of the seeding treatments appeared to be overwhelmed by water depth due to two extreme weather events (severe drought in year 1 and prolonged flooding in year 2). However, these events provided an opportunity to observe the recovery potential of the different functional groups and identify three species of restoration interest (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus acutus, and Distichlis spicata) that were able to survive the extreme conditions during both growing seasons at one site. These findings underscore the importance of not relying on passive recolonization and instead using bet-hedging strategies (e.g., seeding diverse mixes with species with a range of hydrologic tolerances) to overcome hydrologic extremes, conditions likely to become more common with climate change and ever-increasing upstream water diversions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-025-01935-7.},
}

@article {pmid40415709,
year = {2025},
author = {Kimball, S and Nguyen, MA and Funk, JL and Lulow, M and Vose, G and Huxman, TE},
title = {Plant traits reveal that biotic resistance to invasibility is shaped by slope aspect.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {e70048},
pmid = {40415709},
issn = {1939-5582},
support = {//The Nature Conservancy/ ; //Natural Communities Coalition/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; California ; *Ecosystem ; *Plants/classification ; },
abstract = {During community assembly, species' traits interact with environmental conditions and influence biotic interactions. Learning how traits of non-native species enable them to successfully navigate these interacting biotic and abiotic filters informs invasion dynamics. Here we test how plant traits relate to invasion resistance under differing degrees of abiotic stress based on slope aspect in a large restoration project in Southern California. The site was dominated by non-native annual plants but was restored to coastal sage scrub and grassland with mixtures of native shrubs, grasses, and forbs on two different slope aspects. Abiotic filters may be stronger than biotic filters on slopes exposed to greater solar radiation (S-facing at our study site) resulting in decreased soil moisture and increased abiotic stress. We measured subsequent establishment and performance by the three most abundant non-native species (Brassica nigra in year 1, Salsola tragus and Sonchus oleraceus in year 3) on N- and S-facing slopes to investigate relationships between traits, abiotic environment, native community composition, and invasibility in the context of community assembly. We evaluated which measures of community functional diversity best predicted invader performance and tested whether relationships between invader performance and community-weighted trait values varied by slope aspect. Plots with slow-growing native shrubs contained less of the fast-growing invasive, Brassica nigra. Invasibility was greatest in native communities restored with native grass and on N-facing slopes. Correlations among individual species traits indicated strong biotic filtering, but only in certain environments. For instance, the abundance of Phacelia cicutaria, a native annual with traits similar to Brassica nigra, was negatively correlated with that invasive on N-facing slopes. Community-weighted trait metrics were also related to invasibility and differed by slope aspect, though relationships varied based on specific functional trait, community-weighted trait measure (mean or dispersion), and invader. The native functional group most effective at preventing invasion (native shrubs) was different from the species that most prevented invasion (native forb). In restoration planning, functional groups and individual native species traits may be more predictive of invasion resistance than community-weighted trait metrics. Combining perennials with an under-story of fast-growing annuals worked well to prevent invasion by non-native annuals. Understanding the role of lifespan effects in biotic filtering is essential for interpreting complex community-weighted trait responses to environmental variation across space and time.},
}

*Introduced Species
California
*Ecosystem
*Plants/classification

@article {pmid40414133,
year = {2025},
author = {Price, SJ and Kluender, CR and Germino, MJ and Rodhouse, T},
title = {Reliability of satellite-based vegetation maps for planning wildfire-fuel treatments in shrub steppe: Inferences from two contrasting national parks.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {387},
number = {},
pages = {125808},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125808},
pmid = {40414133},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Protecting habitat threatened by increasing wildfire size and frequency requires identifying the spatial intersection of wildfire behavior and ecological conditions that favor positive management outcomes. In the perennial sagebrush steppe of Western North America, invasions by fire-prone annual grasses are a key concern, and management of them requires reliable maps of vegetation cover, fuels, and wildfire behavior. We compared commonly used, publicly available vegetation cover and fuels maps, specifically the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) and LANDFIRE, with field-based assessments at two U.S. National Parks dominated by sagebrush steppe: City of Rocks National Reserve and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Plant-community composition and fuels measured at ∼1700 field locations spanning ∼300,000 ha revealed that 1) RAP generally underestimated each vegetation cover type where the cover was actually abundant, and conversely overestimated cover types where they were actually scarce, and 2) there was considerable disagreement in fuel-bed maps derived from LANDFIRE compared to field observations. As a result, there were substantial discrepancies in the spatial patterning of wildfire behavior estimated from the fire-spread model FLAMMAP when parameterized with LANDFIRE compared to field-based fuel-bed maps created from Random Forests models. Reliable maps of vegetation cover and fuel conditions are needed to help guide fuels and invasive species management, especially given recent increases in pre- and post-fire treatments in arid and semiarid landscapes. The costs associated with poorly informed fuel reduction may greatly exceed the costs of field-based vegetation and fuels inventory to inform effective design of vegetative fuels treatments.},
}

@article {pmid40414056,
year = {2025},
author = {Collins, SF},
title = {Bioturbation and the resuspension of plastic pollutants by spawning common carp degrades lake water quality.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {984},
number = {},
pages = {179718},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179718},
pmid = {40414056},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Here, findings from a before-after-control-impact (BACI) field experiment are presented that tested the hypothesis that bioturbation (i.e., sediment disturbance through animal activities) from an invasive population of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) degrades water quality by resuspending microplastics and microfibers in lake surface waters during the spawning season. Concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), microplastics (MP/L), and microfibers (MF/L) were compared before, during, and after a carp spawning event to assess the magnitude and duration of disturbance effects. Concentrations of total suspended solids, microplastics, and microfibers were all similar across sampling sites prior to spawning. As spawning commenced, carp bioturbation increased concentrations of TSS, microplastics, and microfibers by 2-3 times relative to control sites. After spawning ended, TSS and microplastic fragments each returned to ambient concentrations whereas microfiber concentrations remained higher than control sites for multiple weeks. Findings from this study expand the harmful environmental effects of invasive carp to the resuspension of microplastic pollutants and the degradation of lake water quality. Given the widespread distribution of common carp and their propensity for disturbing habitats and eroding water quality, the phenomena described in this study likely extends to many other lakes, floodplain and backwater habitats, ponds, and rivers polluted with plastics and other contaminants.},
}

@article {pmid40413247,
year = {2025},
author = {Ferreira, C and Martins, T and Melo, L and Veneza, I and Santana, P and Miranda, J and Lutz, Í and Sousa, J and Cardoso, B and Miranda, A and da Costa, JL and Matos, S and Holanda, FC and Vallinoto, M and Sampaio, I and Evangelista-Gomes, G},
title = {DNA reveal new invasive species of tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (Penaeidae) along the world's largest mangrove region in the Brazilian Blue Amazon.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18058},
pmid = {40413247},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Penaeidae/genetics/classification ; Brazil ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; *Introduced Species ; Phylogeny ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Wetlands ; Biodiversity ; Haplotypes ; Ecosystem ; *DNA/genetics ; },
abstract = {Bioinvasions represent a major environmental issue, particularly when they take place in biodiversity hotspots, such as mangrove ecosystems that serve as shelter for many marine species and fisheries resources. In this work, we used an integrative approach based on DNA and morphological analyses to identify individuals and the putative presence of cryptic diversity in the invasive tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) along a mangrove area on the northern coast of Brazil, referred to as "Blue Amazon". A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was selected for DNA Barcode and associated with distance-based (ABGD-Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery) and probabilistic (GMYC-Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent and bPTP-Bayesian Poisson tree processes) species delimitation methods. Furthermore, the maternal origin of collected specimens was tracked. The molecular analyses recovered two genetically divergent lineages (7.7%) within the tiger prawn, indicating the occurrence of two species of this bioinvader on the northern coast of Brazil. Even though no differences in external morphology were detected, both lineages could be differentiated by their internal structures. The molecular traceability of the origin of samples showed that lineages I and II shared haplotypes with specimens from 11 and nine countries, respectively, including a shrimp breeding center in Vietnam. This is the first record of two species of tiger prawn along the Brazilian continental shelf. These findings are useful to the development of effective management policies in a region of particular biological relevance.},
}

Animals
*Penaeidae/genetics/classification
Brazil
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
*Introduced Species
Phylogeny
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Genetic Variation
Wetlands
Biodiversity
Haplotypes
Ecosystem
*DNA/genetics

@article {pmid40413199,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, H and Fu, T and Hao, H and Yu, Z},
title = {MAVSD: A Multi-Angle View Segmentation Dataset for Detection of Solidago Canadensis L.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {861},
pmid = {40413199},
issn = {2052-4463},
support = {ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; },
mesh = {*Solidago ; *Introduced Species ; Unmanned Aerial Devices ; Deep Learning ; *Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {Recent advancements in computer vision and deep learning have advanced automated vegetation monitoring, creating new opportunities for invasive species management. To this end, we introduce MAVSD (Multi-Angle View Segmentation Dataset), specifically designed for detecting Solidago canadensis L., a globally significant invasive plant. The dataset comprises high-resolution images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles from four angles (30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°), providing comprehensive coverage of plant structures and enabling in-depth understanding from multiple perspectives. MAVSD includes pixel-level semantic segmentation annotations across 13 classes, meticulously categorizing vegetation and environmental elements. Extensive experiments with state-of-the-art segmentation models validate MAVSD's effectiveness in enhancing invasive species detection and monitoring, with multi-angle training improving mIoU by up to 11% over single-angle baselines. The dataset's multi-angle, high-resolution characteristics strengthen ecological monitoring capabilities, offering valuable resources for research and environmental protection applications.},
}

*Solidago
*Introduced Species
Unmanned Aerial Devices
Deep Learning
*Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid40410832,
year = {2025},
author = {Chu, B and Ge, S and He, W and Sun, X and Ma, J and Yang, X and Lv, C and Xu, P and Zhao, X and Wu, K},
title = {Gut symbiotic bacteria enhance reproduction in Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) by regulating juvenile hormone III and 20-hydroxyecdysone pathways.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {132},
pmid = {40410832},
issn = {2049-2618},
support = {2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Spodoptera/microbiology/physiology/metabolism ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology ; *Ecdysterone/metabolism ; *Symbiosis ; Female ; Reproduction ; Enterobacter/isolation & purification/physiology ; Larva/microbiology ; Enterococcus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics ; Klebsiella/isolation & purification/genetics/physiology ; Bacteria/classification/genetics ; *Juvenile Hormones/metabolism ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The insect gut microbiota forms a complex, multifunctional system that significantly affects phenotypic traits linked to environmental adaptation. Strong reproductive potential underpins the migratory success, population growth and destructive impact of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). However, the precise role of gut bacteria in S. frugiperda reproductive processes, distribution and transmission dynamics remains unclear.

RESULTS: We examined the gut microbiota of S. frugiperda a major invasive agricultural pest, identifying Enterococcus, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella as core microorganisms present throughout its life cycle. These microbes showed heightened activity during the egg stage, early larval stages and pre-oviposition period in females. Using an axenic insect re-infection system, Enterococcus quebecensis FAW181, Klebsiella michiganensis FAW071 and Enterobacter hormaechei FAW049 were found to significantly enhance host fecundity, increasing egg production by 62.73%, 59.95%, and 56.71%, respectively. Metagenomic and haemolymph metabolomic analyses revealed a positive correlation between gut symbiotic bacteria and hormone metabolism in female S. frugiperda. Further analysis of metabolites in the insect hormone biosynthesis pathway, along with exogenous injection of juvenile hormone III and 20-hydroxyecdysone, revealed that gut microbes regulate these hormones, maintaining levels equivalent to those in control insects. This regulation supports improved fecundity in S. frugiperda, aiding rapid colonization and population expansion.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the pivotal role of gut bacteria E. quebecensis FAW181, E. hormaechei FAW049, and K. michiganensis FAW071 in enhancing S. frugiperda reproduction by modulating JH III levels through JHAMT regulation and concurrently modulating the levels of 20E and its precursors via PHM. Our results provide novel insights into microbe-host symbiosis and pest management strategies for alien invasive species. Video Abstract.},
}

Animals
*Spodoptera/microbiology/physiology/metabolism
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology
*Ecdysterone/metabolism
*Symbiosis
Female
Reproduction
Enterobacter/isolation & purification/physiology
Larva/microbiology
Enterococcus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics
Klebsiella/isolation & purification/genetics/physiology
Bacteria/classification/genetics
*Juvenile Hormones/metabolism

@article {pmid40410399,
year = {2025},
author = {Pintar, MR and Dorn, NJ},
title = {Invasive swamp eels reduce aquatic animal diversity and disproportionately reduce prey for nesting wading birds.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {17975},
pmid = {40410399},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {4500135928//South Florida Water Management District/ ; 4500135928//South Florida Water Management District/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Birds/physiology ; *Predatory Behavior ; *Biodiversity ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; Florida ; Biomass ; *Smegmamorpha/physiology ; Nesting Behavior ; Wetlands ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Ecosystem restoration often aims to create environmental conditions that support communities of native organisms resembling those prior to alteration by humans. One focus of the multi-decade multi-billion-dollar Florida Everglades restoration effort is to recreate hydrologic conditions in Everglades National Park and associated pulses of aquatic animal prey to support the large colonies of seasonally nesting wading birds that are iconic predators in the ecosystem. Recent studies indicate that invasion of predatory Asian Swamp Eels (Monopterus albus/javanensis) has disrupted the hydrology-mediated production of crayfish and some small fishes in the drainage of first invasion (circa 2012). Here we used a complete community dataset of fish and decapods to report changes to the aquatic community diversity, composition, and biomass of prey produced for wading birds. After the establishment of swamp eels in Taylor Slough (Everglades National Park) average fish and decapod richness declined by 25% and communities shifted to a new state dominated by grass shrimp and a few species of small fishes. Swamp eels differentially reduced the production of primary wading bird resources; while there has been a 68% decline in total small fish and decapod biomass, the biomass of the most important prey species for nesting wading birds declined 80%. If similar impacts follow the spread of swamp eels into other major drainages of the Everglades, the invasion may precipitate an ecosystem collapse-fundamentally simplifying and restructuring the aquatic communities of this vast wetland ecosystem and limiting the trophic support for wading bird breeding aggregations that are important indicators for ecological restoration.},
}

Animals
*Birds/physiology
*Predatory Behavior
*Biodiversity
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
Florida
Biomass
*Smegmamorpha/physiology
Nesting Behavior
Wetlands
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40410338,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, R and Zhu, L and Zhou, Y},
title = {The conditions of failing and successful plant invasions with free boundary.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {17910},
pmid = {40410338},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {12171418//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; KYCX24_3707//Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; *Plants ; *Models, Biological ; Models, Theoretical ; Seeds/growth & development ; },
abstract = {In this paper, a reaction-diffusion model is proposed to investigate the growing process of invasive plants. Two free boundaries are introduced to describe the spreading frontiers are caused only by the seeds. The main objective is to realize the variation of the invasive plants and the free boundaries. Similar to the basic reproduction number of epidemic diseases, we define the threshold parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to discuss the dynamic behaviors of equilibrium solutions of invasive plants model with free boundary conditions. Based on them, we give the sufficient conditions for whether plants invade successfully or not. We show that the invasive plants will successfully persist in the new environment if [Formula: see text] with large initial values or [Formula: see text], while failing and dying out in the long run if [Formula: see text] with small initial values or [Formula: see text].},
}

*Introduced Species
*Plants
*Models, Biological
Models, Theoretical
Seeds/growth & development

@article {pmid40410236,
year = {2025},
author = {Channappa, M and Thiruvengadam, V and Shivakumar, N and Thammayya, SK and Nayyar, N and Muthugounder, M and Ramasamy, GG and Syamala, RR and Kukreti, A and Karthik, CM and Selvamani, S and Pathak, J and Jha, GK and Sushil, SN},
title = {Recombinase polymerase amplification assay for sensitive and rapid detection of invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18026},
pmid = {40410236},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {CABIN Project//ICAR/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Spodoptera/genetics ; *Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods ; *Recombinases/metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Introduced Species ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; },
abstract = {The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an invasive, polyphagous pest that threatens approximately 353 plant species across 72 families worldwide. Due to morphological similarities with other noctuid pests during the early larval, pupal, and adult stages, traditional identification methods are labour-intensive and require specialist expertise. Rapid, reliable detection is essential given the pest's potential for widespread destruction. Through genome-wide in-silico analysis, this study identified a unique region within a signal peptide gene of S. frugiperda, which served as the basis for developing PCR, LAMP, and RPA-based assays for detection. The PCR assay produced a specific 550 bp amplicon for S. frugiperda, showing no cross-reactivity with negative controls. In the LAMP assay, positive samples exhibited a sky-blue colour, while negative samples turned violet when hydroxynaphthol blue dye was used. The RPA assay, with SYBR green dye, displayed bright green in positive samples and brick-red in negatives. Sensitivity tests demonstrated that PCR detected as low as 1 pg/µL, while LAMP and RPA achieved a higher sensitivity of 100 fg/µL. This study introduces the first RPA colorimetric assay for S. frugiperda, providing a time-efficient, cost-effective option that requires minimal equipment, ideal for field detection, thereby supporting timely pest monitoring and management.},
}

Animals
*Spodoptera/genetics
*Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods
*Recombinases/metabolism
Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
Sensitivity and Specificity
Introduced Species
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques

