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Xylosandrus crassiusculus is an invasive ambrosia beetle comprising two differentiated genetic lineages, named cluster 1 and cluster 2. These lineages invaded different parts of the world at different periods of time. We tested whether they exhibited different climatic niches using Schoener's D and Hellinger's I indices and modeled their current potential geographical ranges using the Maxent algorithm. The resulting models were projected according to future and recent past climate datasets for Europe and the Mediterranean region. The future projections were performed for the periods 2041–2070 and 2071–2100 using 3 SSPs and 5 GCMs. The genetic lineages exhibited different climate niches. Parts of Europe, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Oceania were evaluated as suitable for cluster 1. Parts of Europe, South America, Central and South Africa, Asia, and Oceania were considered as suitable for cluster 2. Models projection under future climate scenarios indicated a decrease in climate suitability in Southern Europe and an increase in North Eastern Europe in 2071–2100. Most of Southern and Western Europe was evaluated as already suitable for both clusters in the early twentieth century. Our results show that large climatically suitable regions still remain uncolonized and that climate change will affect the geographical distribution of climatically suitable areas. Climate conditions in Europe were favorable in the twentieth century, suggesting that the recent colonization of Europe is rather due to an increase in propagule pressure via international trade than to recent environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the determinants of the range expansion of invasive alien species is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies. Nevertheless, we still lack a global picture of the potential factors influencing the invaded range expansion across taxonomic groups, especially for the world's worst invaders with high ecological and economic impacts. Here, by extensively collecting data on 363 distributional ranges of 19 of world's worst invasive terrestrial vertebrates across 135 invaded administrative jurisdictions, we observed remarkable variations in the range expansion across species and taxonomic groups. After controlling for taxonomic and geographic pseudoreplicates, model averaging analyses based on generalized additive mixed‐effect models showed that species in invaded regions having climates more similar to those of their native ranges tended to undergo a larger range expansion. In addition, as proxies of propagule pressure and human‐assisted transportation, the number of introduction events and the road network density were also important predictors facilitating the range expansion. Further variance partitioning analyses validated the predominant role of climate match in explaining the range expansion. Our study demonstrated that regions with similar climates to their native ranges could still be prioritized to prevent the spread of invasive species under the sustained global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions have increased significantly with the tremendous growth of international trade and transport. Hematophagous arthropods can be vectors of infectious and potentially lethal pathogens and parasites, thus constituting a growing threat to humans—especially when associated with biological invasions. Today, several major vector-borne diseases, currently described as emerging or re-emerging, are expanding in a world dominated by climate change, land-use change and intensive transportation of humans and goods. In this review, we retrace the historical trajectory of these invasions to better understand their ecological, physiological and genetic drivers and their impacts on ecosystems and human health. We also discuss arthropod management strategies to mitigate future risks by harnessing ecology, public health, economics and social-ethnological considerations. Trade and transport of goods and materials, including vertebrate introductions and worn tires, have historically been important introduction pathways for the most prominent invasive hematophagous arthropods, but sources and pathways are likely to diversify with future globalization. Burgeoning urbanization, climate change and the urban heat island effect are likely to interact to favor invasive hematophagous arthropods and the diseases they can vector. To mitigate future invasions of hematophagous arthropods and novel disease outbreaks, stronger preventative monitoring and transboundary surveillance measures are urgently required. Proactive approaches, such as the use of monitoring and increased engagement in citizen science, would reduce epidemiological and ecological risks and could save millions of lives and billions of dollars spent on arthropod control and disease management. Last, our capacities to manage invasive hematophagous arthropods in a sustainable way for worldwide ecosystems can be improved by promoting interactions among experts of the health sector, stakeholders in environmental issues and policymakers (e.g. the One Health approach) while considering wider social perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions have increased significantly with the tremendous growth of international trade and transport. Hematophagous arthropods can be vectors of infectious and potentially lethal pathogens and parasites, thus constituting a growing threat to humans—especially when associated with biological invasions. Today, several major vector-borne diseases, currently described as emerging or re-emerging, are expanding in a world dominated by climate change, land-use change and intensive transportation of humans and goods. In this review, we retrace the historical trajectory of these invasions to better understand their ecological, physiological and genetic drivers and their impacts on ecosystems and human health. We also discuss arthropod management strategies to mitigate future risks by harnessing ecology, public health, economics and social-ethnological considerations. Trade and transport of goods and materials, including vertebrate introductions and worn tires, have historically been important introduction pathways for the most prominent invasive hematophagous arthropods, but sources and pathways are likely to diversify with future globalization. Burgeoning