Article
Environmental Sciences
Z. Qin, J. E. Zhang, A. DiTommaso, J. M. Diez, Y. Zhao, F. G. Wang
Summary: Predicting the invasion areas of Ambrosia species in Asia is important for early detection and preventive actions. Based on species distribution models and future climate predictions, it was found that Ambrosia artemisiifolia may shift its range southward in China, while A. trifida is predicted to decrease its potential establishment and A. psilostachya may expand its range.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haoxiang Zhao, Nianwan Yang, Hongkun Huang, Juan Shi, Xiaoqing Xian, Fanghao Wan, Wan-xue Liu
Summary: Plant invasion poses a significant threat to biodiversity, ecosystems, the environment, and human health. Classical biological control is a safer and more environmentally friendly method than chemical controls for managing invasive alien plants. However, the impact of climate change and the importance of climate matching in biocontrol efficiency are often underestimated. This study explores the overlapping areas and ecological niches between Ambrosia artemisiifolia (a common invasive plant) and its two natural enemies under climate change in China. The study reveals that temperature and human influence variables significantly influence the potential habitats of the natural enemies and the invasive plant. Moreover, the control efficiency of the natural enemies against A. artemisiifolia is expected to increase in future climates. The findings provide a new approach for evaluating control efficiency and identifying potential release areas for natural enemies without the need for field release or experimentation. Furthermore, the study has important implications for the classical biocontrol of invasive alien plants worldwide.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Chunlong Liu, Christian Wolter, Franck Courchamp, Nuria Roura-Pascual, Jonathan M. Jeschke
Summary: Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to predict geographic ranges of species, but niche change and lack of presence points have detrimental effects on SDM transferability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Severin Biaou, Gerard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou, Florent Noulekoun, Kolawole Valere Salako, Jesugnon Marie Reine Houndjo Kpoviwanou, Thierry Dehouegnon Houehanou, Honore Samadori Sorotori Biaou
Summary: Climate change is expected to have an impact on species distribution globally. The current evaluation methods assume that species respond uniformly to environmental changes along their distribution range, but populations occupying different niches may respond differently due to local adaptation. Therefore, incorporating intraspecific variation into species distribution models can result in more reliable predictions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ki Hwan Cho, Jeong-Soo Park, Ji Hyung Kim, Yong Sung Kwon, Do-Hun Lee
Summary: Invasion by non-native species due to human activities is a major threat to biodiversity. This study used spatial and non-spatial models to predict the distribution of two invasive plant species in South Korea, and found that regression kriging performed better than the non-spatial model Maxent. Regression kriging takes into account the spatial autocorrelation of the data, making it advantageous for species distribution modeling.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoqing Xian, Haoxiang Zhao, Rui Wang, Hongkun Huang, Baoxiong Chen, Guifen Zhang, Wanxue Liu, Fanghao Wan
Summary: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) have a significant impact on native biodiversity, agriculture, industry, and human health worldwide. Ambrosia (ragweed) species, especially A. artemisiifolia, A. psilostachya, and A. trifida, have extensive and severe invasions in non-native continents. Using biomod2 ensemble model, we predicted the potential geographical distribution, overlapping distributions, and ecological niche dynamics of these ragweeds, and assessed their impact on the natural environment and public health.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adam B. Smith, Stephen J. Murphy, David Henderson, Kelley D. Erickson
Summary: This article introduces two methods for using imprecise georeferenced occurrences in biogeographical analysis. These methods assign imprecise records to the closest locations or climates to the geographical or environmental centroid of precise records. Results show that including imprecise records improves the accuracy of ecological niche models and estimates of niche breadth and extent of occurrence.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shikui Dong, Shuai Li, Yudan Xu, Hao Shen, Houjuan Song, Zhaofei Wu, Shengnan Wu, Bingrong Zhou, Fu Li
Summary: Plant phenology serves as a connection between climate change and ecosystem functions. The timing coordination of interspecific and intraspecific phenology changes is an important characteristic for species coexistence. The study found that the phenological differences of three key alpine plants in response to temperature and precipitation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were highlighted in the context of climate warming. The overlapping degree of interspecific phenological niches has increased in the past 20 years, reducing the possibility of species coexistence.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paige Matheson, Angela McGaughran