@article {pmid40408914,
year = {2025},
author = {Schroder, L and Lam-Gordillo, O and Ye, Q and Dittmann, S},
title = {Estuarine fish dynamics associated with polychaete reefs and environmental stressors.},
journal = {Marine environmental research},
volume = {209},
number = {},
pages = {107212},
doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107212},
pmid = {40408914},
issn = {1879-0291},
abstract = {Biogenic reefs serve as important habitats for fish, yet reef-building polychaetes and their functional role for associated estuarine fish communities is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological role of one of the most prominent providers of polychaete reefs, Ficopomatus enigmaticus, in a large temperate estuary in Southern Australia (the Coorong). Fish communities were compared between F. enigmaticus reef and non-reef habitats. The fish community included 22 native species, and dissimilarity between the reef versus non-reef habitats was driven by the abundances of particular estuarine species. The fish community from the reef habitat were characterised by higher abundances of estuarine species of gobies (Pseudogobius olorum, Arenigobius bifrenatus, Tasmanogobius lasti, Afurcagobius tamarensis), smallmouth hardyhead (Atherinosoma microstoma), and black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). The functional roles of F. enigmaticus reefs serve as either shelter or feeding habitats for estuarine fish especially during the juvenile life stage. An extreme flood event, one of the highest on record, lowered salinities throughout the estuary and lagoon. Temporal variations in fish communities of both reef and non-reef habitats from the estuary and lagoon were explained by stressors of the flood, heatwave and invasive species, and environmental conditions including the total monthly flow, water temperature and transparency. Reefs built by the polychaete F. enigmaticus deliver ecosystem functions that benefit fish communities and merit conservation.},
}

@article {pmid40408427,
year = {2025},
author = {Dougherty, MM and MacDonald, A and York, G and Post, DM},
title = {Monitoring a keystone species (Alosa pseudoharengus) with environmental effects: A comparison with direct capture and environmental DNA.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0324385},
pmid = {40408427},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*DNA, Environmental/analysis/genetics ; Animals ; *Fishes/genetics ; *Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Ecosystem ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {Keystone species are important drivers of ecological processes. Their ecological importance makes them prime candidates for biological monitoring, both to preserve and restore their populations when facing decline, and to limit their spread as invasive species. To monitor species well requires cost and labor efficient methods that are capable of detecting the target species at low abundances. Traditional sampling methods, or methods of direct capture, can be labor intensive when trying to monitor large areas or species at low abundances. Another method, environmental DNA (eDNA), has emerged as a more cost and time efficient supplement to traditional monitoring methods. Environmental DNA techniques and strategies continue to be developed, but face limitations for some taxonomic groups within certain habitats. Here, we propose a novel method for monitoring keystone species: environmental effects sampling. Keystone species have large effects on their environment relative to their abundance. Measuring their environmental effects-or quantifiable changes in the biotic or abiotic environment due to organism-environment interactions-has potential as a low-effort and low-cost method for detecting keystone species. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of traditional sampling, eDNA methods, and environmental effects sampling as an alternative low cost and time efficient method for monitoring the presence and abundance of an ecologically important keystone species, the alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, in freshwater lakes. The alewife is a zooplanktivorous fish managed as a species of conservation concern along coastal New England, USA, and an invasive or non-native species throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed. We sampled lakes throughout Michigan and Connecticut from 2018-2020 and compared the three monitoring methods along four axes: alewife presence/absence, alewife abundance, financial cost, and time efficiency. Our results suggest that monitoring alewife with environmental effects is more accurate, more cost efficient, and more time efficient than purse seining and eDNA. Our environmental effects results also led to the discovery that two historically recognized alewife lakes no longer contained alewife, as confirmed by traditional sampling. However, environmental effects monitoring was only useful for determining alewife presence/absence, and was not reliable for determining alewife relative abundance. Environmental effects monitoring presents novel opportunities for efficiently and effectively monitoring keystone species such as alewife for the purpose of restoration or management.},
}

*DNA, Environmental/analysis/genetics
Animals
*Fishes/genetics
*Environmental Monitoring/methods
Ecosystem
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40406592,
year = {2025},
author = {Bashari, H and Bazgir, F and Vahabi, MR},
title = {Prioritizing the Risk of Multiple Invasive Species in the Semiarid Rangelands of Iran: An Ecological Approach to Multicriteria Decision-Making.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71287},
pmid = {40406592},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Invasive plants pose a threat to production sustainability due to their detrimental effects on soil, food cycles, and hydrology. This study aimed to identify and analyze the effects of five invasive plant species on the rangelands of western Isfahan province, Iran. A random-systematic sampling of vegetation cover and soil was conducted at four rangeland sites, and mean soil characteristics were compared using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test. Parametric principal component analysis (PCA) and nonparametric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis in CANOCO and PATN software were used to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and vegetation cover. Cluster analysis was employed for habitat grouping, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized to analyze the risk of invasive plants. The analysis involved three main criteria, eight subcriteria, and five options. The compatibility ratio of each criterion was calculated using Expert Choice software to assess the accuracy of criteria weighting. Parametric ordination revealed significant correlations between the first and second principal components and mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, altitude, slope, nitrogen, and calcium. NMDS analysis revealed significant correlations between plant species and seven environmental variables in a three-dimensional ordination space (p < 0.05). Among the target species, Eryngium billardieri showed a positive correlation with rainfall, altitude, slope, calcium, nitrogen, and a negative correlation with mean annual temperature, rock, and gravel. However, the relationship of other species with environmental factors was not significant. Notably, Cousinia bachtiarica, Eryngium billardieri, Phlomis persica, Euphorbia decipiense, and Poa bulbosa exhibited the most destructive effects, respectively. The study results can inform targeted efforts to protect rangeland ecosystems against invasive plants. Furthermore, the study method is applicable for assessing the risk of other plant species in semiarid ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid40405324,
year = {2025},
author = {Raquin, V and Martin, E and Minard, G and Valiente Moro, C},
title = {Variation in diet concentration and bacterial inoculum size in larval habitats shapes the performance of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {130},
pmid = {40405324},
issn = {2049-2618},
support = {Micro-Be-Have//IDEX Lyon scientific breakthrough project/ ; Micro-Be-Have//IDEX Lyon scientific breakthrough project/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Aedes/microbiology/growth & development/physiology ; Larva/microbiology/growth & development/physiology ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ecosystem ; *Diet ; Female ; *Microbiota ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Ecological niches present unique environmental and biological trademarks such as abiotic conditions, nutrient availability, and trophic interactions that may impact the ecology of living organisms. Female mosquitoes deposit their eggs in aquatic niches with fluctuating diet sources and microbial communities. However, how niche's diet and microbial composition impact mosquito performance (i.e., traits that maximize mosquito fitness) are not well understood. In this study, we focused on the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, one of the most invasive species in the world and a competent vector for human pathogens. To remove any external microbes, Ae. albopictus eggs were surface-sterilized then hatching larvae were exposed to a gradient of bacterial inoculum (i.e., initial microbial load) and diet concentrations while their impact on mosquito performance traits during juvenile development was measured.

RESULTS: Our results showed that Ae. albopictus larvae develop faster and give larger adults when exposed to microbiota in rearing water. However, mosquito performance, up to the adult stage, depends on both bacterial inoculum size and diet concentration in the aquatic habitat. Upon low inoculum size, larvae survived better if the diet was in sufficient amounts whereas a higher inoculum size was associated with optimal larvae survival only in the presence of the lower amount of diet. Inoculum size, and to a lesser extent diet concentration, shaped bacterial community structure and composition of larval-rearing water allowing the identification of bacterial taxa for which their abundance in larvae-rearing water correlated with niche parameters and/or larval traits.

CONCLUSIONS: Our work demonstrates that both diet concentration and bacterial inoculum size impact mosquito performance possibly by shaping bacterial community structure in the larval habitat, which accounts for a large part of the juvenile's microbiota. Host-microbe interactions influence several mosquito life-history traits, and our work reveals that niche parameters such as inoculum size and diet concentration could have numerous implications on the microbiota assembly and host evolutionary trajectory. This underlies that host-microbe-environment interactions are an important yet overlooked factor of mosquito adaptation to its local environment, with potential future implications for vector control and vector ecology. Video Abstract.},
}

Animals
*Aedes/microbiology/growth & development/physiology
Larva/microbiology/growth & development/physiology
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
Ecosystem
*Diet
Female
*Microbiota
Mosquito Vectors/microbiology

@article {pmid40404865,
year = {2025},
author = {Sato, N and Nakashita, R and Sasaki, T and Kato, H and Karube, H and Mori, H and Kawakami, K},
title = {The distinctive material cycle associated with seabirds and land crabs on a pristine oceanic island: a case study of Minamiiwoto, Ogasawara Islands, subtropical Japan.},
journal = {Oecologia},
volume = {207},
number = {6},
pages = {88},
pmid = {40404865},
issn = {1432-1939},
support = {16H01794//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Japan ; *Brachyura ; Islands ; *Ecosystem ; *Food Chain ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; *Birds/physiology ; },
abstract = {Seabirds are responsible for transporting marine material to oceanic islands, and attempts are being made to restore their function on many islands where they have become extinct. However, little is known about the original island ecosystems prior to disturbance. Minamiiwoto, located in the Ogasawara Islands, is an uninhabited oceanic island that remains uninvaded by alien animals, and its pristine ecosystem and material cycle should serve as a reference for the restoration of disturbed island ecosystems. We analyzed the food web structure of several of the Ogasawara Islands with different disturbance intensities using stable isotopes (δ[13]C, δ[15]N) and compared the characteristics of the material cycle. We found that seabirds and land crabs are distributed across the entire island of Minamiiwoto, with high δ[15]N values derived from marine resources and a gradient in the δ[15]N of land crabs reflecting differences in seabird species with elevation. In contrast, on islands where forest-nesting seabirds have been extinct for more than 50 years, the nutrient supply to the island interior has been lost, and the δ[15]N of most organisms was significantly lower. Isotopic food niches among predators were clearly partitioned by species (max. 14% overlap) on Minamiiwoto, while on the disturbed islands they tended to be highly similar (max. 53% overlap). Our results confirmed that Minamiiwoto still maintains a pristine ecosystem characterized by material transport by seabirds and decomposition by land crabs. The recovery of these biological functions should be the guide for conservation and restoration of oceanic islands subjected to anthropogenic disturbance.},
}

Animals
Japan
*Brachyura
Islands
*Ecosystem
*Food Chain
Carbon Isotopes/analysis
Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis
*Birds/physiology

@article {pmid40404652,
year = {2025},
author = {Ning, Y and Li, Y and Li, CY and Wang, JZ and Wang, TS and Zheng, YC and Zhan, YY and Xu, SJ and Dong, SB and Wang, YF},
title = {Chromosome-level genome assembly for clubrush (Scirpus × mariqueter) endemic to China.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {839},
pmid = {40404652},
issn = {2052-4463},
mesh = {China ; *Genome, Plant ; *Chromosomes, Plant ; Karyotype ; },
abstract = {Scirpus × mariqueter (Tang & F.T.Wang) Tatanov, which is endemic to eastern estuaries in China, is a tidal zone-engineering species with great promise for managing greenhouse gases and enhancing ecosystem resilience against invasive species. Although S. mariqueter is widely recognized as a hybrid species derived from Bolboschoenus planiculmis (F. Schmidt) T.V. Egorova and Schoenoplectus triqueter (L.) Palla, its speciation remains highly controversial. The lack of a reference genome is the major cause of this ambiguity. We generated the first chromosome-level genome assembly for S. mariqueter combining PacBio long-reads, Illumina short-reads, and the Hi-C method. The genome assembly consisted of 227.75 Mb (contig N50: 3.89 Mb). We also constructed a haploid karyotype comprising 54 pseudochromosomes. The average size of these pseudochromosomes was small (4.05 Mb). Thirty-two pseudochromosomes were assembled to a telomere to telomere level. Repetitive elements represented approximately 54.12% of the genome. We predicted and annotated 25,239 protein-coding genes. The overall BUSCO score was 95.10%, with notably few duplicated genes (1.70%). This high-quality genome provides critical data for future studies.},
}

China
*Genome, Plant
*Chromosomes, Plant
Karyotype

@article {pmid40404644,
year = {2025},
author = {Parga, A and Mattu, J and Belibasakis, GN and Kline, KA and Leprince, JG and Manoil, D},
title = {A polymicrobial perspective into the ecological role of Enterococcus faecalis in dental root canal infections.},
journal = {NPJ biofilms and microbiomes},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {83},
pmid = {40404644},
issn = {2055-5008},
support = {ED6481B-2023/117//Regional Government of Galicia, Spain/ ; Dnr. 4-823/2019//Karolinska Institutet Strategic Funds/ ; FoUI-978687//KI/SLL Styrgruppen för Odontologisk Forskning (SOF)/ ; },
mesh = {*Enterococcus faecalis/genetics/pathogenicity/physiology/isolation & purification ; Humans ; *Dental Pulp Cavity/microbiology ; *Coinfection/microbiology ; *Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/microbiology ; Biofilms/growth & development ; },
abstract = {Enterococcus faecalis, a non-oral nosocomial pathogen, intriguingly ranks among the most frequently retrieved species from polymicrobial infections of dental root canals. This review integrates findings from the latest omics approaches, alongside emerging evidence of E. faecalis interactions within oral polymicrobial communities, to refine our understanding of its role in these infections. Herein, E. faecalis emerges as an ecologically invasive species and a catalyst of the pathogenicity of entire communities.},
}

*Enterococcus faecalis/genetics/pathogenicity/physiology/isolation & purification
Humans
*Dental Pulp Cavity/microbiology
*Coinfection/microbiology
*Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/microbiology
Biofilms/growth & development

@article {pmid40404639,
year = {2025},
author = {Hordijk, I and Poorter, L and Liang, J and Reich, PB and de-Miguel, S and Nabuurs, GJ and Gamarra, JGP and Chen, HYH and Zhou, M and Wiser, SK and Pretzsch, H and Paquette, A and Picard, N and Hérault, B and Bastin, JF and Alberti, G and Abegg, M and Adou Yao, YC and Almeyda Zambrano, AM and Alvarado, BV and Alvarez-Davila, E and Alvarez-Loayza, P and Alves, LF and Amaral, I and Ammer, C and Antón-Fernández, C and Araujo-Murakami, A and Arroyo, L and Avitabile, V and Aymard C, GA and Baker, T and Banki, O and Barroso, J and Bastian, ML and Birigazzi, L and Birnbaum, P and Bitariho, R and Boeckx, P and Bongers, F and Bouriaud, O and Brancalion, PHS and Brandl, S and Brearley, FQ and Brienen, R and Broadbent, EN and Bruelheide, H and Cazzolla Gatti, R and Cesar, RG and Cesljar, G and Chazdon, RL and Chisholm, C and Cienciala, E and Clark, CJ and Clark, DB and Colletta, G and Coomes, D and Cornejo Valverde, F and Corral-Rivas, JJ and Crim, P and Cumming, J and Dayanandan, S and de Gasper, AL and Decuyper, M and Derroire, G and DeVries, B and Djordjevic, I and Dourdain, A and Dolezal, J and Engone Obiang, NL and Enquist, B and Eyre, T and Fandohan, AB and Fayle, TM and Ferreira, LV and Feldpausch, TR and Finér, L and Fischer, M and Fletcher, C and Frizzera, L and Gianelle, D and Glick, HB and Harris, D and Hector, A and Hemp, A and Herbohn, J and Hillers, A and Honorio Coronado, EN and Hui, C and Cho, H and Ibanez, T and Jung, I and Imai, N and Jagodzinski, AM and Jaroszewicz, B and Johannsen, V and Joly, CA and Jucker, T and Karminov, V and Kartawinata, K and Kearsley, E and Kenfack, D and Kennard, D and Kepfer-Rojas, S and Keppel, G and Khan, ML and Killeen, T and Kim, HS and Kitayama, K and Köhl, M and Korjus, H and Kraxner, F and Laarmann, D and Lang, M and Lewis, S and Lu, H and Lukina, N and Maitner, B and Malhi, Y and Marcon, E and Marimon, BS and Marimon-Junior, BH and Marshall, AR and Martin, E and Martynenko, O and Meave, JA and Melo-Cruz, O and Mendoza, C and Merow, C and Miscicki, S and Monteagudo Mendoza, A and Moreno, V and Mukul, SA and Mundhenk, P and Nava-Miranda, MG and Neill, D and Neldner, V and Nevenic, R and Ngugi, M and Niklaus, PA and Oleksyn, J and Ontikov, P and Ortiz-Malavasi, E and Pan, Y and Parada-Gutierrez, A and Parfenova, E and Park, M and Parren, M and Parthasarathy, N and Peri, PL and Pfautsch, S and Phillips, OL and Piedade, MT and Piotto, D and Pitman, NCA and Pollastrini, M and Polo, I and Poulsen, AD and Poulsen, JR and Arevalo, FR and Restrepo-Correa, Z and Rodeghiero, M and Rolim, S and Roopsind, A and Rovero, F and Rutishauser, E and Saikia, P and Salas-Eljatib, C and Schall, P and Schepaschenko, D and Scherer-Lorenzen, M and Schmid, B and Schöngart, J and Searle, EB and Seben, V and Selvi, F and Serra-Diaz, JM and Sheil, D and Shvidenko, A and Silva-Espejo, J and Silveira, M and Singh, J and Sist, P and Slik, F and Sonké, B and Souza, AF and Ter Steege, H and Stereńczak, K and Svenning, JC and Svoboda, M and Swanepoel, B and Targhetta, N and Tchebakova, N and Thomas, R and Tikhonova, E and Umunay, P and Usoltsev, V and Valencia, R and Valladares, F and van der Plas, F and Van Do, T and Van Nuland, ME and Vasquez Martinez, R and Verbeeck, H and Viana, H and Vibrans, AC and Vieira, S and von Gadow, K and Wang, HF and Watson, J and Werner, GDA and Wittmann, F and Wortel, V and Zagt, R and Zawila-Niedzwiecki, T and Zhang, C and Zhao, X and Zhu, ZX and Zo-Bi, IC and Maynard, DS and Crowther, TW},
title = {Effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world's forests.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {4773},
pmid = {40404639},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {*Forests ; *Trees/physiology/classification/anatomy & histology ; Climate Change ; Temperature ; *Climate ; Wood ; Ecosystem ; Species Specificity ; Water ; },
abstract = {Species' traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. The extent to which traits of dominant and rare tree species differ remains untested across a broad environmental range, limiting our understanding of how species traits and the environment shape forest functional composition. We use a global dataset of tree composition of >22,000 forest plots and 11 traits of 1663 tree species to ask how locally dominant and rare species differ in their trait values, and how these differences are driven by climatic gradients in temperature and water availability in forest biomes across the globe. We find three consistent trait differences between locally dominant and rare species across all biomes; dominant species are taller, have softer wood and higher loading on the multivariate stem strategy axis (related to narrow tracheids and thick bark). The difference between traits of dominant and rare species is more strongly driven by temperature compared to water availability, as temperature might affect a larger number of traits. Therefore, climate change driven global temperature rise may have a strong effect on trait differences between dominant and rare tree species and may lead to changes in species abundances and therefore strong community reassembly.},
}