urbanization, climate change and the urban heat island effect are likely to interact to favor invasive hematophagous arthropods and the diseases they can vector. To mitigate future invasions of hematophagous arthropods and novel disease outbreaks, stronger preventative monitoring and transboundary surveillance measures are urgently required. Proactive approaches, such as the use of monitoring and increased engagement in citizen science, would reduce epidemiological and ecological risks and could save millions of lives and billions of dollars spent on arthropod control and disease management. Last, our capacities to manage invasive hematophagous arthropods in a sustainable way for worldwide ecosystems can be improved by promoting interactions among experts of the health sector, stakeholders in environmental issues and policymakers (e.g. the One Health approach) while considering wider social perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean stem fly, Melanagromyza sojae (Zehntner) (Diptera: Agromyzidae), is an example of an insect pest with a restricted distribution that in the last few decades has been spreading to regions beyond its native range and causing economic losses. We evaluated whether M. sojae shifted its niche during biological invasion and used ecological niche models to estimate its global distribution under current and future climate conditions. In addition, we assessed whether the soybean stem fly represents a risk for major soybean‐producing countries, using Brazil as an example. Our analyses suggest that M. sojae has expanded its niche to new environments. Suitable habitats were predicted in all continents, including regions where this species has not yet been reported. Several soybean‐producing countries and all Brazilian growing areas are within the suitable ranges estimated for M. sojae. Also, most areas estimated as suitable under current climate conditions will remain so until at least 2080. These findings are important for invasion risk assessments aiming to prevent the spread of this species to major soybean‐producing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sub-Antarctic islands, such as the Kerguelen Archipelago, are home to a unique collection of species because of their isolation. However, their isolation and low number of species make them more susceptible to invasion. This is particularly important as warming temperatures due to climate change are also making conditions worse for local species, and potentially better for recently introduced species, most of which are from warmer areas. The threats from non-native species in such a sensitive and unique ecosystem makes it important to understand the specific effects of climate change on non-native species to be able to predict their likely local population trajectory. In this study, we explored whether warming temperatures helped a non-native blowfly, Calliphora vicina, establish and spread throughout Kerguelen. We found that warming temperatures have made this species better able to survive and reproduce annually, and that it should continue to benefit from warming temperatures. We also discuss the potential impacts of this invasive blowfly on the local ecosystem and recommend further studies to assess its impacts and to identify management options for the species, which is likely to persist locally for the long term. The isolated sub-Antarctic islands are of major ecological interest because of their unique species diversity and long history of limited human disturbance. However, since the presence of Europeans, these islands and their sensitive biota have been under increasing pressure due to human activity and associated biological invasions. In such delicate ecosystems, biological invasions are an exceptional threat that may be further amplified by climate change. We examined the invasion trajectory of the blowfly Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy 1830). First introduced in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands in the 1970s, it is thought to have persisted only in sheltered microclimates for several decades. Here, we show that, in recent decades, C. vicina has been able to establish itself more widely. We combine experimental thermal developmental data with long-term ecological and meteorological monitoring to address whether warming conditions help explain its current success and dynamics in the eastern Kerguelen Islands. We found that warming temperatures and accumulated degree days could explain the species' phenological and long-term invasion dynamics, indicating that climate change has likely assisted its establishment. This study represents a unique long-term view of a polar invader and stresses the rapidly increasing susceptibility of cold regions to invasion under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Biological invasions have become an ecological issue worldwide, and climate change may further influence the spread of invasive species. In this study, the latest Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) data were used to predict the suitable habitats of two invasive cryptic species, namely Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED), of the Bemisia tabaci species complex in China based on a species distribution modeling technique in current and future climate change scenarios from the present to the end of the 21st century. The results demonstrated differences in the future changes and dispersal in their suitable habitats in China under different future climatic scenarios, which suggests that climate change would have greater but divergent impacts on the potential distribution of these two invasive cryptic species. It has direct implications for developing regional management strategies in China for certain periods in the future and also provides a practical approach that can be applied to other invasive species. Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) are two invasive cryptic species of the Bemisia tabaci species complex (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) that cause serious damage to agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide. To explore the possible impact of climate change on their distribution, the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to predict the potential distribution ranges of MEAM1 and MED in China under current and four future climate scenarios, using shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), namely SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5, over four time periods (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100). The distribution ranges of MEAM1 and MED were extensive and similar in China under current climatic conditions, while their moderately and highly suitable habitat ranges differed. Under future climate scenarios, the areas of suitable habitat of different levels for MEAM1 and MED were predicted to increase to different degrees. However, the predicted expansion of suitable habitats varied between them, suggesting that these invasive cryptic species respond differently to climate change. Our results illustrate the difference in the effects of climate change on the geographical distribution of different cryptic species of B. tabaci and provide insightful information for further forecasting and managing the two invasive cryptic species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several introduced African grasses are known to present recurring patterns of invasiveness and cause a severe impact on the diversity and functioning of ecosystems worldwide. Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea grass), a forage grass species native to South Africa, is reported to be highly invasive and pose a serious threat to native biodiversity in the introduced range. Despite the severe ecological threats posed by M. maximus worldwide, there is a dearth of information on the ecological and agroecological impact of M. maximus when growing in unintended areas. In this review, we present general information on M. maximus, its distribution and ecological threats it poses, particularly in arid and semi‐arid regions. We highlight the gaps in current knowledge on the impact on recipient communities, challenges in effective management, and potential impacts due to climate change, particularly changes in rainfall patterns. We also stress the need for public awareness about the threats posed by M. maximus to prevent its invasion in unintended areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate models predict that, in the coming decades, many arid regions will experience increasingly hot conditions and will be affected more frequently by drought. These regions are also experiencing rapid vegetation change, notably invasion by exotic grasses. Invasive grasses spread rapidly into native desert ecosystems due, in particular, to interannual variability in precipitation and periodic fires. The resultant destruction of non‐fire‐adapted native shrub and grass communities and of the inherent soil resource heterogeneity can yield invader‐dominated grasslands. Moreover, recurrent droughts are expected to cause widespread physiological stress and mortality of both invasive and native plants, as well as the loss of soil resources. However, the magnitude of these effects may differ between invasive and native grasses, especially under warmer conditions, rendering the trajectory of vegetated communities uncertain. Using the Biosphere 2 facility in the Sonoran Desert, we evaluated the viability of these hypothesized relationships by simulating combinations of drought and elevated temperature (+5°C) and assessing the ecophysiological and mortality responses of both a dominant invasive grass (Pennisetum ciliare or buffelgrass) and a dominant native grass (Heteropogan contortus or tanglehead). While both grasses survived protracted drought at ambient temperatures by inducing dormancy, drought under warmed conditions exceeded the tolerance limits of the native species, resulting in greater and more rapid mortality than exhibited by the invasive. Thus, two major drivers of global environmental change, biological invasion and climate change, can be expected to synergistically accelerate ecosystem degradation unless large‐scale interventions are enacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how alien species assemble is crucial for predicting changes to community structure caused by biological invasions and for directing management strategies for alien species, but patterns and drivers of alien species assemblages remain poorly understood relative to native species. Climate has been suggested as a crucial filter of invasion-driven homogenization of biodiversity. However, it remains unclear which climatic factors drive the assemblage of alien species. Here, we compiled global data at both grid scale (2,653 native and 2,806 current grids with a resolution of 2°   ×   2°) and administrative scale (271 native and 297 current nations and sub-nations) on the distributions of 361 alien amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna), the most threatened vertebrate group on the planet. We found that geographical distance, a proxy for natural dispersal barriers, was the dominant variable contributing to alien herpetofaunal assemblage in native ranges. In contrast, climatic factors explained more unique variation in alien herpetofaunal assemblage after than before invasions. This pattern was driven by extremely high temperatures and precipitation seasonality, 2 hallmarks of global climate change, and bilateral trade which can account for the alien assemblage after invasions. Our results indicated that human-assisted species introductions combined with climate change may accelerate the reorganization of global species distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Biological invasions represent one of the main anthropogenic drivers of global change with a substantial impact on biodiversity. This impact can be particularly acute in biodiversity hotspots. