Assessing the occurrence of alien species on Brazilian freshwater ecosystems: insights from a comprehensive survey

Abstract

Aim Assessing the damage caused to natural environments and native biodiversity by alien species is challenging. We tested whether the number of detections of alien species is affected by total alien or total invader alien species richness, considering the importance of predicting which species are more probable future invaders. Methods We summarized a research information survey conducted on alien amphibians, annelids, aquatic macrophytes, cnidarians, crustaceans, fish, microorganisms, mollusks, nemathelminths, platyhelminths, and reptiles, and for Brazilian watersheds. We used linear regressions between detections and total alien species richness and between detections and invader species richness. Results We obtained 1,896 alien detections of 183 aquatic species in Brazil. Fish and mollusk species were the commonest invaders due to their detections being more frequent than expected by chance, considering all the alien species occurring in Brazilian freshwater ecosystems. We also found positive and robust linear relationships between alien species detections and alien species richness. Conclusions Our results illustrate how Brazilian freshwater systems are fragile to alien invasions and highlight the need for effective action to address this question. Scientific uncertainty in Brazil regarding the status of some alien species and their potential harm is high, highlighting the need for a cautionary overview of invaders. Despite this scenario, new policies create opportunities for aquatic parks with exotic organisms to spread further in Brazil, which, in actual Brazilian conditions, is likely to increase the pressure on natural ecosystems and native species. This reinforces the already expressed need by the scientific community for greater attention to the issue.