Comparison of the functional responses of invasive and native amphipods

While we can usually understand the impacts of invasive species on recipient communities, invasion biology lacks methodologies that are potentially more predictive. Such tools should ideally be straightforward and widely applicable. Here, we explore an approach that compares the functional responses (FRs) of invader and native amphipod crustaceans. Dikerogammarus villosus is a Ponto-Caspian amphipod currently invading Europe and poised to invade North America. Compared with other amphipods that it actively replaces in fresh-waters, D. villosus exhibited significantly greater predation, consuming significantly more prey with a higher type II FR. This corroborates the known dramatic field impacts of D. villosus on invaded communities. In another species, FRs were nearly identical in invasive and native ranges. We thus propose that if FRs of other taxa and trophic groups follow such general patterns, this methodology has potential in predicting future invasive species impacts.

Differences in composition of macroinvertebrate communities with invasive and native Gammarus spp. (Crustacea : Amphipoda)

1. Assessing the effects on communities of invasive species is often confounded by environmental factors. In Irish rivers, the introduced amphipod Gammarus pulex replaces the native G. duebeni celticus in lowland stretches. The two amphipods are associated with different macroinvertebrate communities, which may in part be the result of natural longitudinal physicochemical change. However, this hinders assessment of any direct community impacts of the invasive as compared with the native species. Here, we report on a fortuitous circumstance that allowed us to uncouple the community effects of Gammarus species from environmental differences.

Non-indigenous marine macroalgae in native communities: a case study in the British Isles

It has traditionally been considered that areas with high natural species richness are likely to be more resistant to non-indigenous species than those with lower numbers of species. However, this theory has been the subject of a debate over the last decade, since some studies have shown the opposite trend. In the present study, a macroalgal survey was carried out at 24 localities in Northern Ireland and southern England, using a quadrat approach in the lower littoral. The two opposing hypotheses were tested (negative versus positive relationship between native and non-indigenous species richness) in this marine environment. The effect of the presence of 'impacts', potential sources of disturbance and species introduction (e.g. marina, harbour or aquaculture), was also tested. A positive relationship was found between the number of non-indigenous species and the native species richness at the three different scales tested (quadrats, sites and localities). At no scale did a richer native assemblage appear to restrict the establishment of introduced species. The analyses revealed greater species richness and different community composition, as well as more non-indigenous species, in southern England relative to Northern Ireland. The presence of the considered impacts had an effect on the community composition and species richness in southern England but not in Northern Ireland. Such impacts had no effect on the non-indigenous species richness in either area.

'The Adorning of My Native Tongue: Linguistic Metamorphosis in Milton'

This chapter, in a prize-winnng volume, examines Milton's bilingual practices in relation to his translation of Horace, Odes 1, 5 and the 1645 volume as a whole. Drawing upon seventeenth-century pedagogical practice and methodology it examines the potential importance of his schooling and university exercises to the methodology of Paradise Lost.

Fruit and vegetable consumption in older individuals in Northern Ireland: levels and patterns

Low intakes of fruit and vegetables have previously been reported in the older population of Great Britain, particularly among certain socio-demographic groups. Levels and patterns of consumption in the older population of Northern Ireland, however, remain unknown. A representative sample of 1000 members of the older population of Northern Ireland were contacted by telephone to assess average intake of all fruits and vegetables and various demographic details. Data from 426 individuals (representative of the whole population) reported a mean consumption of 4.0 (SD 1-3) and 4.1 (SD 1-3) portions of fruit and vegetables per weekday and per weekend day respectively. Regression analyses revealed greater consumption on weekdays by females (B 0.53; P

Do non-native invasive fish support elevated lamprey populations?