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton is a tree species native of China that, from as early as the eighteenth century, has been introduced broadly around the globe, becoming a serious invasive species. We aim to predict L. lucidum's current and future potential distributions at a global scale and assess the degree to which biodiversity hotspots are at risk of invasion. Location: All continents. Methods: Using global presence data, climatic and edaphic variables, we developed an ensemble model to predict current and future periods (2050 and 2080) global distribution of L. lucidum. Susceptible countries and hotspots of biodiversity were identified. Results: Important regions within China and neighbouring countries are likely to be environmentally suitable, but they are not currently occupied. Biodiversity hotspots in South America are highlighted as being at current risk of invasion. Notably, climate change may increase risks across large extents of biodiversity hotspots, mainly in South America and Africa, especially by 2080 period. Main conclusions: Current and future potential distribution of L. lucidum overlaps with biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Control of L. lucidum is a challenge once established. Thus, species distribution modelling helps to identify risk areas, guiding their early detection in current or future suitable areas. Our findings can be useful as a guide to develop region‐specific invasion management strategies to prevent and/or control this species' spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camponotus planatus Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a broadly distributed New World carpenter ant. Here, I document the geographic distribution of C. planatus and consider evidence concerning where this species may be native, particularly whether it is native to Florida. To evaluate the distribution of C. planatus, I compiled and mapped specimen records from >1500 sites. Although, C. planatus was originally described from Cuba, it remains uncertain whether it is native or exotic there. In addition to scattered records across tropical South America, C. planatus shows a largely continuous continental distribution from Panama through Central America and Mexico to southeastern Texas. Across this continental range, C. planatus shows notable color variation, suggesting that it is native to this region. In Texas, C. planatus records dating to before 1980 are spread across most of its known range. However, eight of the nine northernmost records date to 2014 or later, including all six records from the Houston area in East Texas. This pattern suggests that C. planatus is native to Texas, but populations there appear to have recently expanded, perhaps due to climate change. Camponotus planatus populations in Florida, the Bahamas, and Mississippi are probably non-native. In Florida, C. planatus was first found in Key West in 1887, but populations appear to have greatly expanded, particularly since 1980, and now extend as far north as Jacksonville. Due to continued climate change, C. planatus may soon be able to extend its range all along the Gulf coast from Texas to Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasion, mainly by African grasses, is one of the main threats to the Cerrado's biodiversity. The objective of this study was to elucidate the distribution patterns of the exotic grass Melinis minutiflora and the native grass Trichanthecium cyanescens, in order to verify the areas of potential occurrence of these species and, thus, to infer if their potential distribution will be affected by climate changes. Species occurrence data and ten uncorrelated climatic variables referring to the forecasts for the current period and future forecasts (2050 and 2070) were used for the analysis of the modeling. The models indicated the existence of environmental suitability, with AUCs above 0.8 (good) being observed in M. minutiflora and above 0.9 (excellent) in T. cyanescens. It is concluded that climate change may have negative impacts on the geographic distribution of these species, reducing the area of environmental suitability for them. In addition, the species studied have similar areas of potential distribution and regularly overlap, which can make M. minutiflora a threat to the conservation of T. cyanences, due to the invasion potential of the first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and biological invasions are two major global environmental challenges. Both may interact, e.g. via altered impact and distribution of invasive alien species. Even though invasive species play a key role for compromising the health of honey bees, the impact of climate change on the severity of such species is still unknown. The small hive beetle (SHB, Aethina tumida, Murray) is a parasite of honey bee colonies. It is endemic to sub‐Saharan Africa and has established populations on all continents except Antarctica. Since SHBs pupate in soil, pupation performance is governed foremost by two abiotic factors, soil temperature and moisture, which will be affected by climate change. Here, we investigated SHB invasion risk globally under current and future climate scenarios. We modelled survival and development time during pupation (=pupal performance) in response to soil temperature and soil moisture using published and novel experimental data. Presence data on SHB distribution were used for model validation. We then linked the model with global soil data in order to classify areas (resolution: 10 arcmin; i.e. 18.6 km at the equator) as unsuitable, marginal and suitable for SHB pupation performance. Under the current climate, the results show that many areas globally yet uninvaded are actually suitable, suggesting considerable SHB invasion risk. Future scenarios of global warming project a vehement increase in climatic suitability for SHB and corresponding potential for invasion, especially in the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, thereby creating demand for enhanced and adapted mitigation and management. Our analysis shows, for the first time, effects of global warming on a honey bee pest and will help areas at risk to prepare adequately. In conclusion, this is a clear case for global warming promoting biological invasion of a pest species with severe potential to harm important pollinator species globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of ongoing global change, the understanding of how the niches of invasive species may change between different geographical areas or time periods is extremely important for the early detection and control of future invasions. We evaluated the effect of climate and non-climate variables and the sensitivity to various spatial resolutions (i.e. 1 and 20 km) on niche changes during the invasion of Taraxacum officinale and Ulex europaeus in South America. We estimated niche changes using a combination of principal components analyses ( PCA) and reciprocal Ecological Niche Modelling ( rENM). We further investigated future invasion dynamics under a severe warming scenario for 2050 to unravel the role of niche shifts in the future potential distribution of the species. We observed a clear niche expansion for both species in South America towards higher temperature, precipitation