Climate change and niche unfilling tend to favor range expansion of Moina macrocopa Straus 1820, a potentially invasive cladoceran in temporary waters

Non-native species' introductions have increased in the last decades primarily due to anthropogenic causes such as climate change and globalization of trade. Moina macrocopa, a stress-tolerant cladoceran widely used in bioassays and aquaculture, is spreading in temporary and semi-temporary natural ponds outside its natural range. Here, we characterize the variations in the climatic niche of M. macrocopa during its invasions outside the native Palearctic range following introduction into the American continent. Specifically, we examined to what extent the climatic responses of this species have diverged from those characteristics for its native range. We also made predictions for its potential distribution under current and future scenarios. We found that the environmental space occupied by this species in its native and introduced distribution areas shares more characteristics than randomly expected. However, the introduced niche has a high degree of unfilling when displacing its original space towards the extension to drier and hotter conditions. Accordingly, M. macrocopa can invade new areas where it has not yet been recorded in response to warming temperatures and decreasing winter precipitation. In particular, temporary ponds are more vulnerable environments where climatic and environmental stresses may also lower biotic resistance.

Automated summary

The introduction of non-native species has increased in recent decades due to human activities such as climate change and globalization of trade. Moina macrocopa, a stress-tolerant cladoceran, is spreading in temporary and semi-temporary natural ponds outside its native range. This study characterizes the changes in the climatic niche of M. macrocopa during its invasions in the American continent and predicts its potential distribution under current and future scenarios. The study finds that the introduced niche of M. macrocopa has a high degree of unfilling when expanding to drier and hotter conditions, allowing it to invade new areas in response to climate change.