Summary
1: Managing populations of predators and their prey to achieve conservation or resource management goals is usually technically challenging and frequently socially controversial. This is true even in the simplest ecosystems but can be made much worse when predator–prey relationships are in?uenced by complex interactions, such as biological invasions, population trends or animal movements.
2: Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is a European stronghold for pollan Coregonus autumnalis, a coregonine ?sh and for river lampreyLampetra ?uviatilis, which feeds parasitically as an adult. Both species are of high conservation importance. Lampreys are known to consume pollan but detailed knowledge of their interactions is scant. While pollan is well known to be a landlocked species in Ireland, the life cycle of normally anadromous river lamprey in Lough Neagh has been unclear. The Lough is also a highly perturbed ecosystem, supporting several invasive, non-native ?sh species that have the potential to in?uence lamprey–pollan interactions.
3: We applied stable isotope techniques to resolve both the movement patterns of lamprey and trophic interactions in this complex community. Recognizing that stable isotope studies are often hampered by high-levels of variability and uncertainty in the systems of interest, we employed novel Bayesian mixing models, which incorporate variability and uncertainty.
4: Stable isotope analyses identi?ed troutSalmo trutta and non-native breamAbramis brama as the main items in lamprey diet. Pollan only represented a major food source for lamprey between May and July.
5: Stable isotope ratios of carbon in tissues from 71 adult lamprey showed no evidence of marine carbon sources, strongly suggesting that Lough Neagh is host to a highly unusual, nonanadromous freshwater population. This ?nding marks out the Lough’s lamprey population as of particular scienti?c interest and enhances the conservation signi?cance of this feature of the Lough.
6: Synthesis and applications.Our Bayesian isotopic mixing models illustrate an unusual pattern of animal movement, enhancing conservation interest in an already threatened population. We have also revealed a complex relationship between lamprey and their food species that is suggestive of hyperpredation, whereby non-native species may sustain high lamprey populations that may in turn be detrimental to native pollan.Long-term conservation of lamprey and pollan in this system is likely to require management intervention, but in light of this exceptional complexity, no simple management options are currently supported. Conservation plans will require better characterization ofpopulation-level interactions and simulation modelling of interventions. More generally, our study demonstrates the importance of considering a full range of possible trophic interactions, particularly in complex ecosystems, and highlights Bayesian isotopic mixing models as powerful tools in resolving trophic relationships.
Key-words: Bayesian, conservation dilemma, Coregonus autumnalis, hyperpredation, Lampetra ?uviatilis, pollan, potamodromous, River lamprey, stable isotope analysis in R, stable isotope

Environmental mediation of intraguild predation between the freshwater invader Gammarus pulex and the native G. duebeni celticus

Invasive species and environmental change often occur simultaneously across a habitat and therefore our understanding of their relative roles in the decline of native species is often poor. Here, the environmental mediation of a critical interspecific interaction, intraguild predation (IGP), was examined between invasive (Gammarus pulex) and native (G. d. celticus) freshwater amphipods. In the laboratory, IGP asymmetries (males preying on congeneric females) were examined in river water sourced from zones where: (1) the invader has completely displaced the native; (2) the two species currently co-exist, and (3) the native currently persists uninvaded. The invader was always a more effective IG predator, but this asymmetry was significantly weaker moving from 'invader-only water' through 'co-existence water' to 'native-only water'. The constituent of the water that drives this mediation of IGP was not identified. However, balancing the rigour of laboratory experiments with field derived 'environment' has advanced understanding of known patterns in a native species decline, and its co-existence and persistence in the face of an invader.

Role of behaviour in biological invasions and species distributions; lessons from interactions between the invasive Gammarus pulex and the native G-duebeni (Crustacea : Amphipoda)