and radiation relative to their native ranges. In contrast, the set of environmental conditions only occupied in the native ranges (i.e. niche unfilling) were less relevant. The magnitude of the niche shifts did not depend on the resolution of the variables. Models calibrated with occurrences from native range predicted large suitable areas in South America (outside of the Andes range) where T. officinale and U. europaeus are currently absent. Additionally, both species could increase their potential distributions by 2050, mostly in the southern part of the continent. In addition, the niche unfilling suggests high potential to invade additional regions in the future, which is extremely relevant considering the current impact of these species in the Southern Hemisphere. These findings confirm that invasive species can occupy new niches that are not predictable from knowledge based only on climate variables or information from the native range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niche conservatism providing support for using ecological niche modeling in biological invasions has been widely noticed; nonetheless, the impacts of human disturbance on niche changes and model predictions are not fully recognized. In this study, climate niche changes during the invasion of Japanese beetle ( Popillia japonica) were studied under the framework of niche unfilling, stability, and expansion situations. The beetle might undergo niche expansion because of the small native range (Japan) relative to the broad invade range (North America). Relative roles of climatic and anthropogenic factors and their interactions in determining the spread of P. japonica were investigated. Results suggest that the climate niche was conserved during P. japonica invasion, climate niche unfilling rather than niche expansion was observed, suggesting there are suitable climate space remain unoccupied. Inclusion of anthropogenic factors into climate niche model has improved niche model prediction values in areas of high human activity. During P. japonica invasion, anthropogenic factors influenced the climate niche expression and altered the effect of climate suitability. In areas of poor or unsuitable climate, the human activities facilitated the establishment of P. japonica and functioned synergistically, whereas in highly suitable areas, including anthropogenic variables decreased climate suitability. These findings are pivotal to our understanding of climate niche conservatism and niche model transferability when predicting areas of invasion of P. japonica and can be applied elsewhere for predicting other pest's invasion potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Merremia peltata is a species with uncertain status in the island nations of the Pacific region. It has been designated introduced and invasive in some countries whereas it is considered native in others. Recent increase in its abundance across some island landscapes have led to calls for its designation as an invasive species of environmental concern with biological control being suggested as a control strategy. Climate change will add to the complications of managing this species since changes in climate will influence its range limits. In this study, we develop a process-oriented niche model of M. peltata using CLIMEX to investigate the impacts of climate change on its potential distribution. Information on the climatic requirements of M. peltata and its current geographic distribution were used to calibrate the model. The results indicate that under current climate, 273,132 km2 of the land area in the region is climatically unsuitable or marginal for M. peltata whereas 664,524 km2 is suitable to highly suitable. Under current climate, areas of climatic suitability for M. peltata were identified on the archipelagos of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. By the end of the century, some archipelagos like Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia and Vanuatu will probably become more suitable while PNG and Solomon Islands become less suitable for M. peltata. The results can be used to inform biosecurity planning, management and conservation strategies on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, such as elevated temperatures, may facilitate biological invasion. Aquatic animal systems are more vulnerable to biological invasion when the temperature rises. Animal personality also plays an important role in the possibility of successful establishment of invasive species. However, it is still unclear how personality traits of invasive species will respond to global warming. This study focuses on juveniles of red swamp crawfish Procambarus clarkii, an invasive poikilothermic species with wide distribution throughout the world, and explores how slight temperature increases influence three personality traits (activity, boldness and aggressiveness) of P. clarkii. For each personality, individual variation is to be presented in condition of the same temperature. Individual personality values can significantly increase with the subtle rising of water temperature. Significant correlations among activity, boldness and aggressiveness are found at any temperature stage, and such relationships are maintained at a similar level in the face of different temperatures. It is most likely that significant expressions of personality traits may be an ecological compensation strategy to offset increased metabolic costs when faced with small temperature increases. Aggression syndromes are formed due to stable linkages between personality traits, in order to acquire allopatric resources efficiently and establish a new population in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Aimed to identify global susceptible regions to smooth cordgrass invasion. • Characterized climatic niche dynamics at spatial and temporal scales. • Observed significant climatic niche expansion with a short lag period. • Future range expansion predicted with marginal climate change. • Mangroves and protected areas are at risk to ongoing and future invasions. Introduction and spread of the halophyte Spartina alterniflora is one of the largest continental-scale biological invasion events in Asia and the Americas. Rapid globalization and broad environmental tolerance of the species increase the chance of novel invasions. Thus, we aimed to identify susceptible regions to inform prevention and control activities. A