*Forests
*Trees/physiology/classification/anatomy & histology
Climate Change
Temperature
*Climate
Wood
Ecosystem
Species Specificity
Water

@article {pmid40400211,
year = {2025},
author = {Tanney, JB and Kemler, M and Vivas, M and Wingfield, MJ and Slippers, B},
title = {Silent invaders: the hidden threat of asymptomatic phytobiomes to forest biosecurity.},
journal = {The New phytologist},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/nph.70209},
pmid = {40400211},
issn = {1469-8137},
abstract = {Populations of diverse, unknown, and potentially pathogenic fungi and fungus-like organisms are continuously introduced into new locations via asymptomatic infections (e.g. as endophytes or latent pathogens) within internationally traded live plants. Interactions between these asymptomatic fungi and novel recipient host trees can be unpredictable, and urban introductions may act as bridgeheads into natural and managed forests. Historical examples of novel, highly destructive forest tree diseases highlight the potential threat of this pathway. As the trade in live plants continues to expand, the likelihood of high-impact incursions increases. This has led to calls for more proactive management, including more stringent treatment and regulatory standards, and even the phasing out of trade in plants determined to be an untenable risk to forest ecosystems. In this review, we discuss how biosecurity systems should consider advances in understanding the diversity and ecology of phytobiomes associated with asymptomatic plants and what measures can be considered to reduce this threat to global forest health.},
}

@article {pmid40399318,
year = {2025},
author = {Bacher, S and Ryan-Colton, E and Coiro, M and Cassey, P and Galil, BS and Nuñez, MA and Ansong, M and Dehnen-Schmutz, K and Fayvush, G and Fernandez, RD and Hiremath, AJ and Ikegami, M and Martinou, AF and McDermott, SM and Preda, C and Vilà, M and Weyl, OLF and Aravind, NA and Angelidou, I and Athanasiou, K and Atkore, V and Barney, JN and Blackburn, TM and Brockerhoff, EG and Carbutt, C and Carisio, L and Castro-Díez, P and Céspedes, V and Christopoulou, A and Cisneros-Heredia, DF and Cooling, M and de Groot, M and Demetriou, J and Dickey, JWE and Duboscq-Carra, VG and Early, R and Evans, TE and Flores-Males, PT and Gallardo, B and Gruber, M and Hui, C and Jeschke, JM and Joelson, NZ and Khan, MA and Kumschick, S and Lach, L and Lapin, K and Lioy, S and Liu, C and MacMullen, ZJ and Mazzitelli, MA and Measey, J and Mrugała-Koese, AA and Musseau, CL and Nahrung, HF and Pepori, A and Pertierra, LR and Pienaar, EF and Pyšek, P and Rivas Torres, G and Rojas Martinez, HA and Rojas-Sandoval, J and Ryan-Schofield, NL and Sánchez, RM and Santini, A and Santoro, D and Scalera, R and Schmidt, L and Shivambu, TC and Sohrabi, S and Tricarico, E and Trillo, A and Van't Hof, P and Volery, L and Zengeya, TA},
title = {Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS).},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {832},
pmid = {40399318},
issn = {2052-4463},
support = {31003A_179491//Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)/ ; 31BD30_184114//Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; *Biodiversity ; Animals ; Ecosystem ; Humans ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Invasive alien species are a major driver of global change, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human livelihoods. To document these impacts, we present the Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS), a dataset on the positive, negative and neutral impacts of invasive alien species on nature, nature's contributions to people, and good quality of life. This dataset arises from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services' (IPBES) thematic assessment report of this topic. Data were compiled from published sources, including grey literature, reporting a direct observation of an invasive alien species' impact. All impact records contain up to 52 fields of contextual information and attempt to link impacts to the global standard "environmental impact classification for alien taxa" (EICAT) and "socio-economic impact classification for alien taxa" (SEICAT). GIDIAS includes more than 22000 records of impacts caused by 3353 invasive alien species (plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, microorganisms) from all continents and realms (terrestrial, freshwater, marine), extracted from over 6700 sources. We intend GIDIAS to be a global resource for investigating and managing the variety of impacts of invasive alien species across taxa and regions.},
}

*Introduced Species
*Biodiversity
Animals
Ecosystem
Humans
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40398285,
year = {2025},
author = {Yang, J and Chen, Z and Zhang, W and Meng, G and Cao, M and Li, J and Xu, C and Wu, R and Leng, H and Wen, Q and Yang, J and Xu, G},
title = {Relationships among multiple ecosystem services in mountainous regions: A case study of the Gaoligong Mountains.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {387},
number = {},
pages = {125765},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125765},
pmid = {40398285},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Understanding the drivers and ecological implications of trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services (ESs) is essential for sustainable mountain management. While previous studies have mapped ES relationships, the mechanisms underpinning their spatial heterogeneity in coupled human-natural systems remain underexplored. Here, we integrated gradient-based approaches to assess the distribution patterns of four ESs-water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), net primary productivity (NPP), and habitat quality (HQ)-in the transboundary Gaoligong Mountains from 2001 to 2020. We found that: (1) Process-based services (WY-NPP) exhibited strong trade-offs, driven by climatic constraints and plantation expansion on southern slopes, where monoculture forests enhanced NPP but reduced infiltration capacity; (2) Synergies between structure-based services (CS-HQ) dominated mid-elevation forests, reflecting the dual role of conserved evergreen broadleaf forests in sequestering carbon and sustaining biodiversity through environmental conditions, complex canopy structures, and minimal human disturbance. Human activities disrupted natural synergies, as CS-HQ relationships shifted to trade-offs in high-intensity zones (e.g., cropland fragmentation and invasive species spread), highlighting conflicts between short-term provisioning and long-term regulating services; (3) Elevation gradients further shaped these dynamics: mid-elevation zones maintained balanced ecosystem service provision, while low-elevation agricultural areas experienced dual declines in net primary productivity (NPP) and habitat quality (HQ) due to cultivated land fragmentation, creating a trade-off between these services. This study contributes significantly to our understanding of ESs and intricate relationships within mountainous regions across temporal and spatial gradients. Our findings underscore the need to prioritize mid-elevation conservation corridors and adaptive agroforestry, providing valuable insights for decision-making processes in transboundary ecosystem conservation.},
}

@article {pmid40398168,
year = {2025},
author = {Mayack, C and Carlson, M and Niño, BD and Niño, EL and Seshadri, A},
title = {Impacts of almond pollination service and inter-row cover cropping on honey bee colony strength and performance.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {983},
number = {},
pages = {179703},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179703},
pmid = {40398168},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Intensive agriculture has become necessary to meet the growing global demand for food and in some crops, successful fruit and seed production involves the activity of insect pollinators. Among insects, honey bees are one of the most efficient pollinators and in the agriculture industry, worth over 200 billion dollars annually, economic yield of some commodity crops, such as almonds, are heavily reliant upon pollination by honey bees. Almonds are a quintessential example of the commercial application of plant-pollinator dependency. Acreages of almonds mostly comprise of self-incompatible varieties that need bees for transferring pollen from the flowers of 'pollenizer' varieties to those of nut-yielding varieties, facilitating cross-pollination. Early season flowering phenology of almonds, when there are very few other plants in bloom, facilitates honey bee colony growth after the overwintering quiescence. Here, (i) we assessed colony strength and performance before and after almond pollination service and (ii) the impacts of availability of flowering interrow mustard-mix cover crops. Results show that there were consistently more frames of bees, pollen stores, brood, and adult bees in colonies returning from almond pollination service. The availability of mustard-mix cover crops supports increased colony strength through the season, facilitating long lasting positive impacts on honey bee health. Our findings suggest that agroecosystem management practices such as interrow cover cropping, strengthen the immediate and long-term positive impacts from pollination services by improving honey bee colony performance while simultaneously promoting ecosystem function.},
}

@article {pmid40397853,
year = {2025},
author = {Lutschini, IRT and Ballard, KR and Wang, T and Cummins, SF},
title = {Acetylcholinesterase-like proteins are a major component of reproductive trail mucus in the invasive pest land snail, Theba pisana.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0323380},
pmid = {40397853},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism/genetics ; *Snails/genetics/enzymology/metabolism ; Introduced Species ; *Mucus/metabolism ; Reproduction ; Phylogeny ; Proteomics ; Transcriptome ; },
abstract = {Invasive invertebrate pests have become a major threat to food security as global populations increase. Pesticides, often containing organophosphates, have long been used as agents for providing immediate short-term recovery, yet are often broad-spectrum, leading to the development of resistance. In insect species, one mechanism for resistance is known to be driven by mutations in acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of acetylcholine. In this study, we explored a potential role for resistance-modified AChE in invasive pest land snails, using the Mediterranean snail Theba pisana. Following tissue transcriptomic investigation, an expanded family of AChE-like genes were identified that clustered phylogenetically into three individual clades, with one clade including vertebrate AChE. The majority of T. pisana AChE-like genes demonstrated the highest expression in the snail mucous gland during its reproductive stage. Subsequent proteomic analysis of trail mucus at the reproductive stage identified four AChE-like proteins as a major component. Immunolocalisation revealed that AChE-like protein(s) were prominent in the mucous gland secretory cells and widespread throughout the reproductive stage trail mucus, yet were largely absent from trail mucus at the non-reproductive stage. In summary, this study established a potential role for resistance-modified AChE-like proteins in pest land snail pesticide resistance via their deployment into trail mucus that may bio-scavenge organophosphates, rendering them ineffective. Their abundance during the reproductive stage is likely due to the snail's increased mobility, following periods of immobile aestivation.},
}

Animals
*Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism/genetics
*Snails/genetics/enzymology/metabolism
Introduced Species
*Mucus/metabolism
Reproduction
Phylogeny
Proteomics
Transcriptome

@article {pmid40396603,
year = {2025},
author = {Verneau, O and Quinn, D and Smith, KG and Malone, JH and du Preez, L},
title = {Role of Trachemys scripta elegans in polystome (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) spillover and spillback following the trade of freshwater turtles in southern Europe and North America.},
journal = {Parasite (Paris, France)},
volume = {32},
number = {},
pages = {30},
pmid = {40396603},
issn = {1776-1042},
mesh = {Animals ; *Turtles/parasitology ; *Introduced Species ; Fresh Water ; North America ; Europe ; Phylogeny ; Ecosystem ; Commerce ; *Trematode Infections/veterinary/parasitology/transmission/epidemiology ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; *Trematoda/genetics/classification ; },
abstract = {The red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied, 1938), has been introduced worldwide, partly because of the exotic pet trade in the 1980s and 1990s. When T. s. elegans is released or escapes into natural environments, it often establishes new feral populations due to its tolerance for a variety of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, it is now considered one of the most invasive species in the world because it can compete with native turtle species. In the present study, our objectives were to identify the potential for polystome spillover and spillback resulting from the introduction of the red-eared slider into new environments in North America. Fieldwork investigations were thus conducted mainly in aquatic habitats in Florida and North Carolina, United States, but also in Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska and New York. Using DNA barcoding based on cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences, we surveyed the species diversity of polystome within American freshwater turtles. These included T. s. elegans but also Apalone ferox, Apalone spinifera, Chelydra serpentina, Chrysemys picta, Kinosternon baurii, Pseudemys spp., Sternotherus minor and Sternotherus odoratus. Genetic evidence confirmed that invasive populations of T. s. elegans in southern Europe have transmitted their own polystomes to native host species following spillover effects, and revealed here that T. s. elegans in non-indigenous habitats in the United States acts as a new reservoir of infection for native polystomes following spillback effects, thus increasing indigenous parasite transmission in the wild. Together, these findings raise further concern about the spread of non-native turtles and their impact on parasite transmission.},
}

Animals
*Turtles/parasitology
*Introduced Species
Fresh Water
North America
Europe
Phylogeny
Ecosystem
Commerce
*Trematode Infections/veterinary/parasitology/transmission/epidemiology
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
*Trematoda/genetics/classification

@article {pmid40395690,
year = {2025},
author = {Bian, C and Li, R and Ouyang, Y and Yang, J and Mu, X and Shi, Q},
title = {Chromosome-level genome assemblies of five Sinocyclocheilus species.},
journal = {GigaByte (Hong Kong, China)},
volume = {2025},
number = {},
pages = {gigabyte155},
pmid = {40395690},
issn = {2709-4715},
abstract = {Sinocyclocheilus, a genus of tetraploid fishes endemic to Southwest China's karst regions, are classified as second-class nationally protected species due to their fragile habitat. Limited high-quality genomic resources have hampered studies on their phylogenetic relationships and the origin of their polyploidy. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of the most abundant Sinocyclocheilus species, the golden-line barbel (Sinocyclocheilus grahami), by integrating PacBio long-read and Hi-C sequencing. The resulting scaffold-level genome-assembly is 1.6 Gb long, with a scaffold N50 of up to 30.7 Mb. We annotated 42,806 protein-coding genes. Also, 93.1% of the assembled genome sequences (about 1.5 Gb) and 93.8% of the total predicted genes were successfully anchored onto 48 chromosomes. Furthermore, we obtained chromosome-level genome assemblies for four other Sinocyclocheilus species (S. anophthalmus, S. maitianheensis, S. anshuiensis, and S. rhinocerous) based on homologous comparisons. These genomic resources will enable in-depth investigations on cave adaptation, improvement of economic values, and conservation of diverse Sinocyclocheilus fishes.},
}

@article {pmid40395280,
year = {2025},
author = {Ye, N and Mai, W and Qin, F and Yuan, S and Liu, B and Li, Z and Liu, C and Wan, F and Qian, W and Wu, Z and Qiao, X},
title = {Early detection of Citrus Huanglongbing by UAV remote sensing based on MGA-UNet.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1503645},
pmid = {40395280},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, is a severe disease that has caused substantial economic damage to the global citrus industry. Early detection is challenging due to the lack of distinctive early symptoms, making current diagnostic methods often ineffective. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an intelligent and timely detection system for HLB. This study leverages multispectral imagery acquired via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and deep convolutional neural networks. This study introduce a novel model, MGA-UNet, specifically designed for HLB recognition. This image segmentation model enhances feature transmission by integrating channel attention and spatial attention within the skip connections. Furthermore, this study evaluate the comparative effectiveness of high-resolution and multispectral images in HLB detection, finding that multispectral imagery offers superior performance. To address data imbalance and augment the dataset, this study employ a generative model, DCGAN, for data augmentation, significantly boosting the model's recognition accuracy. Our proposed model achieved a mIoU of 0.89, a mPA of 0.94, a precision of 0.95, and a recall of 0.94 in identifying diseased trees. The intelligent monitoring method for HLB presented in this study offers a cost-effective and highly accurate solution, holding considerable promise for the early warning of this disease.},
}

@article {pmid40395123,
year = {2025},
author = {Reck, J and Gonchoroski, GZ and de Mello, LS and Proença da Silveira, V and Lunge, VR and Kasper, CB and Jardim, M and Trigo, TC},
title = {Feline Leukemia Virus in Free-ranging Neotropical Wild Felids and in Domestic Cats Found Inside Protected Areas within Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.},
journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-24-00136},
pmid = {40395123},
issn = {1943-3700},
abstract = {Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are retroviruses that cause severe diseases in domestic cats. Recently, they have emerged as a concern for wild felids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure to feline retroviruses in free-ranging Neotropical wild felids from southern Brazil. A total of 48 road-killed wild felids belonging to three species were sampled: Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), margay (Leopardus wiedii), and Southern tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus). In addition, 28 domestic cats found inside protected areas were investigated. Both the wild and domestic felids were tested for the presence of FeLV and FIV with lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) and molecular methods. Three wild felids (two Geoffroy's cats and one margay) were positive to FeLV by LFA (antigen), PCR (proviral DNA), and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (viral RNA). From the 28 free-roaming domestic cats sampled inside protected areas, 10 (35%) were positive for FeLV. None of the domestic or wild felids were positive for FIV. In addition to the occurrence of FeLV in two species of free-ranging Neotropical felids, FeLV-positive domestic cats appear to be relatively common in protected areas from southern Brazil, posing an important risk of FeLV transmission to threatened wild felids inside those areas.},
}

@article {pmid40393535,
year = {2025},
author = {Gunay, F and Yildirim, A and Zangaladze, E and Burkett-Cadena, N and Kutateladze, T and Pekmezci, Z and Toroslu, AM and Kizgin, AD and Arslanhan, BA and Diop, SD and Sahin, S and Inci, A and Dolidze, N and Rudik, V and Alto, B and Campbell, LP},
title = {Predicting the Potential Distribution of Aedes albopictus in the Black Sea Region at the Range Edge.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107661},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107661},
pmid = {40393535},
issn = {1873-6254},
abstract = {Aedes albopictus is a globally invasive species and a major vector of multiple arboviruses that cause human disease. The species has been spreading throughout the Black Sea region since 2011, posing an important public health threat. Here, we use a species distribution modeling to predict the potential distribution of Ae. albopictus including updated field collections from the Black Sea region and georeferenced occurrence data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and Mosquito Alert. Temperature and precipitation values from WorldClim Bioclimatic data and LandScan human population density data served as environmental variables, and models were run using a maximum entropy algorithm in the Maxent program. Human population density contributed the greatest to model performance, followed by minimum temperature of the coldest month. In the Black Sea region, we observed patchy but notable increases in predicted suitability compared to previous global models, including in less densely populated areas. In addition to multiple coastal areas, temperate rainforests of the Caucasus and around the Bosphorus were predicted to be highly suitable for Ae. albopictus. Our field collections confirm Ae. albopictus at high elevations (1779 m), highlighting the need to include habitats at the interface of areas predicted environmentally unsuitable in transboundary surveillance efforts. Model outputs provide new information for institutions monitoring the spread of this invasive vector. Results indicate the need for comprehensive, region-focused surveillance and control strategies to mitigate Ae. albopictus expansion in areas previously considered unsuitable in Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, and their neighboring countries.},
}