In attempting to understand the distributions of both introduced species and the native species on which they impact, there is a growing trend to integrate studies of behaviour with more traditional life history/ecological approaches. The question of what mechanisms drive the displacement of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus duebeni by the often introduced G pulex is presented as a case study Patterns of displacement are well documented throughout Europe, but the speed and direction of displacement between these species can be varied. From early studies proposing interspecific competition as causal in these patterns, I review research progress to date. I show there has been no evidence for interspecific competition operating, other than the field patterns themselves, a somewhat tautological argument. Rather, the increased recognition of behavioural attributes with respect to the cannibalistic and predatory nature of these species gave rise to a series of studies unravelling the processes driving field patterns. Both species engage in 'intraguild predation' (IGP), with moulting females particularly vulnerable to predation by congeneric males. G pulex is more able both to engage in and avoid this interaction with G duebeni. However, several factors mediate the strength and asymmetry of this IGP, some biotic (e.g. parasitism) and others abiotic (e.g. water chemistry). Further, a number of alternative hypotheses that may account for the displacement (hybridization; parasite transmission) have been tested and rejected. While interspecific competition has been modelled mathematically and found to be a weak interaction relative to IGP, mechanisms of competition between these Gammarus species remain largely untested empirically. Since IGP may be finely balanced in some circumstances, I conclude that the challenge to detect interspecific competition remains and we require assessment of its role, if any, in the interaction between these species. Appreciation of behavioural attributes and their mediation should allow us to more fully understand, and perhaps predict, species introductions and resultant distributions.

The replacement of a native freshwater amphipod by an invader: roles for environmental degradation and intraguild predation

We assessed the extent to which an invader, Gammarus pulex (Crustacea: Amphipoda), has replaced a native, Gammarus duebeni celticus, over a 13-year period in a European river system and some of the abiotic and biotic factors that could account for this. Between 1988 and 2001, 56% of mixed-species sites had become invader-only sites, whereas no mixed sites had become native only again. The native dominated areas of higher dissolved oxygen and water quality, with the reciprocal true for the invader. Field transplant experiments revealed that native survivorship was lower in areas where it had been replaced than in areas where the invader does not yet occur. In invader-only areas, native survivorship was lower than that of the invader when kept separately and lowest when both species were kept together. We also observed predation of the native by the invader. Laboratory oxygen manipulation experiments revealed that at 30% saturation, the native's survivorship was two thirds that of the invader. We conclude that decreasing water quality favours replacement of the native by the invader.

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of ammonia to native, invasive, and parasitised freshwater amphipods

In lethal and sublethal ammonia toxicity tests, we examined differences in tolerance of three species of freshwater amphipods, one native and two invasive in Ireland. The native Gammarus duebeni celticus was slightly less tolerant to ammonia than the invasive G. pulex (96h LC50 = 1.155 and 1.544 mg l(-1), respectively), while another invader, Crangonyx pseudograeilis, had the lowest tolerance (LC50 = 0.36 mg l(-1)). Parasitism of G. pulex by the acanthocephalan Echinorhynchus truttae greatly reduced the tolerance of the invader to ammonia (LC50 = 0.381 mg l(-1)). Further, precopula pair disruption tests indicated that G. d. celticus was more sensitive to ammonia than G. pulex at sublethal levels. We discuss these results in the context of the ecological replacements of native by invader amphipods. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential drift and parasitism in invading and native Gammarus spp. (Crustacea : Amphipoda)

Invading and native species often interact directly, such as by predation, producing patterns of exclusion and coexistence. Less direct factors, such as interactions with the broader abiotic and biotic environment, may also contribute to such patterns, but these have received less recognition. In Northern Ireland, the North American Gammarus tigrinus has invaded freshwaters populated with the native Gammarus duebeni celticus, with intraguild predation between the two implicated in their relative success. However, these species also engage in day and night

Differential physico-chemical tolerances and intraguild predation among native and invasive amphipods (Crustacea); a field study

