Ecosystem effects of the world’s largest invasive animal

Shurin, Jonathan B.; Riaño, Nelson Javier Aranguren; Negro, Daniel Duque; Lopez, David Echeverri; Jones, Natalie T.; Laverde-R., Oscar; Neu, Alexander; Ramos, Adriana Pedroza

doi:10.1002/ecy.2991

Cited by 32 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…Studies on hippo were concentrated in the drier and relatively more fertile parts of their range (Supporting information). One outlier study site was present at the high rainfall end of the hippo's range (at 2607 mm year −1 ) but comes from outside of their natural distribution range (from South America where they were introduced) (Shurin et al 2020).…”

Section: Geographic Distribution Of Studies and Potential Environmental Biasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Megaherbivore impacts on ecosystem and Earth system functioning: the current state of the science

et al. 2021

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Megaherbivores (adult body mass > 1000 kg) are suggested to disproportionately shape ecosystem and Earth system functioning. We systematically reviewed the empirical basis for this general thesis and for the more specific hypotheses that 1) megaherbivores have disproportionately larger effects on Earth system functioning than their smaller counterparts, 2) this is true for all extant megaherbivore species and 3) their effects vary along environmental gradients. We furthermore explored possible biases in our understanding of megaherbivore impacts. We found that there are too few studies to quantitatively evaluate the general thesis or any of the hypotheses for all but the African savanna elephant. Following this finding, we performed a qualitative vote counting analysis. Our synthesis of this analysis suggests that megaherbivores can elicit strong impacts on, for example, vegetation structure and biodiversity, and all the elephant species promote seed dispersal. We were, however, unable to evaluate whether these effects are disproportionate to smaller large herbivores. Although environmental conditions can mediate megaherbivore impact, few studies quantified the effect of rainfall or soil fertility on megaherbivore impacts, precluding prediction of megaherbivore effects on the Earth system, particularly under future climates. Moreover, our review highlights major taxonomic, thematic and geographic biases in our understanding of megaherbivore effects. Most of the studies focused on African savanna elephant impacts on vegetation structure and biodiversity, with other megaherbivores and Earth system functions comparatively neglected. Studies were also biased towards semi-arid and relatively fertile systems, with the arid, high-rainfall and/or nutrient-poor parts of the megaherbivores' distribution ranges largely unrepresented. Our findings highlight that the empirical basis of our understanding of the ecological effects of extant megaherbivores is still limited for all species, except the African savanna elephant, and that our current understanding is biased towards certain environmental and geographic areas. We further outline a detailed, urgently needed avenue for future research.

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Section: Geographic Distribution Of Studies and Potential Environmental Biasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Megaherbivore impacts on ecosystem and Earth system functioning: the current state of the science

et al. 2021

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“…The 65 to 80 hippopotami that live in the mid-Magdalena valley, descendants from the four to six immigrants, have become the living memory of the extinct zoo (Shurin et al, 2020). By managing to survive and reproduce without human assistance, these mammals have become an invasive species.…”

Section: Invaders and Refugeesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild and trapped: a history of Colombian zoos and its revelations of animal fortunes and State entanglements, 1930s-1990s

Leal

2021

Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos

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This article presents the first history of Colombian zoos and one of the few contributions to the history of these institutions in Latin America. It proposes that in this region’s zoos native animals tended to predominate, signaling the increasing transformation of forests and other native ecosystems into croplands and pasturelands, as well as the growing distance between people and natural environments. Colombian zoos additionally underscore the limitations of the State in its period of most rapid expansion. They reveal how private interests overshadowed the State by providing public amenities, but also how they offered unconventional solutions to certain hurdles of State formation.

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“…2015), whereas some introduced species imperil lives and livelihoods (e.g., hippopotamuses [ Hippopotamus amphibius ] in Colombia threaten water resources and humans who rely on waterways [Shurin et al. 2020]). Finally, the indirect effects of species introductions on human health are only starting to be examined.…”

Section: Inequality Of Species In Local Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond species counts for assessing, valuing, and conserving biodiversity: response to Wallach et al. 2019

Meyer

Balkenhol

Dutta

et al. 2020

Conservation Biology

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Ecosystem effects of the world’s largest invasive animal

Cited by 32 publications

References 39 publications

Megaherbivore impacts on ecosystem and Earth system functioning: the current state of the science

Megaherbivore impacts on ecosystem and Earth system functioning: the current state of the science

Wild and trapped: a history of Colombian zoos and its revelations of animal fortunes and State entanglements, 1930s-1990s

Beyond species counts for assessing, valuing, and conserving biodiversity: response to Wallach et al. 2019

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