@article {pmid40393488,
year = {2025},
author = {Chouvenc, T and Helmick, EE and Brown, A and Velenovsky, JF and Lee, SB and Gordon, JM and Bahder, BW and Su, NY and Li, HF},
title = {Ongoing human-mediated spread and hybridization of two major invasive termite species.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {292},
number = {2047},
pages = {20250413},
pmid = {40393488},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {//Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology/ ; //Division of Environmental Biology/ ; //Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/ ; //National Institute of Food and Agriculture/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Isoptera/genetics/physiology ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; *Introduced Species ; Florida ; Female ; Male ; Humans ; *Animal Distribution ; Taiwan ; },
abstract = {Human-mediated biological invasions can lead to introgressive hybridization events between lineages that have evolved independently, with potential for evolutionary, ecological, economic and social impacts. This study provides evidence for the ongoing spread and hybridization between two major invasive and destructive termite pest species, Coptotermes gestroi and C. formosanus in Florida. Heterospecific courtship behaviour between alates (winged reproductive caste) of the two species has led to the establishment of F1 hybrid colonies in the field, which have matured and produced F1 hybrid alates. Laboratory backcross attempts confirmed the possibility for F1 hybrid female alates to establish viable F2 colonies with males of either parental species. With the recent documentation of introgressive hybridization between the two species in Taiwan, the current study confirms its independent occurrence in Florida, demonstrating that both Coptotermes species can hybridize in areas where their distributions overlap. In Florida, the proximity of field-established hybrid colonies to the large leisure boat industry implies that Florida populations of C. gestroi, C. formosanus and their hybrids will continue to serve as a bridgehead source of propagules for further dispersal beyond their current distribution, with a potential for F1 hybrids to spread outside of Florida.},
}

Animals
*Isoptera/genetics/physiology
*Hybridization, Genetic
*Introduced Species
Florida
Female
Male
Humans
*Animal Distribution
Taiwan

@article {pmid40391118,
year = {2025},
author = {Sencenbaugh, L and Maxwell, BD and Rew, LJ},
title = {Clash of the Invaders: Competition Dynamics of Bromus tectorum and Ventenata dubia in an Addition Series Study.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71458},
pmid = {40391118},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Competitive interactions between co-occurring invasive species can have detrimental impacts on native communities and cause counter-effective responses to management. Targeted removal of one invader may allow for the release of a subdominant invader, causing a secondary invasion. The goal of this research was to elucidate competitive dynamics between Bromus tectorum and Ventenata dubia, two invasive winter annual grasses found in the western United States. We quantified the impacts of (1) intraspecific competition on B. tectorum and V. dubia as the density of conspecifics increased and (2) interspecific competition between the two at varying proportions. The two species were grown at increasing densities and proportions (addition series) over 10 weeks in a greenhouse. Aboveground biomass was harvested and weighed. We derived the intraspecific and interspecific competitive effects on each species with a nonlinear analysis and used these coefficients to determine relative competitive ability (RCA). Both species were impacted by interspecific competition and intraspecific competition. More conspecifics were required to cause a decline in both species' biomass relative to the number of allospecifics that caused the same response. Interestingly, the number of allospecific individuals to imposed an impact was similar. The RCA values for both species were < 1, which indicated that interspecific competition had a greater influence on both species than intraspecific competition. This suggests that the replacement of B. tectorum by V. dubia is unlikely to be caused by aboveground competition alone. However, there are differences in germination timing between the two species; both germinate in the fall, but V. dubia also germinates in the spring. Management that targets fall-germinating individuals may reduce B. tectorum and fall-germinating V. dubia but not impact spring-germinating V. dubia, which may release these individuals from competition. Understanding the competitive interactions between these species provides insight into invasive species impacts and management.},
}

@article {pmid40389579,
year = {2025},
author = {Kartakis, S and Horrocks, KJ and Cingiz, K and Kriticos, DJ and Wesseler, J},
title = {Migration extent and potential economic impact of the fall armyworm in Europe.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {17405},
pmid = {40389579},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {101060634//Horizon 2020 Framework Programme/ ; 101060634//Horizon 2020 Framework Programme/ ; 101060634//Horizon 2020 Framework Programme/ ; 101060634//Horizon 2020 Framework Programme/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Zea mays/parasitology/growth & development ; *Animal Migration ; *Spodoptera/physiology ; Crops, Agricultural/economics ; Agriculture/economics ; Introduced Species/economics ; },
abstract = {The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1979), is a major agricultural pest native to the Americas that feeds on several crops, particularly maize. Since 2016, FAW has invaded more than 50 African countries, much of Southeast Asia, and Oceania, severely impacting agriculture and posing a threat to global food security. Following its recent detections in Europe in 2023, this study investigates FAW's migratory capacity and potential direct economic impact on European grain maize production under a "no-control" scenario-areas previously unexplored in the context of Europe. We explored FAW's potential distribution across the European continent by incorporating updated climatic data, refined parameter values, and an expanded occurrence dataset into a revised CLIMEX niche model. Our results reveal sizable potential economic impacts with the southern European Member States facing up to €546 ha[- 1] grain maize gross margin annual losses, exceeding €900 million under the worst-case scenario. These member states bear the highest risk since they include areas projected to be climatically suitable for both permanent FAW establishment and transient populations during warmer months. This study provides important insights into the risks posed by FAW to Europe and can inform preparedness and decision-making to mitigate the economic consequences of its invasion.},
}

Animals
Europe
Zea mays/parasitology/growth & development
*Animal Migration
*Spodoptera/physiology
Crops, Agricultural/economics
Agriculture/economics
Introduced Species/economics

@article {pmid40388395,
year = {2025},
author = {Culotta, JA and Ervin, ML and Vetter, BJ and Mensinger, AF},
title = {Conditioning invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and H. nobilis)to enhance the efficacy of acoustic and CO2 deterrents.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0320395},
pmid = {40388395},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Carbon Dioxide ; *Carps/physiology ; Acoustics ; *Introduced Species ; Sound ; Behavior, Animal ; },
abstract = {Invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and H. nobilis) have caused substantial ecological and economic damage throughout the Mississippi River Basin and expanded their range threatening the Laurentian Great Lakes. Broadband acoustic deterrents have shown promise in repelling carp and are currently being assessed in navigational lock chambers on the Mississippi River. These nonphysical deterrents permit vessel navigation while reducing carp passage. However, no single deterrent is 100% effective and fish may habituate to the sound after repeated playback. Carp exhibit aversive behaviors to carbon dioxide, which suggests combining these two stimuli into one deterrent system could extend the effective duration of sound and reduce the frequency of carbon dioxide ([Formula: see text]) application. We conditioned bigheaded carps to associate broadband sound from outboard boat motors (0.06-5 kHz, [Formula: see text]150 dB re. 1 [Formula: see text]Pa) with [Formula: see text] application ([Formula: see text]35,000 ppm) in small (80 L) and large (3475 L) two-choice shuttle tanks. We compared negative phonotaxis responses over one to four weeks between fish conditioned with sound and [Formula: see text], sound and air, or sound alone. Similar [Formula: see text] avoidance thresholds were found across tank sizes and species. Conditioning treatment did not affect time to leave the sound chamber, confirming sound alone remains a deterrent for all fish. Carp conditioned with [Formula: see text] took longer to return to the sound chamber than control treatments. Control fish were closer to the speaker during playback than during the pre-sound period, while fish conditioned with [Formula: see text] were not significantly closer. Conditioning paradigms may extend the effective duration of nonphysical deterrents for bigheaded carps. Conditioning with [Formula: see text] may also increase proactive flight-responses over reactive freeze-responses. Findings could be applied to increase nonphysical barrier effectiveness at locks along the Mississippi River and help protect the Laurentian Great Lakes from invasion.},
}

Animals
*Carbon Dioxide
*Carps/physiology
Acoustics
*Introduced Species
Sound
Behavior, Animal

@article {pmid40388298,
year = {2025},
author = {Muell, MR and Hall, JM and Smith, KV and Oaks, JR and Wolak, ME and Warner, DA},
title = {Comparison of thermal developmental plasticity among seven recently sympatric Anolis species: insights into the evolution of reaction norms.},
journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/evolut/qpaf104},
pmid = {40388298},
issn = {1558-5646},
abstract = {Theory predicts that thermal developmental plasticity evolves in response to thermal heterogeneity, suggesting that plasticity may be an important trait for establishment in novel climates. However, few studies use multi-species comparisons to examine how plasticity evolves, meaning there is little empirical basis with which to examine key theoretical predictions. We estimate patterns of thermal developmental plasticity in morphological and performance traits for seven Anolis lizard species inhabiting South Florida, USA. We found interspecific differences as well as intraspecific variation in reaction norms across species. Neither temperature heterogeneity in present-day invasive ranges in Florida, nor historical temperature heterogeneity from the contemporary native ranges, predicted reaction norm variation. Phylogeny and species identity typically predicted around 90-95% of reaction norm variation. Overall, these results suggest that thermal developmental plasticity in these traits exhibits variation that could be inconsistent with patterns expected under adaptive evolution to macroclimate. Examining the role of maternal nesting behavior and sampling of additional species can help to distinguish between neutral variation and selection toward multiple adaptive peaks. Our comparative study of thermal developmental plasticity in lizards provides new insight about macroevolutionary dynamics behind the evolution of developmental plasticity and the conditions under which adaptive plasticity is expected to evolve.},
}

@article {pmid40387501,
year = {2025},
author = {Vardakas, L and Perdikaris, C and Freyhof, J and Zimmerman, B and Ford, M and Vlachopoulos, K and Koutsikos, N and Karaouzas, I and Chamoglou, M and Kalogianni, E},
title = {Global Patterns and Drivers of Freshwater Fish Extinctions: Can We Learn From Our Losses?.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {31},
number = {5},
pages = {e70244},
pmid = {40387501},
issn = {1365-2486},
mesh = {Animals ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Fishes ; Fresh Water ; *Conservation of Natural Resources ; Biodiversity ; },
abstract = {Nearly one-third of extant freshwater fish species, which account for over 50% of global fish diversity, are at risk of extinction. Despite their crucial ecological and socioeconomic importance, the extinction of freshwater fishes remains under-researched on a global scale. This is a comprehensive assessment of taxonomic, spatial, and temporal patterns of freshwater fish extinctions while identifying key extinction drivers and driver synergies. Using data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, 89 extinct freshwater fish and 11 extinct in the wild were analyzed. Taxonomic statistical analysis revealed the disproportionate impact on Cyprinidae, Leuciscidae, and Salmonidae. Estimated globally for the period 1851-2016, the modern extinction rate for freshwater fishes stands at 33.47 extinctions per million species-years (E/MSY), more than 100 times greater than the natural background extinction rate of 0.33 E/MSY. Extinction rates, when calculated per continent using the number of extinct species and the total number of species per continent, indicated that North America has the highest extinction rate (225.60 E/MSY), followed by Europe (220.26 E/MSY) and Asia (34.62 E/MSY). Although Africa is less affected, it still shows a 42-fold increase over the background rate. Bayesian modeling, reflecting cumulative species extinctions, indicated a strong association of North America and Asia with species loss (37 and 34 extinctions, respectively), a moderate one for Europe (20 extinctions) and a weak association of Africa (eight extinctions). Natural system modification, pollution, and invasive species emerged as the primary extinction drivers, often acting synergistically. Temporal trends indicate an acceleration in extinctions since the mid-20th century. This study highlights that, despite recent increases in conservation efforts, freshwater fish extinctions continue to rise, indicating the urgent need for integrated conservation strategies. Without immediate action, many species currently at risk may soon follow the same trajectory of extinction as the 100 extinct freshwater fishes of this study.},
}

Animals
*Extinction, Biological
*Fishes
Fresh Water
*Conservation of Natural Resources
Biodiversity

@article {pmid40387160,
year = {2025},
author = {Liu, Z and Zhu, B and Gao, L and Wei, C and Siemann, E and Liu, W and Lu, X},
title = {Native Plant Diversity Provides Resistance to Invasion by an Alien Species in Natural and Experimental Settings.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {28},
number = {5},
pages = {e70137},
doi = {10.1111/ele.70137},
pmid = {40387160},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {31872034 & 32171585//The National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; *Biodiversity ; China ; Animals ; *Amaranthaceae/physiology ; Herbivory ; Ecosystem ; *Coleoptera/physiology ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {It remains uncertain whether native plant diversity increases resistance to plant invasions at meaningful scales in nature due to contradictions between observational and experimental studies. In a field survey of 253 sites spanning 15 latitudinal degrees in China, we found that the relative abundance of the invader Alternanthera philoxeroides decreased with increasing native plant richness. Results from a 3-year field experiment and a 2-year mesocosm experiment further demonstrated that native diversity can suppress A. philoxeroides population growth (but not dominance) when natives precede the invader, or limit its population size when natives arrive after the invader. Insect herbivores and the soil biota were unlikely to influence diversity-based resistance in the field experiment, as their effects on both A. philoxeroides and native species did not change with native richness. Our results provide solid evidence that native plant diversity can provide resistance against plant invasion in natural ecosystems.},
}

*Introduced Species
*Biodiversity
China
Animals
*Amaranthaceae/physiology
Herbivory
Ecosystem
*Coleoptera/physiology
Population Dynamics

@article {pmid40385234,
year = {2025},
author = {Cai, M and Chen, L and Chen, M and Ke, W and Wang, D and Peng, C},
title = {Nitrate nitrogen uptake and metabolism in Mikania micrantha stem: insights into enhanced growth and invasiveness.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1525303},
pmid = {40385234},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {The increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition, characterized by a rising proportion of nitrate nitrogen (NO3[-]-N), is exacerbating the spread of invasive plant species. Despite this trend, the response mechanisms of Mikania micrantha, a highly invasive plant, to NO3[-]-N remain poorly understood. This study investigates the unique adaptation strategies of M. micrantha to elevated NO3[-]-N levels, providing novel insights into its invasive success under changing nitrogen deposition patterns. Field experiments showed that M. micrantha rhizosphere soil contained higher NO3 [-]N content and protease activity compared to companion plants (Paederia scandens, Ipomoea nil, and Ipomoea cairica). Both roots and stems of M. micrantha had higher NO3 [-]N content and demonstrated stronger nitrogen metabolism capabilities. Pot experiments further showed that increasing NO3[-]-N concentrations (0 mM-40 mM) significantly promoted M. micrantha growth, with optimal phenotypic responses (main stem length, leaf number, branch number, and biomass) observed at 5 mM NO3[-]-N. Nitrogen metabolism enzyme assays revealed that nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and free amino acid content increased progressively with NO3[-]-N concentration. Transcriptome sequencing and qPCR analyses identified upregulation of key genes related to transcription factors, nitrate transporter-related, nitrogen metabolism enzyme, and amino acid synthesis pathway. These findings demonstrate that M. micrantha employs a multifaceted strategy to exploit elevated NO3[-]-N conditions: enhanced NO3[-]-N uptake from soil, efficient transport to stems, and robust nitrogen metabolism facilitated by coordinated gene expression. This study reveals the adaptation mechanisms of M. micrantha to NO3[-]-N enrichment, offering critical insights for predicting and managing invasive species responses to global atmospheric nitrogen deposition changes. The results highlight the importance of considering nitrogen composition, rather than just quantity, in invasive species management strategies.},
}

@article {pmid40383887,
year = {2024},
author = {Xiang, ZB and Wu, RW and Huang, RZ and Yan, H and Liao, S and Bao, ZY},
title = {A survey of the introduction of Rhododendron from China to the United States during 1898-2023.},
journal = {Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology},
volume = {35},
number = {12},
pages = {3369-3376},
doi = {10.13287/j.1001-9332.202412.007},
pmid = {40383887},
issn = {1001-9332},
mesh = {*Rhododendron/growth & development/classification ; China ; United States ; History, 19th Century ; *Introduced Species/history ; Ecosystem ; History, 21st Century ; History, 20th Century ; Biodiversity ; },
abstract = {The United States has conducted extensive plant introduction activities worldwide since the 19th century. Rhododendron species received particular attention due to their high ornamental value. In the 20th century, the United States focused particularly on Rhododendron resources in China. To clarify the history of the introduction of Rhododendron from China to the United States, we compiled historical records to trace the history of American Rhododendron introductions from China between 1898 and 2023, and verified the botanical names, introduction times, locations, and collectors. The results showed that a total of 1406 records of American Rhododendron introductions from China were compiled, including 215 species (including 27 varieties and 12 subspecies), which accounted for 29.5% of the total number of Rhododendron species in China. The introduction activities covered 20 provincial administrative regions, and 10 collectors were involved, with Wilson and Rock standing out for their significant contributions. The American introductions of Rhododendron from China enriched the diversity of Rhododendron species in the United States and enhancing their application in American gardens.},
}

*Rhododendron/growth & development/classification
China
United States
History, 19th Century
*Introduced Species/history
Ecosystem
History, 21st Century
History, 20th Century
Biodiversity

@article {pmid40382738,
year = {2025},
author = {Azri-Shah, NN and Yusoff, NAH and Abdullah, F and Ishak, AN and Husin, NM and Wee, HB and Jones, JB and Ikhwanuddin, M and Nor, SAM and Hassan, M},
title = {Genetic and Population Diversity of Temnocephalids Associated with the Invasive Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus in Malaysia.},
journal = {Acta parasitologica},
volume = {70},
number = {3},
pages = {112},
pmid = {40382738},
issn = {1896-1851},
support = {(Vot 63933 and 56053)//This research was also supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, under the Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) programme, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Malaysia ; *Astacoidea/parasitology ; *Genetic Variation ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Introduced Species ; Haplotypes ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; },
abstract = {PURPOSE: A previous study revealed that temnocephalids Diceratocephala boschmai, Craspedella pedum, and Decadidymus sp. were highly prevalent in Cheraq quadricarinatus in Melaka and Johor, Malaysia.

