Preamble: Executive Order (EO) 13112—defines an invasive species as “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” In the Executive Summary of the National Invasive Species Management Plan (NISMP) the term invasive species is further clarified and defined as “a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” To provide guidance for the development and implementation of the NISMP, the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) and the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) adopted a set of principles outlined in Appendix 6 of the NISMP. Guiding Principle #1 provides additional context for defining the term invasive species and states “many alien species are non-invasive and support human livelihoods or a preferred quality of life.”
The establishment and spread of invasive plants are often associated with a 'general-purpose genotype', with a corresponding high degree of phenotypic plasticity when introduced to a new environment. Evolutionary potential of invasive species following introduction should also be considered, however, as such changes can facilitate rapid range expansion. In this study, we utilised seed from three geographically distinct mid-Atlantic populations of an invasive species, Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass), to assess whether populations varied in their biomass and reproductive responses to light and nitrogen under neutral glasshouse conditions. To assess evolutionary adaptation, we quantified and correlated the abiotic environment from each collection location with the final biomass and seed production of that population under common glasshouse conditions. For M. vimineum, growth and reproductive responses to a common set of abiotic parameters (e.g. light) under these conditions indicated considerable phenotypic variation between and within populations. Interestingly, the degree of variation of seed production and final biomass among populations in the glasshouse was strongly correlated with growing season length and cumulative degree days recorded near each population location. These latter data indicated that M. vimineum, introduced into this region <100 years ago, may be undergoing adaptive evolution. Although additional populations of M. vimineum need to be examined, this study suggests that local evolutionary adaptation may be occurring rapidly and could, potentially, be an important aspect in the establishment and spread of this invasive species.
As the population reaches beyond 7 billion, the impact of human activities on the global environment will begin to alter substantially the complex biological systems necessary to support life. Of particular concern are anthropogenic changes in atmospheric composition that are altering the climatic processes associated with precipitation, temperature and weather disruptions. However, such direct disturbances can also distress ecosystem function indirectly by facilitating the spread and establishment of non-indigenous (invasive) species. Such species, in turn, can overwhelm biological stability by impacting native diversity negatively or, from a human perspective, by reducing resource availability (e.g. agriculture). As a consequence, system resources, from forests to streams to crops, can become increasingly transient, even as population pressure creates additional needs for such resources. Although these pressures are increasingly recognized, knowledge to address the basic and applied needs related to maintaining ecosystem resources is lacking, in part because of communication disparities between scientists and policy makers. Here, the science underlying climate change and invasive species is examined, in broad terms, and the difficulties in eliciting both the attention and means needed to sustain ecosystem services over time are outlined. Overall, societal awareness of the scientific issues will be necessary to provide the global solutions essential to address the dynamic challenges of a changing climate, invasive species and human resource needs.
This datasheet on Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Hosts/Species Affected, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Prevention/Control, Further Information.
This datasheet on Microstegium vimineum covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Hosts/Species Affected, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Prevention/Control, Further Information.
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