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IJERPH
Volume 12
Issue 4
10.3390/ijerph120403926
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Article

An Ecosystem-Service Approach to Evaluate the Role of Non-Native Species in Urbanized Wetlands

by
Rita S. W. Yam
1,*,
Ko-Pu Huang
1,
Hwey-Lian Hsieh
2,
Hsing-Juh Lin
3 and
Shou-Chung Huang
4
1
Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
2
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
3
Department of Life Sciences and Research Center for Global Change Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
4
Taiwan Wetland Society, Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Miklas Scholz
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12(4), 3926-3943; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120403926
Received: 31 January 2015 / Revised: 27 March 2015 / Accepted: 30 March 2015 / Published: 9 April 2015
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proceedings from 2014 Global Land Project (GLP) Asia Conference)
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Abstract

Natural wetlands have been increasingly transformed into urbanized ecosystems commonly colonized by stress-tolerant non-native species. Although non-native species present numerous threats to natural ecosystems, some could provide important benefits to urbanized ecosystems. This study investigated the extent of colonization by non-native fish and bird species of three urbanized wetlands in subtropical Taiwan. Using literature data the role of each non-native species in the urbanized wetland was evaluated by their effect (benefits/damages) on ecosystem services (ES) based on their ecological traits. Our sites were seriously colonized by non-native fishes (39%–100%), but <3% by non-native birds. Although most non-native species could damage ES regulation (disease control and wastewater purification), some could be beneficial to the urbanized wetland ES. Our results indicated the importance of non-native fishes in supporting ES by serving as food source to fish-eating waterbirds (native, and migratory species) due to their high abundance, particularly for Oreochromis spp. However, all non-native birds are regarded as “harmful” species causing important ecosystem disservices, and thus eradication of these bird-invaders from urban wetlands would be needed. This simple framework for role evaluation of non-native species represents a holistic and transferable approach to facilitate decision making on management priority of non-native species in urbanized wetlands. View Full-Text
Keywords: urban ecosystems; alien species; exotic species; management; ecosystem services; Asian wetlands urban ecosystems; alien species; exotic species; management; ecosystem services; Asian wetlands
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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MDPI and ACS Style

Yam, R.S.W.; Huang, K.-P.; Hsieh, H.-L.; Lin, H.-J.; Huang, S.-C. An Ecosystem-Service Approach to Evaluate the Role of Non-Native Species in Urbanized Wetlands. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 3926-3943. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120403926

AMA Style

Yam RSW, Huang K-P, Hsieh H-L, Lin H-J, Huang S-C. An Ecosystem-Service Approach to Evaluate the Role of Non-Native Species in Urbanized Wetlands. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2015; 12(4):3926-3943. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120403926

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yam, Rita S. W., Ko-Pu Huang, Hwey-Lian Hsieh, Hsing-Juh Lin, and Shou-Chung Huang. 2015. "An Ecosystem-Service Approach to Evaluate the Role of Non-Native Species in Urbanized Wetlands" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12, no. 4: 3926-3943. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120403926

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