METHODS: Herein, study was conducted to extract temnocephalids from C. quadricarinatus and identified using a molecular approach via two DNA markers: 28S ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1). Thereafter, the population diversity of D. boschmai in Malaysia using the CO1 DNA marker was analysed to visualize the genetic associations among populations.

RESULTS: The analysis of 16 variable (segregating) sites in the CO1 gene alignment of sequence from D. boschmai revealed a calculated haplotype diversity of 0.1266 among populations which indicates genetic variation within the studied groups. Additionally, the determination of nucleotide diversity (II) yielded a value of 0.0035, and Tajima's D neutrality test yielded a negative value for all populations, suggesting no significant departure from neutral evolution.

CONCLUSION: AMOVA analysis indicated that the genetic variation or polymorphism is primarily contributed within populations (95%) compared to between populations (4%).},
}

Animals
Malaysia
*Astacoidea/parasitology
*Genetic Variation
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics
Phylogeny
Introduced Species
Haplotypes
Sequence Analysis, DNA

@article {pmid40379971,
year = {2025},
author = {Everts, T and Deflem, I and Van Driessche, C and Neyrinck, S and Ruttink, T and Jacquemyn, H and Brys, R},
title = {Multiple source locations and long-distance dispersal explain the rapid spread of a recent amphibian invasion.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40379971},
issn = {1365-2540},
support = {1S23822N//Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders)/ ; 1S23822N//Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders)/ ; },
abstract = {Rapid range expansions are characteristic for non-native invasive species when introduced outside their native range. Understanding the dynamics and mechanisms of expanding non-native invasive species is key for regional management. While population genetics and long-term occurrence records are often used in this context, each provides only partial insights, highlighting the need for a combined approach. We demonstrate this synergy using the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) invasion in the Grote Nete river valley (Belgium) as a case study. It is commonly believed that this invasion constitutes a single metapopulation established by one primary introduction followed by downstream dispersal. However, recent evidence suggests a more complex scenario, involving introduction at multiple locations and bidirectional dispersal. To differentiate between both scenarios, we analysed nearly three decades of occurrence records and 8592 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 372 individuals from 31 localities, and determined the number of source locations, the range expansion rate, the population genetic structure, and the magnitude and direction of gene flow. We found that invasive spread originated from up to six source locations followed by bidirectional dispersal and downstream long-distance dispersal (LDD) events. Our results suggest that at least two source locations were founded by primary introductions, two from LDD events, while the remaining resulted from secondary introductions. A canal crossing the river was identified as a dispersal barrier, leading to different invasion dynamics on both sides. Our study shows how asynchronous introductions at multiple locations, dispersal barriers, and environmental heterogeneity can lead to distinct spread dynamics within a seemingly continuous and interconnected metapopulation.},
}

@article {pmid40376173,
year = {2025},
author = {Sánchez, O and González-García, V and Robla, J and Arias, A},
title = {Slow Invaders Going Fast: New Data of Exotic Slugs (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata) From Spain.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71306},
pmid = {40376173},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Invasive species are a major concern in the current scenario of biodiversity loss. Most studies focus on vertebrates and insects, while other groups have been profoundly overlooked. Particularly, terrestrial slugs are among the most understudied taxa. Here, we contribute to expanding the scarce knowledge on exotic invertebrates by reporting the occurrence of two non-native terrestrial slugs in the Iberian Peninsula (northern Spain): Ambigolimax parvipenis, being also the first morphological confirmation for continental Spain, and Boettgerilla pallens, constituting the first record for continental Spain as well. Both species were collected in gardened urban areas or in peri-urban areas with a high presence of exotic ornamental plants. Some individuals were used for anatomical studies, while other ones were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR amplification and sequencing, comparing their sequences with closely related species from GenBank and confirming their previous morphological identification. Early detection of exotic species is crucial to avoid potential future threats. Unfortunately, many non-native species remain understudied or misidentified, leading to a silent invasion. Our findings entail a new step in the understanding of this neglected group and in the implications of urban gardened areas as a source of arrival of exotic fauna.},
}

@article {pmid40319612,
year = {2025},
author = {Ceriani, A and Chafik, Y and Miali, A and Bourgerie, S and Dalle Fratte, M and Cerabolini, BEL and Morabito, D and Montagnoli, A},
title = {Remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil through invasive alien plant-derived biochar and stinging nettle powder.},
journal = {Chemosphere},
volume = {380},
number = {},
pages = {144435},
doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144435},
pmid = {40319612},
issn = {1879-1298},
mesh = {*Soil Pollutants/metabolism/analysis ; *Charcoal/chemistry ; Introduced Species ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Soil/chemistry ; *Metals, Heavy/analysis/metabolism ; Urtica dioica/chemistry ; Solidago/chemistry ; *Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods ; Lead/metabolism ; Arsenic/analysis/metabolism ; Biomass ; Phaseolus/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) threaten ecosystem integrity worldwide. IAPS eradication is expensive, and their biomass is considered waste. Producing biochar from IAPS biomasses could turn waste into a resource. At the same time, this material could be used to remediate polluted soils. Also, using widespread native weeds, such as Urtica dioica (U), as an additional amendment could further improve soil remediation. In a phytoremediation experiment, we applied biochar produced from two widespread IAPS' biomass, i.e. Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) (BA) and Solidago gigantea Aiton (BS), at different rates (2 % and 5 % w/w) together with Urtica dioica L. powder (U) (2 % w/w) in an Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb)-contaminated soil, using Phaseolus vulgaris L. as an indicator plant species. We measured the amendment's effects on soil pore water (SPW) properties, plant and fine root development, and soil enzymatic activities. When BS was added alone, and when BA was combined with U SPW's pH and electrical conductivity (EC) increased and [Pb] diminished, which augmented plant growth and reduced Pb uptake. Combining the biochar types and U increased the soil's enzymatic activities, fine root length, biomass, and specific root length. Finally, both biochar types with U increased As mobility in SPW, leading to higher plant uptake in roots, although without translocation to aboveground organs. Our findings contribute to developing cost-effective and environmentally sustainable practices for managing polluted soil. Simultaneously, they tackle the problem of IAPS, which can be used in the future to provide guidelines for policymakers.},
}

*Soil Pollutants/metabolism/analysis
*Charcoal/chemistry
Introduced Species
Biodegradation, Environmental
Soil/chemistry
*Metals, Heavy/analysis/metabolism
Urtica dioica/chemistry
Solidago/chemistry
*Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods
Lead/metabolism
Arsenic/analysis/metabolism
Biomass
Phaseolus/metabolism

@article {pmid40374172,
year = {2025},
author = {Calvo-Mac, C and Delgado-Parada, N and Muñoz-Zanzi, C and Medina-Vogel, G},
title = {Landscape Variables Associated with Toxoplasma gondii Exposure in American Mink (Neogale vison) and Domestic Cats (Felis catus) in the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest, Chile.},
journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-24-00099},
pmid = {40374172},
issn = {1943-3700},
abstract = {Toxoplasma gondii, a globally distributed protozoan, poses risks to wildlife and public health, with domestic cats playing a significant role in its dissemination. The Valdivian temperate rainforest in southern Chile, known for its biodiversity and endemism, faces threats from human activities and from invasive species such as domestic cats. We evaluated T. gondii seroprevalence in two sympatric introduced carnivores, an intermediate host, the American mink (Neogale vison), and a definitive host, the domestic cat (Felis catus), and we determined landscape variables linked to exposure for both species and identified high T. gondii exposure using ecological niche modeling. Seroprevalence for T. gondii in 180 American minks and 140 domestic cats exceeded 60% in both species, indicating significant exposure to T. gondii within the study area. Spatial analysis highlighted a relationship between low-altitude areas, characterized by floodable forests and slower river flow, and elevated T. gondii exposure in both species. Areas with agricultural activity and higher human and cattle densities, such as croplands and grasslands, exhibited an increased risk of T. gondii exposure. Parasite exposure was higher in the Tolten and Valdivia River basins compared to the other four basins studied. These findings emphasize the importance of considering landscape factors, including altitude, land use, and human activities, when assessing T. gondii exposure patterns. The identified landscape variables associated with exposure and the mapping of high-risk areas can guide public health and conservation management plans.},
}

@article {pmid40371976,
year = {2025},
author = {Alexandre, N and Balacco, J and Tilley, T and Abueg, L and Brajuka, N and Moreira, LR and Whelan, C and Schwarz Taylor, E and Jarvis, ED and Fedrigo, O and Shapiro, B and Keyte, AL},
title = {A Chromosome-level genome of the Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica.},
journal = {The Journal of heredity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/jhered/esaf031},
pmid = {40371976},
issn = {1465-7333},
abstract = {The Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica), the closest living relative of the extinct Dodo (Raphus cucullatus), is endemic to Southeast Asia with a fragmented distribution across numerous small islands. It suffers from habitat loss, hunting, and predation from invasive species, resulting in its classification as Near-Threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We have generated a haplotype-resolved and chromosome-level genome assembly of the Nicobar pigeon using a combination of PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing and Arima Hi-C chromatin interaction mapping. This assembly includes two haplotypes, each spanning approximately 1.2 Gb. Haplotype 1 has a contig N50 of 25.2 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 79.7 Mb, while haplotype 2 has a contig N50 of 24.7 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 107.9 Mb. As the first high-quality genome assembly of any bird in the Columbidae Indo-Pacific clade, this resource provides valuable insights for phylogenetic studies. Furthermore, the phylogenetic proximity of the Nicobar pigeon to the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and the Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) offers a unique opportunity to study these extinct species, making this assembly a critical resource for evolutionary studies. It also offers a unique model for studying genetic diversity, adaptation, and speciation in island environments. This genomic resource will not only enhance our understanding of the evolutionary history of the Nicobar pigeon but also serves as a valuable tool for future conservation efforts aimed at preserving this unique species and its fragile island ecosystem.},
}

@article {pmid40371662,
year = {2025},
author = {Bitarafan, Z and Kaczmarek-Derda, W and Berge, TW and Fløistad, IS and Andreasen, C},
title = {Steaming soil is effective in eliminating invasive alien plants (IAPs) - part II: effect of soil type.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8903},
pmid = {40371662},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {//Norges Forskningsråd/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Soil disinfestation by steaming was evaluated due to its efficacy in controlling or potentially eradicating weed seeds. We exposed two soil types containing aggressive weeds to steam using a soil vacuum steaming method. The aim was to examine whether the method could be used to avoid the spreading of viable seeds to new regions when soil is reused.

RESULTS: Dry seeds from two populations of Avena fatua and Echinochloa crus-galli and one population of Bromus sterilis, Lupinus polyphyllus, and Heracleum mantegazzianum were incorporated in a medium sandy soil and a silty coarse sandy soil and examined for thermal sensitivity. Soil temperatures in the target range of 60-99 °C, followed by a 3-min dwelling period, were tested. Increased soil temperature decreased seed germination. The two soil types did not influence the germination or viability response in most cases. For both populations of A. fatua, B. sterilis, and E. crus-galli, a soil temperature of approximately 75 °C followed by a dwelling period of 180 s reduced the germination by about 90%. Heracleum mantegazzianum was more susceptible to heat than L. polyphyllus which required more than 100 °C to reduce seed germination by 90%.

CONCLUSION: Soil steaming using a vacuum was an effective method to kill seeds of invasive alien plants (IAPs) in both soil types. However, the species showed different responses, indicating that steam temperature must be adapted to the specific weeds' susceptibility to heat. A temperature above 100 °C (or longer dwelling periods than 3 min) in the soil matrix might be necessary to kill all seeds. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

@article {pmid40371122,
year = {2025},
author = {Ligero-López, J and Bargues, MD and Artigas, P and Colangeli, G and Peiró-Codina, F and Ducons-Márquez, M and López-Alonso, B and Goñi, P and Beltrán-Rosel, A},
title = {Molecular identification of Coranus spp. in a pregnant patient: A case of misidentified Chagas disease vector in Spain.},
journal = {Parasite epidemiology and control},
volume = {29},
number = {},
pages = {e00426},
pmid = {40371122},
issn = {2405-6731},
abstract = {Chagas disease is a significant public health concern in the Americas, transmitted primarily by vectors of the Triatominae subfamily. While Europe, particularly Spain, is free from endemic vectors, the potential for misidentification of non-hematophagous insects as Chagas vectors exists, leading to unnecessary alarm. We present the case of a 31-year-old pregnant Venezuelan woman residing in Spain, who sought medical attention after being bitten by an arthropod she identified as Triatoma infestans. The patient's awareness of Chagas disease in her country of origin heightened her concern about vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to her fetus. However, serological testing for T. cruzi antibodies was negative. The insect was initially misidentified as T. infestans but was later confirmed through molecular analysis to be Coranus spp., a non-hematophagous reduviid predator. The 18S rRNA gene sequence revealed a 99.37 % similarity to Coranus spp., ruling out any vectorial capacity for Chagas disease. This case underscores the importance of accurate arthropod identification, especially in non-endemic regions, to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. From a public health perspective, the introduction of a Chagas disease vector into Spain would represent a serious threat, necessitating prompt identification and containment measures. Our findings highlight the challenges posed by invasive species and the need for vigilance in regions where Chagas disease is not endemic. Proper identification of suspected vectors is crucial to ensure appropriate clinical and public health responses, preventing unwarranted anxiety and ensuring accurate disease surveillance.},
}

@article {pmid40370354,
year = {2025},
author = {Vo-Tan, K and Bich, VTT and Thanh, MT and Tien, TT and Do, HDK and Nguyen, NT},
title = {The Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson (Commelinaceae).},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71402},
pmid = {40370354},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson (Commelinaceae) is an invasive species in Vietnam but exhibits ornamental and potential medicinal values. However, the genomic data of C. fragrans have not been discovered. In this study, we employed the Illumina sequencing platform to complete the chloroplast genome of C. fragrans, which was 163,887 bp in length. This quadripartite genome consisted of a large single copy region of 90,751 bp, a small single copy region of 18,684 bp, and two inverted repeat regions of 27,226 bp each. Additionally, there were 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and four ribosomal RNA genes in the chloroplast genome of C. fragrans. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a conserved pattern of genome structure and gene content among Callisia species. However, in contrast to the pseudogenization of accD and rpoA in C. repens and C. insignis, these genes were intact in C. fragrans. Comparative genomic analysis revealed seven variable regions in the chloroplast genomes of three Callisia species, including rps16-trnQ_UUG, psbI-trnG_UCC, rpoB-psbM, trnP_UGG-rpl33, ndhF-trnL_UAG, rps15-ycf1, and ycf1. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the monophyly of Callisia species and a close relationship between C. fragrans and C. repens. This study provides initial data of the chloroplast genome for further genomic studies examining genetic populations, phylogeny, and molecular markers of C. fragrans and related species in Commelinaceae.},
}

@article {pmid40370179,
year = {2025},
author = {Yang, JY and Ding, GY and Tian, XJ},
title = {Research progress on the application of the MaxEnt model in species habitat prediction.},
journal = {Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology},
volume = {36},
number = {2},
pages = {614-624},
doi = {10.13287/j.1001-9332.202502.025},
pmid = {40370179},
issn = {1001-9332},
mesh = {*Ecosystem ; *Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; Climate Change ; *Biodiversity ; Introduced Species ; Endangered Species ; *Machine Learning ; Entropy ; Forecasting ; *Models, Theoretical ; Animals ; *Models, Biological ; },
abstract = {Climate change and anthropogenic activities are profoundly affecting species distribution range and habitat suitability. In recent years, using models to predict potential suitable habitats for different species has become one of the research focuses in this field. The maximum entropy model (MaxEnt), a machine learning model based on the data of species distribution and environmental variables, has been widely used in predicting species habitats. First, we introduced the mechanism, establishment process, optimization method and assessment system of the MaxEnt model. Then, we reviewed the application of the model in potential habitat prediction of endangered species and invasive species, and the simulation of the potential distribution of species under future climate change. Fina-lly, we proposed current challenges and future development prospects of the MaxEnt model, aiming to strengthen its role in predicting the natural distribution of species, and provide technical references for biodiversity conservation and management.},
}

*Ecosystem
*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
Climate Change
*Biodiversity
Introduced Species
Endangered Species
*Machine Learning
Entropy
Forecasting
*Models, Theoretical
Animals
*Models, Biological

@article {pmid40370166,
year = {2025},
author = {Sun, R and Zhao, YZ and Chen, Y and Zheng, XL and Zhou, Y and Shao, S and Liang, CF and Qin, H and Chen, JH},
title = {Litter, soil carbon and nitrogen fractions and enzyme activity in a typical broadleaved forest invaded by Moso bamboo.},
journal = {Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology},
volume = {36},
number = {2},
pages = {489-496},
doi = {10.13287/j.1001-9332.202502.012},
pmid = {40370166},
issn = {1001-9332},
mesh = {Soil/chemistry ; *Carbon/analysis ; *Nitrogen/analysis ; *Forests ; *Introduced Species ; China ; Plant Leaves/chemistry ; *Poaceae/growth & development ; *Sasa/growth & development ; },
abstract = {We investigated the effects of bamboo invasion on the quantity and quality of litter input, soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions and enzyme activities across an invasion sequence composed of evergreen broadleaved forest, mixed broadleaved and bamboo forest, and pure Moso bamboo forest. The results showed that stan-ding litter biomass, annual litter production, and the litter C content in mixed broadleaved and Moso bamboo forest was lower than the broadleaved forest by 49.0%, 7.3% and 8.2%, respectively, while that in pure Moso bamboo forest was lower than the broadleaved forest by 59.5%, 48.6%, and 18.7%. Bamboo invasion resulted in a significant decrease in soil organic C in broadleaved forest. Compared with broadleaved forest, soil organic C and total N in pure Moso bamboo forest were decreased by 52.1% and 15.0%. There was no significant difference between the mixed forest and broadleaved forest. Bamboo invasion significantly increased soil microbial biomass C and N, but decreased soil labile and recalcitrant C pools, as well as the proportion of recalcitrant C pool to soil organic C. The activities of soil phenol oxidase, peroxidase and β-glucosidase in mixed forest and pure bamboo forest were generally lower than those in broadleaved forest. The specific enzyme activities (per unit of soil organic C) in bamboo forest was significantly higher than that in the broadleaved forest and mixed forest. Soil organic C content and the recalcitrant C fraction were significantly positively correlated with annual litter production, standing litter biomass, and litter C content, but negatively correlated with the specific enzyme activities of phenol oxidase and peroxidase. Results of structural equation modeling showed that Moso bamboo invasion decreased recalcitrant C pool mainly by reducing litter input and enhancing the specific activities of enzymes involved in organic C degradation. In conclusion, Moso bamboo invasion reduced litter C input, increased the specific activities of soil enzymes involved in soil organic matter decomposition, which was not conducive to the accumulation of soil organic matter in broadleaved forest.},
}