comprehensive global occurrence dataset and corresponding bioclimatic variables were used to characterize the species' climatic niche and predict current and future potential distributions. Conservatism of climatic niche between native and non-native ranges was tested, and climatic niche dynamics were analysed at spatial and temporal scales. The ensemble of eight species distribution models and eight climate change models was used to map the potential distribution of S. alterniflora under current and future climate conditions. We investigated the susceptibility of threatened ecosystems like mangroves and protected areas to S. alterniflora invasion to better inform management decisions. Our study revealed wide climatic tolerance and significant niche expansion of the species from humid regions of its native range to dry and arid environments of its non-native range with a very short lag period. With a marginal increase in temperature and precipitation in the future, range expansion was predicted towards higher latitude and more inland areas. The mangroves area, salt marshes, and protected areas that are at risk of ongoing and future invasions were identified. Given the invasion potential of S. alterniflora , the areas identified as climatically susceptible for the species' establishment, both in current and future climates, should be prioritized for management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different behaviors changed according to the climatic stability of sites across a recent avian biological invasion. Behaviors were correlated within individuals, suggesting a behavioral syndrome (animal personalities), and appear adaptive to the degree of ecological stability across sites. Such fluctuations in ecological conditions are common in nature, and appear to help maintaining behavioral and personality differences either via selection and/or long-term behavioral plasticity.Behavioral differences among individuals are common and are organized into personalities in a wide variety of species. Hypotheses for the coexistence of behavioral differences fall into 3 categories: variation in selection, frequency-dependent selection, and behavioral plasticity. We tested predictions of those hypotheses regarding geographic covariation of behavior with ecology, using a recent (≈40 years) biological invasion of common waxbills (Estrilda astrild). Behavior in tests for exploration and social interaction covaried among individuals, suggesting a behavioral syndrome, although we could only demonstrate within-individual repeatability in the test for social interaction. These 2 behaviors changed geographically with the ecology of sites (degree of climate variation) in an apparently adaptive way, rather than with the direction of invasion. We found behavioral plasticity but showed that short-term plastic effects do not explain geographic divergence. Differential dispersal does not explain geographic divergence either, which is orthogonal to the direction of invasion. Results are best interpreted either as evolved divergences, although a candidate-gene approach could not identify genetic correlates of behavior, or as long-term behavioral plasticity (e.g., effects of rearing environment). In this recent invasion, geographic differences in ecology and behavior equate to repeated and fast changes over time. Thus, fluctuations in ecological conditions, which are common in nature, may have a widespread role maintaining behavioral and personality differences via selection and/or long-term behavioral plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Invasive insects, along with climate change, are among the two most important environmental problems facing the world today. They pose a threat to many ecosystems worldwide, especially agriculture. As a result, there is a serious risk of economic losses to crops and a challenge to human food security. The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between climate change and the process of invasion of economically important insects in Europe. In recent decades, globalization has led to an increase in the worldwide movement of people and goods, resulting in an increase in the number of insects introduced into areas outside their original range. The harmful effects of invasive insects may be exacerbated by climate change as barriers to their successful establishment and dispersal decrease. To limit economic and environmental damage, it is important to understand the biotic and abiotic factors that influence the process of insect invasion in the context of climate change. We highlight the main biotic factors that influence the biological invasion process. Finally, we present the adaptive management strategies for invasion of non-native insect pests' invasion that include prevention, eradication and assessment of biological invasion in the form of predictive modelling. Climate change and invasive species are major environmental issues facing the world today. They represent the major threats for various types of ecosystems worldwide, mainly managed ecosystems such as agriculture. This study aims to examine the link between climate change and the biological invasion of insect pest species. Increased international trade systems and human mobility have led to increasing introduction rates of invasive insects while climate change could decrease barriers for their establishment and distribution. To mitigate environmental and economic damage it is important to understand the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the process of invasion (transport, introduction, establishment, and dispersal) in terms of climate change. We highlight the major biotic factors affecting the biological invasion process: diet breadth, phenological plasticity, and lifecycle strategies. Finally, we present alien insect pest invasion management that includes prevention, eradication, and assessment of the biological invasion in the form of modelling prediction tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution may improve the invasiveness of populations, but it often remains unclear whether key adaptation events occur after introduction into the recipient habitat (i.e. post-introduction adaptation scenario), or before introduction within the native range (i.e. prior-adaptation scenario) or at a primary site of invasion (i.e. bridgehead scenario). We used a multidisciplinary approach to determine which of these three scenarios