We used field surveys and transplant experiments to elucidate the relative roles of physico-chemical regime and intraguild predation in determining the generally mutually exclusive distributions of native and invader freshwater amphipod species. Field surveys showed that the native Gammarus duebeni celticus dominates the shoreline of Lough Neagh, N. Ireland, with some co-occurrence with the N. American invader G. tigrinus. However, the latter species dominates the deeper areas of the mid-Lough. Transplant experiments showed no difference in survival of the native and invader in single species 'bioassay tubes' placed along the shoreline. However, there was significantly higher survival of the invader compared with the native in single species tubes placed in the mid-Lough. In mixed species tubes on the shoreline, the native killed and ate the invader, with no reciprocal interaction, leading to significant reductions of the invader. However, the invader had significantly higher survival than the native in mixed species tubes in the mid-Lough, with no evidence. of predation between the two species. These results indicate that, whereas differential intraguild predation may determine domination of the shoreline by the native, differential physico-chemical tolerances may be major determinants of the domination of the mid-Lough by the invader. This study emphasises the need to consider the habitat template in conjunction with biotic interactions before attempting to draw conclusions about mechanisms determining relative distribution patterns of native and invasive species.

Temporal changes in the distribution of native and introduced freshwater amphipods in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

Studies of invasion scenarios over long time periods are important to refine explanations and predictions of invasion success and impact. We used data from surveys in 1958 and 1999 of the macroinvertebrates of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, to assess changes in the distribution of native and introduced amphipods in relation to the wider assemblage. In 1958, the invader G. tigrinus dominated the shoreline fauna, with the native G. d. celticus present in very low numbers, whereas in 1999 the reverse was evident. In both surveys, G. tigrinus was the only amphipod present in the mid-Lough. G. tigrinus thus seems to have become established within L. Neagh, perhaps overshot and then senesced, with the native species re-establishing on the shoreline, with the invader mostly restricted to the deep mid-Lough. The non-amphipod macroinvertebrate assemblage was similar between the two surveys, in terms of Bray-Curtis community similarity, assemblage diversity, dominance and the taxa based ASPT water quality index. However, the mean density of macroinvertebrates (all taxa combined) was lower in 1999 compared to 1958, largely accounted for by a decline in oligochaete numbers. Since Gammarus species may be predators of other macroinvertebrates and influence their distribution and abundance, we investigated this trophic link in staged laboratory encounters. Both G. tigrinus and G. d. celticus preyed on isopods, alderflies, mayflies, chironomids and mysids, however, the native G. d. celticus had a significantly greater predatory impact on isopods and chironomids than did the invader G. tigrinus. While we cannot definitively ascribe cause and effect in the present scenario, we discuss how replacement of one amphipod species by another may have impacts on the wider macroinvertebrate assemblage.

An acanthocephalan parasite mediates intraguild predation between invasive and native freshwater amphipods (Crustacea)

1. The balance of predation between closely related invasive and native species can be an important determinant of the success or failure of biological invasions. In Irish freshwaters, the introduced amphipod Gammarus pulex has replaced the native G. duebeni celticus, possibly through differential mutual intraguild predation (IGP). Theoretically, parasitism could mediate such predation and hence the invasion outcome. However, this idea remains poorly studied.

Invading predatory crustacean Dikerogammarus villosus eliminates bath native and exotic species

As the tempo of biological invasions increases, explanations and predictions of their impacts become more crucial. Particularly with regard to biodiversity, we require elucidation of interspecific behavioural interactions among invaders and natives. In freshwaters in The Netherlands, we show that the invasive Ponto-Caspian crustacean amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus is rapidly eliminating Gammarus duebeni, a native European amphipod, and Gammarus tigrinus, until now a spectacularly successful invader from North America. In the laboratory, survival of single (unguarded) female G. duebeni was significantly lower when male D. villosus were free to roam as compared with isolated within microcosms. In addition, survival of paired (guarded) female G. duebeni was significantly lower when male D. villosus as compared with male G. duebeni were present. D. villosus killed and consumed both recently moulted and, unusually, intermoult victims. Survival of G. tigrinus was significantly lower when D. villosus were free to roam as compared with isolated within microcosms and, again, both moulted and intermoult victims were preyed upon. Male D. villosus were significantly more predatory than were females, while female G. tigrinus were significantly more often preyed upon than were males. Predation by D. villosus on both species occurred over a range of water conductivities, an environmental feature previously shown to promote amphipod coexistence. This predatory invader is predicted to reduce further the amphipod diversity in a range of freshwater habitats in Europe and North America.