Soil/chemistry
*Carbon/analysis
*Nitrogen/analysis
*Forests
*Introduced Species
China
Plant Leaves/chemistry
*Poaceae/growth & development
*Sasa/growth & development

@article {pmid40365914,
year = {2025},
author = {Diallo, JO and Converse, SJ and Chmiel, M and Stites, AJ and Olden, JD},
title = {Optimizing control of a freshwater invader in time and space.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {e70026},
doi = {10.1002/eap.70026},
pmid = {40365914},
issn = {1051-0761},
support = {DGE-2140004//National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program/ ; DGE 1922004//National Science Foundation National Research Traineeship award (Future Rivers Program at the University of Washington)/ ; //University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Endowed Professor in Fisheries Management/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; Animals ; *Fishes/physiology ; Time Factors ; Arizona ; *Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; Rivers ; Fresh Water ; Bayes Theorem ; *Perciformes/physiology ; },
abstract = {The global spread of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems has prompted population control efforts to mitigate negative impacts on native species and ecosystem functions. Removal programs that optimally allocate removal effort across space and time offer promise for improving invader suppression or eradication, especially given the limited resources available to these programs. However, science-based guidance to inform such programs remains limited. This study leverages two intensive fish removal programs for nonnative green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) in intermittent streams of the Bill Williams River basin in Arizona, USA, to explore alternative management strategies involving variable allocation of removal effort in time and space and compare static versus dynamic decision rules. We used Bayesian hierarchical modeling to estimate demographic parameters using existing removal data, with evidence that both removal programs led to at least a 0.39 probability of eradication. Simulated alternative management strategies revealed that population suppression, but not eradication, could be achieved with reduced effort and that dynamic management practices that respond to species abundance in real time can improve the efficiency of removal efforts. High removal frequency and program duration, including continued monitoring after zero fish were captured, contributed to successful population control. With management efforts struggling to keep pace with the rising spread and impacts of invasive species, this research demonstrates the utility of quantitative removal models to help improve invasive removal programs and robustly evaluate the success of population suppression and eradication.},
}

*Introduced Species
Animals
*Fishes/physiology
Time Factors
Arizona
*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
Rivers
Fresh Water
Bayes Theorem
*Perciformes/physiology

@article {pmid40365903,
year = {2025},
author = {Drenovsky, RE and Reicholf, R and Futrell, CJ and Gallego-Tévar, B and Grewell, BJ},
title = {Functional trait responses of invasive Ludwigia species to contrasting hydrological conditions.},
journal = {American journal of botany},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e70038},
doi = {10.1002/ajb2.70038},
pmid = {40365903},
issn = {1537-2197},
abstract = {PREMISE: Hydrological regime influences wetland plant species distribution and performance. Global warming and extreme weather events are magnifying flooding patterns, and understanding how invasive taxa respond across life stages (establishment vs. established phase) is important for predicting and managing their colonization and spread. Our objective was to measure flood trait responses at contrasting life stages in closely related congeners (Ludwigia peploides, diploid; L. hexapetala, decaploid; Onagraceae) differing in their invasiveness in the field.

METHODS: In the field, we assessed phenological responses to seasonal hydrological changes, and in mesocosms, we assessed flood stress responses of establishing shoot fragments under deep-flooded, shallow-flooded, and gradual drawdown hydrological treatments.

RESULTS: Counter to expectations, establishing L. peploides expressed more flood tolerance traits in mesocosms than L. hexapetala. For example, L. peploides had greater total leaf area and aerenchyma production than L. hexapetala, supporting its growth under flooding, whereas L. hexapetala expressed more flood escape traits (higher shoot elongation rates, trend for longer shoot internode length). Although L. hexapetala expressed some traits associated with drought tolerance, these trends were not significant. In the field, longer-established plants had a reversed pattern for flood escape versus tolerance traits. Ludwigia peploides rapidly shifted to sexual reproduction as soils began to dry, whereas L. hexaetala flowered regardless of soil moisture availability.

CONCLUSIONS: These contrasting patterns of flood tolerance versus escape traits demonstrate that invasive Ludwigia congeners have differing strategies to counter physiological stress induced by flooding and emphasize the importance of life stage in response to environmental variation.},
}

@article {pmid40365479,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhang, L and Li, J and Yang, C and Wang, P and Xie, G and Wang, W},
title = {Identifying Drivers Affecting the Spatial Distribution of Suitable Habitat for the Pine Wood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) in China: Insights From Ensemble Model and Geographical Detector.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71433},
pmid = {40365479},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Biological invasions have become an important threat to global ecological security and forest health, and exploring the environmental driving mechanisms of invasive species is important for prevention and control. Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer, 1934), as a highly destructive invasive species, has its distribution and spread driven by a combination of various environmental factors. The study systematically evaluated the habitat suitability and key driving factors of B. xylophilus in the current period by applying an ensemble model and an optimized parameter-based geographical detector. The results indicate that bioclimatic, vegetation indices, topographical features, and human activities are key environmental factors influencing the distribution of B. xylophilus, with highly suitable areas primarily located in southern, northern, and northeastern China. Meanwhile, the synergistic interaction between slope and population density (PD) significantly enhanced the suitability of B. xylophilus distribution, while the interaction between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and global human influence index (GHII) exhibited a nonlinear weakening effect. Additionally, the habitat suitability of B. xylophilus increased with the expansion of isothermality, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, global human footprint, GHII, and PD, while it gradually decreased with the increase of UV-B seasonality and NDVI. This study thoroughly explored the mechanisms by which various environmental factors influence the habitat suitability of B. xylophilus, revealing the complexity of regional driving factors. The findings not only provide theoretical support for predicting the ecological suitability of B. xylophilus but also offer scientific evidence for comprehensively analyzing the key factors affecting its distribution.},
}

@article {pmid40365476,
year = {2025},
author = {Le Roux, JJ and Brown, L and Carroll, SP and O'Hare, JA and Herbert, JM and Delamotte, NM and Bersee, N and Iredell, S and Clarke, RM and Kosak, S and Dudaniec, RY and Geraghty, DM},
title = {Fitness and Morphology Support Genetic Differentiation Across Different Geographic Scales in a Native Insect Utilising Native vs. Invasive Host Plants.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71373},
pmid = {40365476},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Native species can evolve rapidly in response to utilising invasive species as novel resources. We investigated the genetic and trait differentiation of the Australian soapberry bug Leptocoris tagalicus across three biotypes: those feeding on invasive Cardiospermum grandiflorum in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (Qld), invasive C. halicacabum in the Northern Territory (NT), and on the native host Alectryon tomentosus (in Qld). Genetic analyses revealed moderate differentiation between NT insects and those from NSW and Qld (F ST = 0.033). Conversely, insects from NSW and Qld had low genetic differentiation, irrespective of their host plant associations (F ST = 0.008). Field data and data from a multi-generation experiment indicated ongoing adaptation in proboscis length in insects feeding on the two invasive host plant species, likely in response to the sizes of their fruits. Multi-generation hybridisation experiments demonstrated high narrow sense heritability in insect proboscis length and body size (H2 = 0.48 and 0.4, respectively). Crosses involving F1 hybrids of insect biotypes generally outperformed inter-biotype and control crosses. Taken together, these findings support ongoing genetic differentiation among L. tagalicus biotypes across different spatial scales, even in instances of high gene flow.},
}

@article {pmid40364394,
year = {2025},
author = {Cao, K and Shi, P and Xu, X and Wang, J},
title = {Self-Inhibition Effects of Litter-Mediated Plant-Phyllosphere Feedback on Seedling Growth in Invasive and Native Congeneric Species.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/plants14091355},
pmid = {40364394},
issn = {2223-7747},
abstract = {Plant-phyllosphere feedback (PPF) is an ecological process in which phyllosphere microbiota, originating from plant litter, are transmitted via aerosols and subsequently influence the growth of conspecific or heterospecific plants. However, the cross-species generality of this mechanism and its role in invasive plant success remain to be fully elucidated. This study systematically examined PPF effects using three invasive/native congeneric plant pairs from distinct families (Phytolaccaceae, Asteraceae, and Amaranthaceae) in Jiangxi Province, China. Key findings include the following: (1) Wide conspecific negative feedback across families, with four of six species exhibiting 6.2-12.7% biomass reduction under their own litter treatments (p < 0.05). (2) Comparable feedback intensity between invasive and native species, as indicated by average pairwise indices (invasive I = -0.05 vs. native I = -0.04; p = 0.15). Notably, the invasive species Phytolacca americana uniquely showed a positive biomass response (+7.1%), though underlying mechanisms (phytochemical or microbial) were not investigated. (3) Lack of correlation between PPF strength and plant functional traits or phylogenetic distance, as indicated by Mantel tests (p > 0.8), in contrast to the trait/phylogeny associations commonly observed in soil feedback systems. This study provided the first evidence of PPF universality across multiple plant families-previously documented only within Asteraceae-and highlights the potential microbial-mediated advantages in plant invasions. Future research should integrate spatiotemporal metagenomic and metabolomic approaches to decipher the dynamic pathogen/microbe networks and their phytochemical interactions.},
}

@article {pmid40364392,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, H and Yang, M and Ma, X and Hu, Q and Feng, L and Hu, Y and He, J and Zhang, X and Zheng, J},
title = {The Ecological Risks and Invasive Potential of Introduced Ornamental Plants in China.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/plants14091361},
pmid = {40364392},
issn = {2223-7747},
abstract = {The import of ornamental plants has become a major source of alien invasive plants in China, posing threats to local ecosystems. However, research on their invasive potential and management strategies remains limited. This study evaluated the invasion risks of nine representative introduced ornamental plants (including naturalized and invasive species) in China (IOPCs). Using ecospat to perform climatic niche comparisons, we found significant unfilling and expansion (>50%) in most introduced ornamental plants, indicating strong invasiveness. Species distribution models (SDMs) were applied to predict the current and future distributions of these IOPCs under four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) across four time periods (2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100). The SDM results showed that the current high-risk areas are concentrated in southern China. Under future climate change, moderate- and high-risk zones are projected to shift northward, with the total areas increasing significantly, namely moderate-risk areas by 106.10% and high-risk areas by 64.35%, particularly in the border regions of Jiangxi, Fujian, and Zhejiang. We recommend establishing restricted introduction lists for non-native ornamental plants, enhancing monitoring and management in high-risk regions, and implementing early eradication measures. This study quantified the invasion risks and potential distributions of representative invasive ornamental plants, providing a scientific basis for effective control strategies.},
}

@article {pmid40363752,
year = {2025},
author = {Kato-Noguchi, H and Kato, M},
title = {Defensive Compounds Involved in the Invasiveness of Tithonia diversifolia.},
journal = {Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {30},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/molecules30091946},
pmid = {40363752},
issn = {1420-3049},
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; Animals ; *Asteraceae/chemistry ; *Phytochemicals/chemistry/pharmacology ; },
abstract = {Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray forms high-density impenetrable monospecific stands as an invasive plant species. Its life history traits, such as high adaptability with high genetic variation under different environmental conditions, and high growth and reproductive capacity, may contribute to its success in invading and increasing its population in the introduced ranges. Evidence has accumulated in the literature for the activity of compounds involved in the invasive characteristics of Tithonia diversifolia against natural enemies such as herbivorous insects and mammals, pathogenic nematodes, fungi, and viruses, and of allelochemicals against neighboring competitive plant species. Tagitinin A, tagitinin C, 1β-methoxydiversifolin, phytol, phytol acetate, α-pinene, bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane,4-methylene-1-(1-methylethyl), hispidulin, dihydro-p-coumaric acid, and methyl linoleate are toxic to herbivorous insects, and tagitinin C and 5-O-(E)-caffeoylquinic acid are harmful to herbivorous mammals. Tirotundin has nematocidal activity. α-Pinene, camphor, eucalyptol, and α-terpineol have fungicidal activity. Tagitinin A, tagitinin C, and 1β-methoxydiversifolin-3-O-methyl ether have antiviral activity. Tagitinin A, tagitinin C, 1β-methoxydiversifolin, and hispidulin act as allelochemicals that inhibit the growth of neighboring competing plant species. The ability to outcompete natural enemies and competing plant species is one of the essential factors for infestation and increase in the population and distribution of Tithonia diversifolia in new habitats. Therefore, these compounds may be involved in the invasive characteristics of Tithonia diversifolia. This is the first review article focusing on the compounds involved in the invasive characteristics of Tithonia diversifolia.},
}

*Introduced Species
Animals
*Asteraceae/chemistry
*Phytochemicals/chemistry/pharmacology

@article {pmid40361023,
year = {2025},
author = {Liu, Y and Li, Z and Li, L and Jiang, X and Gao, C and Zhao, J},
title = {Physiological and transcriptomic analysis of Spartina alterniflora in response to imazapyr acid stress.},
journal = {BMC plant biology},
volume = {25},
number = {1},
pages = {630},
pmid = {40361023},
issn = {1471-2229},
mesh = {*Poaceae/genetics/drug effects/physiology ; Stress, Physiological ; Photosynthesis/drug effects ; *Transcriptome/drug effects ; *Niacin/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Plant Roots/drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects ; Plant Leaves/drug effects/physiology ; },
abstract = {As a key aspect of managing of invasive alien species in China, the prevention and control of Spartina alterniflora have become an important part of the work in coastal provinces, and imazapyr acid has been gradually applied in the control work due to its advantages of high efficiency and low toxicity. In this study, we applied 6.0 L/acre of 25% imazapyr acid aqueous stress treatment, and determined and analyzed the physiological activities and transcriptome profiles of S. alterniflora under sustained stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence was used as a technical tool to analyze the mechanism of photosynthesis and the photosynthetic physiological status of S. alterniflora. We analyzed the root system structure of S. alterniflora using a root system imaging system, and characterized the transcriptome of S. alterniflora by high-throughput sequencing technology. Specifically, after imazapyr acid exposure, the fluorescence imaging area of leaves were all decreased, and the fluorescence indexes such as Fv/Fm, Y(II) and PIabs were significantly decreased, while Y(NO) was significantly increased, and Y(NPQ) showed an increase followed by a decrease. Meanwhile, total root length, root surface area and biomass of S. alterniflora were suppressed after imazapyr acid exposure. In transcriptomic analysis, imazapyr acid inhibited the expression of genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, nucleotide sugar-related metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, and DNA replication in S. alterniflora. These results indicate that the effects of imazapyr acid stress on the leaves of S. alterniflora are heterogeneous, with the leaves initiating photoprotective mechanisms to ensure the normal functioning of the photosystem in the early stage of stress, and the PSII reaction centers being damaged in the late stage of stress, ultimately destroying the photosynthetic system. Meanwhile, imazapyr acid stress alters basic physiological processes such as metabolism and growth and development of S. alterniflora, thus affecting the growth and development of the plant root system, and ultimately leading to the death of S. alterniflora.},
}

*Poaceae/genetics/drug effects/physiology
Stress, Physiological
Photosynthesis/drug effects
*Transcriptome/drug effects
*Niacin/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology
Gene Expression Profiling
Plant Roots/drug effects
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects
Plant Leaves/drug effects/physiology

@article {pmid40359612,
year = {2025},
author = {Xiao, Z and Dong, S and Zhang, Z and Qi, S and Wan, Y and Song, Z},
title = {Spatio-temporal distribution of environmental DNA from amphibian and turtle species in a pond ecosystem.},
journal = {Environmental research},
volume = {279},
number = {Pt 2},
pages = {121834},
doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2025.121834},
pmid = {40359612},
issn = {1096-0953},
abstract = {Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has emerged as a transformative tool for biodiversity monitoring and conservation. However, uncertainties in the ecological processes of eDNA in aquatic environments decrease the reliability of eDNA-based surveys. Understanding the distribution and persistence patterns of eDNA is essential to effectively correlate eDNA data with species occurrence across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of eDNA from amphibian and turtle species in a pond ecosystem, by establishing controlled eDNA sources from American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), and quantifying eDNA concentrations from different water layers and sediment samples using droplet digital PCR. Our results showed that eDNA from both species was highly concentrated within 2-5 m of the biological sources, with dispersal distance independent of the duration of organism' presence in the pond and exhibiting a vertically increasing trend over time. eDNA concentration and persistence varied significantly depending on species and substrate type, with bullfrogs showing notably higher eDNA detectability. The average eDNA concentration in sediment was 1.4 × 10[4] times higher than in water, and eDNA persisted approximately one week longer. Our findings demonstrate that the strong aggregation patterns of eDNA can provide valuable insights into the spatial distribution of amphibians and turtles in pond systems. eDNA from surface water showed greater timeliness for biodiversity monitoring and aquatic invasive species management. The specificity of target taxa and the temporal complementarity of sedimentary eDNA should be carefully considered in future eDNA sampling designs.},
}