underlies the invasion of the tropical ant Wasmannia auropunctata in a Mediterranean region (i.e. Israel). Species distribution models ( SDM), phylogeographical analyses at a broad geographical scale and laboratory experiments on appropriate native and invasive populations indicated that Israeli populations followed an invasion scenario in which adaptation to cold occurred at the southern limit of the native range before dispersal to Israel. We discuss the usefulness of combining SDM, genetic and experimental approaches for unambiguous determination of eco-evolutionary invasion scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim To investigate whether differences in the elevational trend in native and alien species richness were dependent on climate or human pressures. Specifically we tested whether life-form and/or alien/native status modifies the response of plant species richness to human population and temperature along: (1) a complete elevational gradient, and (2) within separate elevational bands that, by keeping temperature within a narrow range, elucidate the effects of human pressures more clearly. Location Two provinces ( c. 7507 km2) on the southern border of the European Alps (Italy), subdivided into 240 contiguous sampling cells ( c. 35.7 km2). Methods We used an extensive dataset on alien and native species richness across an elevation gradient (20-2900 m a.s.l.). Richness of natives and naturalized aliens were separately related to temperature, human population and Raunkiaer life-form using general linear mixed models. Life-form describes different plant strategies for survival during seasons with adverse cold/arid conditions. Results The relationship between species richness and temperature for natives was strongly dependent on life-form, while aliens showed a consistent positive trend. Similar trends across alien and native life-forms were found for the relationship between species richness and human population along the whole gradient and within separate elevational bands. Main conclusions The absence of life-form-dependent responses amongst aliens supports the hypothesis that the distribution of alien plant species richness was more related to propagule pressure and availability of novel niches created by human activities than to climatic filtering. While climate change will potentially contribute to relaxing species thermal constraints, the response of alien species to future warming will also be contingent on changes in anthropogenic pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a rapidly developing literature on the effects of some of the major drivers of global change on carbon (C) sequestration, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment, land use change, nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change. However, remarkably little attention has been given to one major global change driver, namely biological invasions. This is despite growing evidence that invasive species can dramatically alter a range of aboveground and belowground ecosystem processes, including those that affect C sequestration. In this review, we assess the evidence for the impacts of biological invaders on forest C stocks and C sequestration by biological invaders. We first present case studies that highlight a range of invader impacts on C sequestration in forest ecosystems, and draw on examples that involve invasive primary producers, decomposers, herbivores, plant pathogens, mutualists and predators. We then develop a conceptual framework for assessing the effects of invasive species on C sequestration impacts more generally, by identifying the features of biological invaders and invaded ecosystems that are thought to most strongly regulate C in forests. Finally we assess the implications of managing invasive species on C sequestration. An important principle that emerges from this review is that the direct effects of invaders on forest C are often smaller and shorter-term than their indirect effects caused by altered nutrient availability, primary productivity or species composition, all of which regulate long-term C pools and fluxes. This review provides a conceptual basis for improving our general understanding of biological invaders on ecosystem C, but also points to a paucity of primary data that are needed to determine the quantitative effects of invaders on ecosystem processes that drive C sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We explore the impact of calibrating ecological niche models (ENMs) using (1) native range (NR) data versus (2) entire range (ER) data (native and invasive) on projections of current and future distributions of three Hieracium species. Location H. aurantiacum, H. murorum and H. pilosella are native to Europe and invasive in Australia, New Zealand and North America. Methods Differences among the native and invasive realized climatic niches of each species were quantified. Eight ENMs in BIOMOD were calibrated with (1) NR and (2) ER data. Current European, North American and Australian distributions were projected. Future Australian distributions were modelled using four climate change scenarios for 2030. Results The invasive climatic niche of H. murorum is primarily a subset of that expressed in its native range. Invasive populations of H. aurantiacum and H. pilosella occupy different climatic niches to those realized in their native ranges. Furthermore, geographically separate invasive populations of these two species have distinct climatic niches. ENMs calibrated on the realized niche of native regions projected smaller distributions than models incorporating data from species’ entire ranges, and failed to correctly predict many known invasive populations. Under future climate scenarios, projected distributions decreased by similar percentages, regardless of the data used to calibrate ENMs; however, the overall sizes of projected distributions varied substantially. Main conclusions This study provides quantitative evidence that invasive populations of Hieracium species can occur in areas with different climatic conditions than experienced in their native ranges. For these, and similar species, calibration of ENMs based on NR data only will misrepresent their potential invasive distribution. These errors will propagate when estimating climate change impacts. Thus, incorporating data from species’ entire distributions may result in a more thorough assessment of current