Summary: Biological invasions can have significant impacts on the environment, native biodiversity, human health, and the global economy. Population genomics is a valuable tool in invasion biology, but its utilization and availability for invasive species research is still limited. With the increasing rate of invasions, it is crucial to understand how genetic factors contribute to invasion success using genomic data.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Arnaud Sentis, Jean-Louis Hemptinne, Alexandra Magro, Yannick Outreman
Summary: The role of evolution in biological control programs is often underestimated, but it is crucial for improving efficiency and resilience. Humans can manipulate natural evolutionary processes to enhance the performance of local biological control agents. However, biological control cannot be simplified as species interactions, as pests and biological control agents are influenced by multiple selective forces.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Stefano Mammola, Julien Petillon, Axel Hacala, Jeremy Monsimet, Sapho-Lou Marti, Pedro Cardoso, Denis Lafage
Summary: Species distribution models are essential tools for ecologists to explore species distributions and answer questions related to biogeography, climate change, and conservation biology. Most studies focused on well-known organisms or charismatic and economically important arthropod species, with limited research on terrestrial arthropod predators. The use of SDMs in mapping the geography of arthropod predators is still in a nascent stage, with potential for future research using modern data sources and new modeling approaches.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Heather L. Kopsco, Rebecca L. Smith, Samniqueka J. Halsey
Summary: Species distribution models are useful tools for predicting tick habitat suitability and range movement, but there is a need for standardized protocols for tick vector species distribution and ecological niche modeling.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhenya Tian, Chao Ma, Chenchen Zhao, Yan Zhang, Xuyuan Gao, Zhenqi Tian, Hongsong Chen, Jianying Guo, Zhongshi Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the effects of elevated CO2 and heat wave on the common ragweed and leaf beetle. The results showed that elevated CO2 and heat wave promoted the growth of the ragweed and its accumulation of defensive secondary metabolites. Feeding on the ragweed grown under these conditions resulted in poor performance of the leaf beetle, including high mortality, long development period, and low reproduction. The study suggests that under elevated CO2, heat wave improves the defensive ability of ragweed against herbivores but may also aggravate invasive plant distribution.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kevin Lopez-Reyes, Luis Osorio-Olvera, Octavio Rojas-Soto, Xavier Chiappa-Carrara, Carlos Patron-Rivero, Carlos Yanez-Arenas
Summary: Modeling units based on phylogenetic relationships and including occurrence records of related species can improve the predictive capacity of niche models for estimating the invasion area of target species, particularly for species in non-environmental pseudo-equilibrium and with geographical constraints.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Zoology
Luara Tourinho, Mariana M. Vale
Summary: Researchers compared different models for estimating species' niche and distribution, finding that mechanistic and correlative models have different strengths and limitations. Hybrid models combining both approaches were considered promising. However, the best approach depends on the specific context and research objectives.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Benno Augustinus, Yan Sun, Beuchat Carine, Urs Schaffner, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana Novoa, David M. Richardson, Petr Pysek, Laura A. Meyerson, Sven Bacher, Susan Canavan, Jane A. Catford, Jan Cuda, Franz Essl, Llewellyn C. Foxcroft, Piero Genovesi, Heidi Hirsch, Cang Hui, Michele C. Jackson, Christoph Kueffer, Johannes J. Le Roux, John Measey, Nitya P. Mohanty, Desika Moodley, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Jasmin G. Packer, Jan Pergl, Tamara B. Robinson, Wolf-Christian Saul, Ross T. Shackleton, Vernon Visser, Olaf L. F. Weyl, Florencia A. Yannelli, John R. U. Wilson
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
T-J Qin, J. Zhou, Y. Sun, H. Mueller-Schaerer, F-L Luo, B-C Dong, H-L Li, F-H Yu
Article
Agronomy
Mostafa Oveisi, Behnaz Pourmorad Kaleibar, Hamid Rahimian Mashhadi, Heinz Mueller-Scharer, Ali Bagheri, Mohammad Amani, Mohsen Elahinejad, Dariush Masoumi
Summary: Integrated weed control methods, such as utilizing bean cultivar mixtures, can reduce herbicide dose while increasing competitive ability and yield. Careful selection of cultivars for mixture planting can help achieve maximum yield with less reliance on herbicides.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Mostafa Oveisi, Ahmad Ojaghi, Hamid Rahimian Mashhadi, Heinz Muller-Scharer, Kamran Reza Yazdi, Behnaz Pourmorad Kaleibar, Elias Soltani
Summary: Endozoochory is an important mechanism for weed spread, and experiments showed differences in the fate of weed seeds passing through the gut of sheep and goats. Highest seed recovery and viability were seen in Cuscuta campestris. It is recommended to keep sheep enclosed for 96 hours to minimize seed transportation via feces, while excluding R. crispus and C. arvensis seeds from goat diet and keeping them in a stall for 96 hours can also reduce seed transportation.