@article {pmid40359148,
year = {2025},
author = {Gray, WJ and Rakes, LM and Cole, C and Gunter, A and He, G and Morgan, S and Walsh-Antzak, CR and Yates, JA and Erickson, PA},
title = {Rapid wing size evolution in African fig flies (Zaprionus indianus) following temperate colonization.},
journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/evolut/qpaf102},
pmid = {40359148},
issn = {1558-5646},
abstract = {Invasive species often encounter novel selective pressures in their invaded range, and understanding their potential for rapid evolution can offer insight towards evolutionary processes and the factors that drive invasion success. Zaprionus indianus is an invasive drosophilid native to Africa that reached Florida in 2005 and likely re-establishes temperate North American populations each year. We addressed two evolutionary questions in this system: first, do populations evolve phenotypic changes in the generations immediately following colonization of temperate environments? Second, does Z. indianus evolve directional phenotypic changes along a latitudinal cline? We established isofemale lines from wild collections and measured twelve ecologically relevant phenotypes, using a reference strain as a control. Z. indianus evolved smaller wings following colonization, and we found evidence of significant post-colonization evolution when considering all phenotypes simultaneously. We found little evidence for latitudinal clines. However, we documented substantial laboratory evolution and large effects of the laboratory environment across multiple phenotypes, emphasizing the importance of controlling for both possibilities in common garden studies. Our results demonstrate the potential for rapid evolution in Z. indianus, which could contribute to its ongoing expansion, and offer insights towards the types of rapid evolutionary changes that might occur in invasive insects.},
}

@article {pmid39844755,
year = {2025},
author = {Petrusek, A and Mojžišová, M and Mikešová, A and Piálková, R and Lieb, DA},
title = {Prevalence and diversity of Aphanomyces astaci in cambarid crayfish of Pennsylvania: where native and introduced hosts meet.},
journal = {Parasitology},
volume = {152},
number = {1},
pages = {92-105},
doi = {10.1017/S0031182025000022},
pmid = {39844755},
issn = {1469-8161},
mesh = {Animals ; *Astacoidea/parasitology/microbiology ; Pennsylvania ; *Aphanomyces/genetics/isolation & purification/classification/physiology ; *Genetic Variation ; Prevalence ; Introduced Species ; Haplotypes ; Genotype ; },
abstract = {The crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci (Oomycota: Saprolegniales) is native to North America but expanded with its crayfish hosts to other regions. In most of its invaded range, A. astaci haplotypes are associated with specific American crayfish, probably due to introduction bottlenecks, but haplotype diversity is higher and clear host-specific associations are lacking in its native range. However, little is known about the infection rate and load of this pathogen in North America. We investigated the distribution, prevalence and genetic variation of A. astaci in Pennsylvania (eastern USA), where multiple native and introduced crayfish species (family Cambaridae) occur. We used A. astaci-specific quantitative PCR to screen 533 individuals representing 8 crayfish species (2 Cambarus and 6 Faxonius) from 49 sites. Faxonius limosus, an American species first introduced to Europe and carrier of A. astaci genotype group E, was of particular interest. We confirmed A. astaci infections in 76% of sites in all but 1 host taxon, with the pathogen infection rate and load comparable to established populations of North American crayfish studied in Europe and Japan. Despite the absence of highly infected hosts, we genotyped A. astaci from 14 sites. We only detected 2 mitochondrial haplotypes, but nuclear markers indicated the presence of at least 4 distinct pathogen genotypes, none documented from invaded areas in Europe or Asia. Genotype group E was not detected in F. limosus, possibly due to limited spatial distribution of the original strain. Our results highlight both benefits and limitations of combining multiple pathogen genotyping methods.},
}

Animals
*Astacoidea/parasitology/microbiology
Pennsylvania
*Aphanomyces/genetics/isolation & purification/classification/physiology
*Genetic Variation
Prevalence
Introduced Species
Haplotypes
Genotype

@article {pmid40357688,
year = {2025},
author = {San Juan, A and Azémar, F and Dejean, A},
title = {Pheidole megacephala: An invasive ant that raids colonies of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta.},
journal = {Ecology},
volume = {106},
number = {5},
pages = {e70113},
pmid = {40357688},
issn = {1939-9170},
}

@article {pmid40355881,
year = {2025},
author = {Wisely, SM and Torhorst, C and Botero-Cañola, S and Canino, N and James, AM and O'Hara, KC},
title = {Contact between soft tick vectors of African swine fever virus and invasive wild pigs in the southeastern USA.},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {172},
pmid = {40355881},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {CA#: AP23VSSP0000C128//USDA APHIS VS/ ; CA#: AP23VSSP0000C117//USDA APHIS VS/ ; CA#: AP22VSSP0000C050//USDA APHIS VS/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *African Swine Fever Virus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics ; Swine ; *African Swine Fever/transmission/virology/epidemiology ; *Ornithodoros/virology/physiology ; Florida/epidemiology ; Introduced Species ; *Arachnid Vectors/virology ; Animals, Wild/virology ; *Turtles/parasitology/virology ; Sus scrofa/virology ; *Tick Infestations/veterinary/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: African swine fever virus is a transboundary pathogen of high economic impact to the global pork industry. Florida has multiple factors that contribute to the high risk of introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV) including high levels of commerce and human migration between Florida and Caribbean nations with ASFV, established backyard swine production, abundant populations of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), and the presence of a soft tick species (Ornithodoros turicata americanus) that has been found to be a competent vector of ASFV in laboratory experiments. To better assess the hazard of ASFV vector-borne transmission in Florida, we documented contact between invasive wild pigs and O. t. americanus throughout Florida.

METHODS: We surveyed gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows throughout Florida and collected O. t. americanus from infested burrows. To identify definitive contact between invasive wild pigs and soft ticks, we used established real time polymerase chain reaction primers and a probe to detect the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of invasive wild pigs in the bloodmeals of O. t. americanus.. To detect potential wild pig-soft tick contact, we surveyed for evidence of pig activity within 5 m of an infested burrow entrance.

RESULTS: Across 61 sites, we found that 203 of 591 burrows (34%) were infested with the soft tick, O. t. americanus. Ten burrows across 57 sites (18%) had soft ticks with wild pig DNA in their abdomens. In total, 6 of 591 burrows (1%) had evidence of invasive wild pigs near the entrance. Three infested burrows had evidence of wild pigs near the entrance, one of these burrows also had soft ticks that were positive for wild pig DNA. Including both definitive and potential wild pig-soft tick contact, 12 of 61 sites (20%) had evidence of wild pig-soft tick association.

CONCLUSIONS: In Florida, contact between invasive wild pigs, a potential reservoir for ASFV, and O. t. americanus, a competent vector, was measurable and occurred throughout the distribution of the vector. Florida is at risk not only for ASFV emergence but establishment of this pathogen in a sylvatic cycle. In addition to managing invasive wild pigs, future ASFV response planning needs to include plans for surveying and managing vector populations should an outbreak occur.},
}

Animals
*African Swine Fever Virus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics
Swine
*African Swine Fever/transmission/virology/epidemiology
*Ornithodoros/virology/physiology
Florida/epidemiology
Introduced Species
*Arachnid Vectors/virology
Animals, Wild/virology
*Turtles/parasitology/virology
Sus scrofa/virology
*Tick Infestations/veterinary/epidemiology

@article {pmid40354521,
year = {2025},
author = {Tripathi, A and Matey, C and Buchmann, K and Hahn, C},
title = {Monogeneans on exotic Indian freshwater fish. 7. Results of a national study on ornamental fishes from 2019-2022.},
journal = {Parasite (Paris, France)},
volume = {32},
number = {},
pages = {28},
pmid = {40354521},
issn = {1776-1042},
support = {SERB-EMR/2017/003232//Science and Engineering Research Board, India/ ; P 32691//Austrian Science Fund/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Fish Diseases/parasitology/epidemiology ; India/epidemiology ; *Fishes/parasitology ; *Trematode Infections/veterinary/epidemiology/parasitology ; *Trematoda/classification/isolation & purification/genetics ; Fresh Water ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Introduced Species ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {This study reports the results of a nationwide parasitological survey that was conducted from 2019 to 2022 to investigate the potential introduction of monogenean parasites into India via the ornamental fish trade. A total of 619 individual exotic ornamental fish representing 27 teleost species from nine families were collected from the country's major aquaria markets and examined for monogeneans. To identify monogeneans at the species level, we employed a morphometric analysis of sclerotised structures (haptoral and reproductive hard parts), as well as a molecular analysis of nuclear 28S rRNA and ITS2 regions. Indian conditions for importing exotic ornamental fish species require a pre-quarantine certificate, quarantine treatment, and post-quarantine follow-up. Despite these restrictions, 26 monogenean species from 12 known genera were detected and identified in 17 of the 27 fishes examined. Dactylogyrus was represented by a maximum of nine species, followed by Gyrodactylus with five. Cyprinidae was the most parasitised fish family (13 species), followed by Cichlidae (three species) and Helostomatidae, Poeciliidae, and Serrasalmidae (two species each). The majority of co-transported parasite species originated from Asia (65.38%, n = 17), followed by South America (23.07%, n = 6), North and Central America (7.69%, n = 2), and Africa (3.5%, n = 1). Three fish species were identified as the first host records for monogenean parasites: Chindongo socolofi for Cichlidogyrus tilapiae Paperna, 1960, Metynnis hypsauchen for Mymarothecium sp., and Betta splendens for Heteronchocleidus sp. In general, exotic populations had fewer parasite species than in their native distribution ranges.},
}

Animals
*Fish Diseases/parasitology/epidemiology
India/epidemiology
*Fishes/parasitology
*Trematode Infections/veterinary/epidemiology/parasitology
*Trematoda/classification/isolation & purification/genetics
Fresh Water
RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics
Introduced Species
Phylogeny

@article {pmid40350565,
year = {2025},
author = {Dawes, TN and Bufford, JL and Hulme, PE},
title = {Historical frequency of plants in nursery catalogues predicts likelihood of naturalization in ornamental species.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {e70023},
pmid = {40350565},
issn = {1939-5582},
support = {//Royal Society of New Zealand/ ; //Lincoln University/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; New Zealand ; *Plants/classification ; },
abstract = {Ornamental horticulture is the major pathway of non-native plant species introductions worldwide. Historic nursery catalogues capture a long-term view of introduction effort arising from garden plantings and are a powerful resource for understanding why some introduced ornamental species subsequently jump the garden fence. Analyses of historic nursery catalogues can help us understand the reasons for failed invasions as well as why some species successfully naturalize or invade. We used New Zealand nursery catalogues from the 1860s to the 1990s to understand the patterns of failed invasions, as well as successful naturalization and invasion. Together with data on several horticulturally relevant plant traits, we used a boosted classification model to predict the likelihood of naturalization and invasion. A species' maximum height, its frequency in nursery catalogues, and the family-level global naturalization rate were the most influential variables. Naturalized species were generally taller, more frequently offered for sale, and belonged to families with higher global naturalization rates than those that had not naturalized. Other traits such as cold hardiness or shade tolerance were not significantly different between naturalized and non-naturalized species but contributed somewhat to the overall model fit. By contrast, our predictions of the likelihood a species would become invasive were poor, without any robust relationships with any of the covariates. This indicates that factors that drive the transition from naturalized to invasive species may be determined by the characteristics of the habitats that they invade. Species incorrectly predicted to be naturalized may not have had sufficient opportunity to do so and may pose a greater risk of naturalizing in the future. This provides an avenue for identifying future naturalized species and enabling proactive management or monitoring of these species of concern.},
}

*Introduced Species
New Zealand
*Plants/classification

@article {pmid40350482,
year = {2025},
author = {Bellver-Arnau, J and Blanco-Sierra, L and Escartin, S and Mariani, S and Bartumeus, F},
title = {Climate-responsive vector control strategies for Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {168},
pmid = {40350482},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {101057554//HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme/ ; 101057554//HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Aedes/physiology/drug effects/virology/growth & development ; *Mosquito Control/methods ; *Mosquito Vectors/physiology/virology ; Larva/drug effects ; *Climate ; Insecticides/pharmacology ; Population Dynamics ; Seasons ; Vector Borne Diseases/prevention & control/transmission ; Dengue/prevention & control/transmission ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The rise in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, exacerbated by the ever-expanding habitats of Aedes albopictus, poses a significant public health risk. Even marginal improvements in vector control efficacy can be crucial in mitigating these risks.

METHODS: In this study, we employed a metapopulation model to simulate Ae. albopictus population dynamics and dispersal, optimizing the timing and spatial allocation of larvicidal treatments.

RESULTS: Simulations revealed that larvicide treatments are most effective when applied preventively, early in the mosquito season, particularly under conditions of lower-than-average cumulative rainfall and, to a minor extent, colder-than-average temperatures, as these conditions limit larvae proliferation. We found that breeding site characteristics, particularly surface area and maximum water holding capacity, are critical in determining optimal treatment allocation in scarce-resource scenarios. However, a cost-effectiveness trade-off exists, as larger breeding sites offer more substantial reductions in mosquito populations but also demand higher larvicide dosages. Spatial factors such as breeding site distribution had minimal impact on treatment efficacy, possibly due to the high mobility range of adult mosquitoes compared with the size of the study area.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the superior efficiency of the optimized approach in comparison with routine vector control strategies, especially when resources are limited, offering a more effective use of larvicide in controlling mosquito populations. This study demonstrates that vector control strategies for Ae. albopictus can be significantly enhanced by considering climatic variables and breeding site characteristics in treatment planning. This research provides a framework for developing cost-effective and flexible mosquito control programs that can adapt to environmental conditions, potentially improving public health outcomes by reducing the transmission risk of mosquito-borne diseases.},
}

Animals
*Aedes/physiology/drug effects/virology/growth & development
*Mosquito Control/methods
*Mosquito Vectors/physiology/virology
Larva/drug effects
*Climate
Insecticides/pharmacology
Population Dynamics
Seasons
Vector Borne Diseases/prevention & control/transmission
Dengue/prevention & control/transmission
Ecosystem

@article {pmid40346664,
year = {2025},
author = {Helleman, P and Schrama, M and Trimbos, KB and Braks, MAH and Schaffner, F and Stroo, A and Wouters, RM and van der Beek, JG},
title = {The ecological niche and population history shape mosquito population genetics on a group of three Caribbean islands.},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {167},
pmid = {40346664},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {V/150601/01/PR//Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport/ ; 2022.001//Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; *Ecosystem ; *Culicidae/genetics/classification/physiology ; Haplotypes ; Caribbean Region ; Islands ; Phylogeny ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: While studies on mosquito population genetics have primarily focused on medically relevant species, fewer have examined the genetic population structure of mosquitoes from a diverse range of species within a single geographical area. The limited comparison between native and non-native species, as well as ecologically divergent species from the same region, hampers our ability to generalise previously described patterns in mosquito population genetics. This study uses the mosquito fauna of the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire as a case study to explore population genetic variation among both native and non-native mosquito species, as well as among native species occupying different ecological niches. We examine how genetic patterns relate to their population history and species-specific ecologies.

METHODS: Mitochondrial COII sequences were obtained from 258 mosquito specimens belonging to six species, occurring on all three islands. Sequences were used in haplotype network analysis to assess the genetic variation between mosquito populations of each of the six ecologically diverse species, which vary in both their population history and ecological niche.

RESULTS: Both the genetic diversity and population genetic structure were found to differ strongly between sets of species, leading to a subdivision into three species groups: (1) non-native species with low genetic diversity across all three investigated islands, (2) locally native species with high genetic diversity and closely related haplotypes occurring on different islands and (3) locally native species with high genetic diversity and locally restricted haplotypes.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the population genetics of non-native and native species strongly differ, likely as a result of population history. Furthermore, the results suggest that mosquito species sharing the same area may display distinct population genetic structure, likely related to differences in their ecology and dispersal capacity. We suggest that addressing a broader range of species within a single area will benefit future research on mosquito population genetics to place observed patterns into a broader historical, ecological and evolutionary context.},
}

Animals
*Genetic Variation
*Genetics, Population
*Ecosystem
*Culicidae/genetics/classification/physiology
Haplotypes
Caribbean Region
Islands
Phylogeny
DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics

@article {pmid40345433,
year = {2025},
author = {Jones, ML and Thresher, RE and Bax, NJ},
title = {Biased tertiary sex ratios enhance the efficacy of sex-ratio distorting genetic techniques to control invasive species.},
journal = {Journal of theoretical biology},
volume = {608},
number = {},
pages = {112137},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2025.112137},
pmid = {40345433},
issn = {1095-8541},
abstract = {Genetic biocontrol strategies are increasingly being developed and tested for reducing the effects of invasive species, and are highly likely to be an important tool of integrated pest management in the future. Included among such strategies are those that distort the sex ratio of the target species. Models used to forecast the efficacy of such strategies generally assume, implicitly, that the tertiary sex ratio of the target population is 50:50. We present evidence that this assumption is important, and that if the tertiary sex ratio is biased towards females, a sex-distorting construct introduced into the population that produces phenotypic males will become fixed at a level determined by the magnitude of the bias, even after further introductions cease. We show, first using a simple logistic population model, and second using a realistic simulation of an important aquatic invasive species - the sea lampreyPetromyzon marinus- how this effect can greatly increase the effectiveness of a sex-distorting construct at population suppression, but also increase the risk of such strategies due to reduced reversibility. We also present evidence that biased tertiary sex ratios might be present in many invasive species, particularly when their population sizes are low relative to environmental carrying capacity.},
}

@article {pmid40345092,
year = {2025},
author = {Shen, Z and Cui, J and Li, J and Peng, Y and Li, J and Zhang, Z and Chan, A and Chen, M and Yao, D},
title = {Differential impacts of invasive aquatic plants water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) on plankton community dynamics and its ecosystem functionality.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {385},
number = {},
pages = {125606},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125606},
pmid = {40345092},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Plankton plays a pivotal role in maintaining aquatic ecosystem stability and food web equilibrium. Yet, the mechanistic responses of plankton communities to invasive aquatic plants (e.g., Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes) remain poorly understood. This study investigated the temporal effects of these invasive species on plankton biodiversity, native plant (Ludwigia ovalis) growth, and nutrient dynamics in freshwater systems in a 50-day microcosm experiment. Results indicated no significant change in L. ovalis growth (p > 0.05), while pH, EC, TN, and TP significantly decreased (p < 0.05). And plankton dominant species, functional communities (e.g., functional group D and small copepoda and cladocera filter feeders) and their co-occurrence networks were disrupted. Moreover, the Shannon index of phytoplankton was significantly higher at day 10 and lower at day 50 (p < 0.05) than that of P. stratiotes, while the metazoan zooplankton showed the reverse trend. P. stratiotes reduced network complexity including average degree and graph density, while E. crassipes disrupted architectural integrity as modularity, collectively destabilizing plankton interactions. SEM model revealed that E. crassipes indirectly decreased EC via TN reduction (-0.412) while P. stratiotes directly suppressed EC (-0.242), cascading into decreased plankton biomass, density, and diversity. These findings elucidated species-specific invasion mechanisms and their cascading impacts on planktonic ecosystems, which could provide actionable insights for mitigating biodiversity loss in invaded freshwater habitats and enhancing ecological monitoring frameworks to safeguard ecosystem services.},
}