and future ranges, and provides a closer approximation of the elusive fundamental niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Characteristic flora and fauna that are highly sensitive to disturbances colonize coastal detritic bottoms in the Mediterranean Sea. In the present study, a comparison of the assemblage composition and colonization by invasive macroalgae was made between two coastal detritic macrophyte assemblages, one dominated by rhodoliths (free-living non-geniculate Corallinales) and the other dominated by fleshy algae, in an area that has been exposed to important levels of anthropogenic disturbance, mainly pollution (including changed sedimentation regimes) in the recent past (bay of Marseilles, France). In comparison with less strongly impacted Mediterranean regions, the macrophyte assemblages in the bay of Marseilles were characteristic in terms of species identity and richness of coastal detritic macrophyte assemblages. However, extremely low species abundance (cover) was observed. As far as invasive species were concerned, Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea was only abundant in the rhodolith assemblage whereas the two invasive Rhodophyta Asparagopsis armata and Womersleyella setacea were mainly found in the fleshy algae assemblage. The seasonality observed in the Rhodolith assemblage seemed to be related to the development of C. racemosa var. cylindracea and did not follow the typical pattern of other Mediterranean assemblages. This study represents the first study of coastal detritic assemblages invaded by C. racemosa var. cylindracea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Climate change may increase the number and distribution of alien plant species, where these taxa are better suited to future climates, comprise life-forms known to benefit from a warmer environment, and/or possess life-history traits that facilitate the rapid tracking of climate change. Sequential atlases of the British flora enable assessment of the role of climate in changes in native and alien plant distributions over the latter half of the 20th century, a period coincident with marked climatic warming. While the climate profiles (e.g. frost-sensitive) and life-forms (e.g. therophytes and geophytes) of aliens suggest a high likelihood of becoming more widespread under a warmer, drier climate, this is not evident from changes in distributions since the 1960s. The strong association of aliens with anthropogenic habitats and the tendency for species spread to consolidate occupancy within the current range rather than extending range boundaries, indicate that land-use change may be a driver of species distributions. Nevertheless, problems arising from the consolidation of a species range may warrant as much concern as any poleward expansion of its distribution. While certain species may respond more to future climates than others, changes in the alien flora as a whole will probably also reflect other drivers, such as land use, propagule pressure and human-mediated dispersal. The importance of land-use change in the spread of alien plants is expected to continue even in the face of future climate change, not only in the UK, but also worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate and land use change were used to model habitat suitability of Rhododendron. • Land use and climate change interaction may change the invasiveness of Rhododendron. • South-western and north-eastern Wales may experience R. ponticum invasion by 2030. • The study demonstrates the significance of using policy-driven land use projections. Global change drivers such as land use and climate changes are known to interact in their effects on biodiversity. The impact of these drivers on global biodiversity is increasingly evident in many forms including the spread of invasive species. Climate and land use changes affect introduction, colonization and spread of invasive species by affecting niche availability and dispersal potential. We tested the combined effects of land use and climate changes on the current and future habitat suitability of Rhododendron ponticum in Wales using a MaxEnt-based ecological niche model. We used two policy-driven land use change projections for Wales, in combination with two General Circulation Models and two Representative Concentration Pathways to derive eight different land use and climate change scenarios. In seven out of eight scenarios, the habitat suitability for R. ponticum is likely to reduce by 2030. However, in the eighth scenario representing an extreme where land use change and greenhouse gas emissions both accelerate, the interaction of land use and climate change forces an increase of habitat suitability of R. ponticum. The study highlights the importance of considering the combined effect of land use and climate change and including regional policy-based land use change projections to test the potential of an invasive species to expand or retreat in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean warming associated with global climate change renders marine ecosystems susceptible to biological invasions. Here, we used species distribution models to project habitat suitability for eight invasive ascidians under present-day and future climate scenarios. Distance to shore and maximum sea surface temperature were identified as the most important variables affecting species distributions. Results showed that eight ascidians might respond differently to future climate change. Alarmingly, currently colonized areas are much smaller than predicted, suggesting ascidians may expand their invasive ranges. Areas such as Americas, Europe and Western Pacific have high risks of receiving new invasions. In contrast, African coasts, excluding the Mediterranean side, are not prone to new invasions, likely due to the high sea surface temperature there. Our results highlight the importance of climate change impacts on future invasions and the need for accurate modelling of invasion risks, which can be used as guides to develop management strategies. • We mapped current and future potential distributions of 8 invasive ascidians. • Distance to shore and max sea surface temperature were crucial variables. • The majority of invaders have occupied a small portion of their potential habitats. • Four species will have substantial increase in potential ranges as time progresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]