Article
Agronomy
Sara Benchaa, Sarah Bouchemousse, Hacene Abdelkrim, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
Summary: The study found an exchange of Sinapis arvensis seeds and pollen between crop and adjacent non-crop habitats in different regions of Northern Algeria, but not among crop fields at the regional scale. There was also a low level of resistance against the two herbicides, with florasulam + 2,4-D showing higher phytotoxicity compared to amidosulfuron + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Litto, Sarah Bouchemousse, Urs Schaffner, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
Summary: The study found that 11 populations of the leaf beetle Ophraella communa showed variations in leaf consumption, development time, and survival on different plant species under different temperature conditions. However, there was no significant geographical pattern observed in the differences between populations.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rodolfo Gentili, Roberto Ambrosini, Benno A. Augustinus, Sarah Caronni, Elisa Cardarelli, Chiara Montagnani, Heinz Muller-Scharer, Urs Schaffner, Sandra Citterio
Summary: By studying the growth trajectories and trait variations of an invasive plant species under different altitudes and temperature conditions, it was found that the invasive plant exhibits high phenotypic plasticity in response to various environmental factors.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yan Sun, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Urs Schaffner
Summary: Invasive non-native plants have severe impacts on nature and human well-being. Importation biological weed control (IBWC) offers a potential effective tool for managing these plants and restoring ecosystem services. It is important to bridge the gap between advocates and critics of IBWC to improve its efficacy and safety.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Benno A. Augustinus, Moshe Blum, Sandra Citterio, Rodolfo Gentili, David Helman, David Nestel, Urs Schaffner, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Itamar M. Lensky
Summary: Herbivorous insects play important roles in agriculture, and predicting the timing of their population development is crucial for agricultural planning and land management. Numerical simulation models driven by temperature are often used to predict insect pest population build-up, but the temperature used in the models may differ from the actual temperature experienced by the insects. It has been suggested that using land surface temperature (LST) data derived from satellites can improve the accuracy of the predictions.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yan Sun, Tobias Zuest, Daniele Silvestro, Matthias Erb, Oliver Bossdorf, Pierre Mateo, Christelle Robert, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
Summary: Climate change can influence plant-herbivore interactions and their associated ecosystem functions. An experimental study on invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia showed that warming and herbivory by biocontrol beetles can lead to changes in the genetic composition and metabolomic profiles of plants, resulting in increased offspring biomass and resistance to herbivory. However, climate warming could reduce biocontrol efficiency and promote Ambrosia invasion, with potential economic and health consequences.
Article
Entomology
Julie Kloetzli, Matthias Suter, Andreas Luescher, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Urs Schaffner
Summary: This study assessed the impact of using two Pyropteron species on two Rumex weeds. The results showed that both intraspecific and interspecific competition reduced larval survival, and mixed application only slightly increased herbivore load. Therefore, the effectiveness of using multiple species in biocontrol programs needs further evaluation.
Article
Ecology
Yong-Jian Wang, Yuan-Yuan Liu, Duo Chen, Dao-Lin Du, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Fei-Hai Yu
Summary: This study manipulated the clonal integration of alien clonal plants and found that it played an important role in their invasion success. High species diversity and density hindered the invasion of alien plants. Additionally, clonal integration promoted the invasion success in low-density communities with low species diversity or nutrient addition.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Fariba Rastgordani, Mostafa Oveisi, Hamid Rahimian Mashhadi, Mohammad Hossein Naeimi, Naser Majnoun Hosseini, Narges Asadian, Asghar Bakhshian, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
Summary: This study assesses the future herbicide efficacy on common bean cultivation in Iran under changing conditions expected from climate change. The results indicate that delayed sowing time and lack of moisture lead to higher weed biomass and yield loss. Higher herbicide doses are suggested, but economic and environmental impacts and crop phytotoxicity limit their use, highlighting the need for integrated weed management.
Article
Agronomy
Heinz Muller-Scharer, Yan Sun, Urs Schaffner
Summary: Accidental introductions of biological weed control (BWC) agents provide opportunities to assess their host use and can help advance post-release studies. However, national authorities need to respond rapidly to prevent potential threats to native species or crops. The study suggests re-evaluating pre-release studies and criteria to include safe and efficient agents for BWC adoption.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