@article {pmid40344091,
year = {2025},
author = {Xiong, J and Gao, Y and Zhou, Y and Ip, JC and Ituarte, S and Heras, H and Qiu, JW and Sun, J},
title = {Four chromosome-scale ampullariid genomes: High-quality resources for ecological, evolutionary and invasion biology studies.},
journal = {DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/dnares/dsaf010},
pmid = {40344091},
issn = {1756-1663},
abstract = {The New World Ampullariids, encompassing the ecologically important genera Pomacea and Marisa, are organisms with dual attributes-serving as model systems for evolutionary and environmental research while posing severe threats as globally invasive species. Here, we present chromosome-scale genomes of four key species-Pomacea canaliculata, P. maculata, P. diffusa, and Marisa cornuarietis-generated through PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding. These assemblies exhibit exceptional continuity and completeness (BUSCO scores >95%) with genome sizes ranging 450-540 Mb, while high-quality annotations predicting 21,687-22,481 protein-coding genes per genome. Comparative analysis reveals divergent genome architectures: the invasive P. canaliculata and P. maculata harbour lower LINE (5.7-5.8%) and LTR (0.7-0.8%) content compared to non-invasive P. diffusa (LINE: 7.7%; LTR: 0.8%) and M. cornuarietis (LINE: 9.5%; LTR: 1.1%), suggesting repeat dynamics linked to ecological plasticity. Macrosynteny analyses identify five dynamic but conserved ancestral chromosomal fusions across species but with limited rearrangements among species. These resources, integrating chromosomal resolution with functional annotation, provide a foundation for comparative studies on molluscan karyotype evolution and adaptive radiation research, as well as possible targets for CRISPR-cas9-driven biocontrol strategies.},
}

@article {pmid40344026,
year = {2025},
author = {Rad, SPH and Duque, TS and Flory, SL and do Nascimento, VG and Mendes, DS and Maciel, JC and Dos Santos, JB and Silva, RSD and Shabani, F},
title = {Predicting the spread of invasive Imperata cylindrica under climate change: A global risk assessment and future distribution scenarios.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0321027},
pmid = {40344026},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*Climate Change ; *Introduced Species ; Risk Assessment ; Ecosystem ; Temperature ; },
abstract = {Invasive plant species, such as Imperata cylindrica (cogongrass), threaten native ecosystems, natural resources, and lands worldwide. With climate change, the risk of invasions may increase as more favorable conditions enable non-native species to spread into new areas. This study employs the CLIMEX model to predict the potential distribution of I. cylindrica under current and future climate scenarios, under the SRES A2 scenario. A comprehensive dataset comprising 6,414 occurrence records was used to simulate the species' ecological niche based on key climatic parameters, including temperature and soil moisture. Our results indicate that more than 16% of the global land surface is currently highly suitable for I. cylindrica (Ecoclimatic Index ≥ 30), with significant risk areas identified in Central America, Africa, and Australia. Future projections under the A2 scenario suggest an expansion of suitable habitats by 2050, 2080, and 2100, particularly in regions such as southern Argentina and parts of North America, while areas in Africa may experience a decrease in suitability due to rising temperatures. Sensitivity analysis revealed that temperature-related parameters (DV0, DV1, DV2, and DV3) are the most influential in determining the species' distribution, highlighting the critical role of climate in driving the invasive potential of I. cylindrica. These findings provide valuable insights into the future risks associated with I. cylindrica invasions.},
}

*Climate Change
*Introduced Species
Risk Assessment
Ecosystem
Temperature

@article {pmid40342214,
year = {2025},
author = {Schneller, NM and Strugnell, JM and Field, MA and Johannesson, K and Cooke, I},
title = {Putting Structural Variants Into Practice: The Role of Chromosomal Inversions in the Management of Marine Environments.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e17776},
doi = {10.1111/mec.17776},
pmid = {40342214},
issn = {1365-294X},
support = {DP240102310//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; DP250101690//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; SR200100005//ARC SRIEAS Grant/ ; VR 2021-04191//Vetenskapsrådet Research Grant/ ; },
abstract = {Major threats to marine species and ecosystems include overfishing, invasive species, pollution and climate change. The changing climate not only imposes direct threats through the impacts of severe marine heatwaves, cyclones and ocean acidification but also complicates fisheries and invasive species management by driving species range shifts. The dynamic nature of these threats means that the future of our oceans will depend on the ability of species to adapt. This has led to calls for genetic interventions focussed on enhancing species' adaptive capacity, including translocations, restocking and selective breeding. Assessing the benefits and risks of such approaches requires an improved understanding of the genetic architecture of adaptive variation, not only in relation to climate-resilient phenotypes but also locally adapted populations and the fitness of hybrids. Large structural genetic variants such as chromosomal inversions play an important role in local adaptation by linking multiple adaptive loci. Consequently, inversions are likely to be particularly important when managing for adaptive capacity. However, under some circumstances, they also accumulate deleterious mutations, potentially increasing the risk of inbreeding depression. Genetic management that takes account of these dual roles on fitness is likely to be more effective at ensuring population persistence. We summarise evolutionary factors influencing adaptive and deleterious variation of inversions, review inversions found in marine taxa, and provide a framework to predict the consequences of ignoring inversions in key management scenarios. We conclude by describing practical methods to bridge the gap between evolutionary theory and practical application of inversions in conservation.},
}

@article {pmid40341324,
year = {2025},
author = {Imlau, M and Browne, JA and Browett, SS and McDevitt, AD and McMahon, BJ and Nally, JE and Jahns, H},
title = {Surveillance for Leptospira sp. in Native and Invasive Shrews in Ireland Compared with Cohabitating Shrews in France.},
journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases},
volume = {61},
number = {2},
pages = {477-482},
doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-24-00084},
pmid = {40341324},
issn = {1943-3700},
mesh = {Animals ; *Shrews/microbiology ; *Leptospirosis/epidemiology/veterinary/microbiology ; *Leptospira/isolation & purification/classification ; Ireland/epidemiology ; France/epidemiology ; Introduced Species ; Female ; Male ; },
abstract = {Leptospirosis is a complex and often underestimated global bacterial disease that continues to be of zoonotic concern. It is difficult to diagnose and has an unclear pathogenesis. Several new species of the genus Leptospira have been discovered in recent years; the impact of these species on animal health is unknown. In 2013, Leptospira tipperaryensis was first identified in greater white-toothed shrews (GWTSs, Crocidura russula) in Ireland, where they are an invasive species that displaces the native pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus). This study investigated the prevalence of Leptospira spp., including L. tipperaryensis, and their potential impact on the health of shrews from Ireland using histopathology (n=212), immunohistochemistry (IHC; n=206), and quantitative PCR (n=168) on renal tissues. Shrews (n=81) from Belle Île, France were examined as a species and habitat control group using histopathology (n=81) and IHC (n=79). No Leptospira were detected with any of the methods in renal tissues from shrews sampled in Ireland and there was no significant renal pathology. In contrast, 34.6% (28/81) of shrews from Belle Île were positive on IHC for Leptospira sp. and had associated chronic nephritis in histopathology. The results do not indicate a negative impact by L. tipperaryensis or other Leptospira spp. on the health and distribution of the GWTS and the pygmy shrew in Ireland; onward transmission within the shrew population currently appears unlikely.},
}

Animals
*Shrews/microbiology
*Leptospirosis/epidemiology/veterinary/microbiology
*Leptospira/isolation & purification/classification
Ireland/epidemiology
France/epidemiology
Introduced Species
Female
Male

@article {pmid40301605,
year = {2025},
author = {Moi, DA and Saito, VS and Quirino, BA and Alves, DC and Agostinho, AA and Schmitz, MH and Bonecker, CC and Barrios, M and Kratina, P and Perkins, DM and Teixeira de Mello, F and Figueiredo, BRS and Mormul, RP and Okada, EK and Romero, GQ},
title = {Human land use and non-native fish species erode ecosystem services by changing community size structure.},
journal = {Nature ecology & evolution},
volume = {9},
number = {5},
pages = {801-809},
pmid = {40301605},
issn = {2397-334X},
support = {NMG\R1\201121//Royal Society/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Fishes/physiology ; *Ecosystem ; Brazil ; Fisheries ; Body Size ; Humans ; Rivers ; *Introduced Species ; *Human Activities ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Biomass ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {Organism body size influences ecosystem services, and human pressures alter the size structure of ecological communities. However, our understanding of how different human-induced pressures (such as land use and biotic invasion) interact to drive community size structure and ecosystem services remains limited. Combining 21 years of fish size spectrum data and fishery potential (fishery monetary value in the Upper Paraná River Floodplain, Brazil), we demonstrate that the size spectrum exponent of native species has become more negative over time, indicating a relative decrease in the biomass of large versus small individuals. Conversely, the size spectrum exponent of non-native species has become less negative over time owing to the increased abundance of large species. Overall, fishery potential declined by more than 50% over time. Human land use replaced the coverage of natural environments, indirectly reducing native richness. This scenario decreased the exponent of the native size spectrum, indirectly reducing fishery potential. Our study illustrates how intensification of human land use alters the size structure of communities, favouring non-native individuals and suppressing ecosystem services.},
}

Animals
*Fishes/physiology
*Ecosystem
Brazil
Fisheries
Body Size
Humans
Rivers
*Introduced Species
*Human Activities
Conservation of Natural Resources
Biomass
Population Dynamics

@article {pmid40122515,
year = {2025},
author = {Chouvenc, T},
title = {Invasive termites and their growing global impact as major urban pests.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {69},
number = {},
pages = {101368},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2025.101368},
pmid = {40122515},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Animals ; *Isoptera/physiology ; *Introduced Species ; *Animal Distribution ; Cities ; },
abstract = {While termites play important ecological roles, a fraction of species have strong invasive capabilities and represent urban pests of economic importance worldwide. Their invasive potential is exacerbated by human activities such as maritime transport, with privately owned boats serving as key vectors for local and global termite dispersal, particularly for Cryptotermes and Coptotermes pest species. Land establishment by invasive termites can remain undetected for decades, often making eradication attempts too late to succeed. Ultimately, invasive termite species will likely continue to spread at the global scale, and recent new invasive records point toward an underestimation of their actual current invasive status.},
}

Animals
*Isoptera/physiology
*Introduced Species
*Animal Distribution
Cities

@article {pmid40081800,
year = {2025},
author = {Leskey, TC and Carnio, V and Nixon, LJ},
title = {Chemically mediated trophic interactions of invasive herbivorous insects and their applications for monitoring and management.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {69},
number = {},
pages = {101364},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2025.101364},
pmid = {40081800},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Animals ; *Insecta/physiology/chemistry ; *Introduced Species ; *Herbivory ; *Food Chain ; *Insect Control/methods ; },
abstract = {Introduction of invasive herbivorous insects has significantly disrupted agricultural and forest ecosystems. Sources of stimuli used for monitoring and biosurveillance tools or as the basis for management strategies involve chemically mediated interactions between the insect and key primary producers (plants) or secondary consumers (predators and parasites). While successful application of chemicals identified from these interactions has emerged for some species with a few multitrophic interactions identified, other systems remain challenging, particularly when native species share similar chemically mediated cues. Applied molecular technologies such as environmental DNA or gut content analyses can be used to gain further insight into multitrophic interactions, which could potentially lead to improved chemical mediation tools.},
}

Animals
*Insecta/physiology/chemistry
*Introduced Species
*Herbivory
*Food Chain
*Insect Control/methods

@article {pmid39929276,
year = {2025},
author = {Pietri, JE and Laroche, M},
title = {Invasive indoor pests under the microbiological lens: bacterial and viral diversity from local to global scales in bed bugs and cockroaches.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {69},
number = {},
pages = {101344},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2025.101344},
pmid = {39929276},
issn = {2214-5753},
support = {R01 AI171014/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI183477/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Cockroaches/microbiology/virology ; *Bedbugs/microbiology/virology ; Bacteria/classification/isolation & purification/genetics ; *Microbiota ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {Essentially, all animal life interacts closely with an array of microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, which can have both beneficial and harmful effects. The advancement of high-throughput molecular biology approaches (DNA and RNA sequencing) has led to an ongoing boom in investigating the composition and functions of microbial communities (microbiota) associated with a wide range of animal taxa, including insects. As this area of investigation has blossomed, such research on indoor urban insect pests has lagged more widely studied species. However, over the last several years, significant strides have been made in understanding the diversity and biological roles of microbes associated with such insects. This review highlights and discusses recent key findings, focusing on bed bugs and cockroaches, two of the most prolific globally invasive indoor insect pests. Advances in this area of research have long-term implications for public health and for the development of novel pest control approaches.},
}

Animals
*Cockroaches/microbiology/virology
*Bedbugs/microbiology/virology
Bacteria/classification/isolation & purification/genetics
*Microbiota
Introduced Species

@article {pmid39914648,
year = {2025},
author = {Ruszkowski, KM and Mola, JM},
title = {Exotic bees in urban ecosystems: establishment, impact, and potential for invasion.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {69},
number = {},
pages = {101339},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2025.101339},
pmid = {39914648},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Animals ; Bees/physiology ; *Introduced Species ; *Ecosystem ; Urbanization ; Cities ; Biodiversity ; },
abstract = {Native bee species decline has sparked extensive research and conservation efforts, particularly in urban areas where initiatives and interventions aim to restore native bee populations. Paradoxically, these same urban interventions may inadvertently support non-native bee species, fostering the establishment of thriving exotic populations. Exotic bees often thrive in urban environments where advantageous traits, such as cavity-nesting and high reproductive plasticity, combine with human activities that intentionally and unintentionally facilitate their introduction and spread. Although many exotic species remain benign, others may transition to invasive status, leading to competition with native bees, the spread of diseases, and interference in biodiversity assessments. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how urbanization impacts exotic bee establishment and assesses potential pathways for these species to become invasive.},
}

Animals
Bees/physiology
*Introduced Species
*Ecosystem
Urbanization
Cities
Biodiversity

@article {pmid40341276,
year = {2025},
author = {Sweeney, J and Gao, W and Gutowski, JM and Hughes, C and Kimoto, T and Kostanowicz, C and Li, Y and MacQuarrie, CJK and Mayo, P and Meng, Q and Mokrzycki, T and Silk, P and Webster, V and Miller, DR},
title = {Diversity in trap color and height increases species richness of bark and woodboring beetles detected in multiple funnel traps.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0322412},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0322412},
pmid = {40341276},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Coleoptera/physiology/classification ; *Biodiversity ; Color ; Poland ; Introduced Species ; China ; Canada ; United States ; },
abstract = {Early detection of non-native, potentially invasive bark beetles and woodboring beetles (BBWB) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Disteniidae; Curculionidae: Scolytinae) inadvertently introduced to new habitats via global trade is a critical issue for regulatory agencies in numerous countries. We conducted trapping experiments to evaluate the effects of trap color (black vs. green vs. purple) and trap height (canopy vs. understory) on detection of BBWB in Canada, Poland, USA, and China, using Fluon-treated 12-unit multiple-funnel traps. Each trap was baited with the same pheromone and ethanol lures known to attract several species of BBWB. We predicted BBWB species composition would differ between vertical strata and among trap colors, and that the number of BBWB species detected would increase with greater diversity of trapping methods, i.e., by using more than one color of trap and by placing traps in both the canopy and understory. Our prediction was partially supported, i.e., placing one color of trap in the understory and a different colored trap in the canopy detected more species than did a single trap color placed in either the understory or canopy. However, the combinations of trap height and colors that detected the most species varied among sites. The community of BBWB species captured in traps was significantly affected by trap height and trap color at all sites, with the strongest patterns in the data from Poland and the USA. Black and purple traps caught similar communities of BBWB species in the canopy and understory, but green traps caught a different species assemblage in the canopy in Poland and the USA. Effects of trap height and color on species richness were consistent across all four sites within the subfamilies Agrilinae (more species captured in green canopy traps than any other trap height-color combination), Chrysochroinae (more species captured in purple canopy traps than any trap height-color combination) and Scolytinae (more species captured in the understory than the canopy and no effect of trap color), but varied significantly among sites within Cerambycidae subfamilies. None of the species accumulation curves reached an asymptote for any trap color-height combination at any site, indicating that 8-9 traps per site were not sufficient to detect all BBWB species present. Thus, increasing the number of traps deployed per site will increase the BBWB species richness captured and the chances of detecting non-native species that may be present.},
}

Animals
*Coleoptera/physiology/classification
*Biodiversity
Color
Poland
Introduced Species
China
Canada
United States

@article {pmid40338844,
year = {2025},
author = {Luo, Y and Li, C and Hu, X and Feng, J},
title = {Spongy moths from Europe and Asia: Who could have higher invasion risk in North American?.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0320598},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0320598},
pmid = {40338844},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Moths/physiology ; North America ; Europe ; Asia ; },
abstract = {North American forest systems are significantly impacted by spongy moths (Lymantria dispar Linnaeus). It is unclear, nevertheless, how are the invasion risks of spongy moths from Asia and Europe in North American relative to each other. In this study, we compared the potential ranges of spongy moths from Asia (ASM) and those from Europe (ESM) in North America, and investigated the range shifts between spongy moths in North America (NASM) and ASM and ESM. ASM and ESM would occupy larger potential ranges in North America than NASM, i.e., 7.16 and 6.98 times, respectively. Thus, one should not undervalue the invasive potential posed by spongy moths from Asia and Europe. Compared to ESM, ASM displayed larger ranges in North America. It is likely due to ASM's tolerance of more variable climates. Consequently, even though ASM was more recently introduced to North America than ESM, it's possible that the former has higher invasion risk in North American.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Moths/physiology
North America
Europe
Asia