Diversity

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alexander F. Cerwenka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

SNSB-Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 München, Germany
Interests: ecology; evolution; biodiversity; invasive species; genetics; conservation biology; ecosystem ecology; micro-CT; speciation

Dr. Jörg Brandner

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Wasserwirtschaftsamt Regensburg, Landshuter Str. 59, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Interests: invasive species; freshwater ecology; biodiversity monitoring; field ecology; fish biology; water quality assessment

Dr. Dimitriy Antonov Dashinov

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Department of General and Applied Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: ecosystem ecology; invasive species; taxonomy; Chironomidae; macroinvertebrates; fish ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive alien species (IAS) are an increasing issue in our anthropogenically altered and coalescing world, especially in freshwater ecosystems. On the other hand, they offer the possibility of studying evolution and speciation in a seminatural contemporary “experiment”. In addition, IAS compromise the chance to deeply analyze the effect of man-made forces on real-time evolution in an ad hoc manner. Particularly rapid local adaptation and differentiation are characteristics that may trigger successful invasions.

Invasive riverine species provide semi-natural systems to study contemporary evolution. The linear, two-dimensional topology allows for the investigation of differentiation along a single geographical gradient, where barriers (natural and artificial) may lead to isolated evolutionary units to some extent.

IAS are thought to negatively influence selected single native or cooccurring non-native congeners, entire species communities, or even the whole ecosystem, with some (rare) exceptions. Thus, every introduced species may alter established biological norms and may potentially act as a game-changer.

IAS have become a branch of biological research; however, many aspects are still to be investigated: This Special Issue is intended to give insights into previous findings but also to reveal gaps in our current knowledge, to serve as a warning regarding non-native species’ spread, and to reveal hidden possibilities of this underexplored research branch, especially in aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Alexander F. Cerwenka
Dr. Jörg Brandner
Dr. Dimitriy Antonov Dashinov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

invasive alien species
population dynamics
phenotypic evolution
genetic evolution
migration
invasion success
individual trait hypothesis
ecosystematic changes

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aquatic Plant Invasion and Management in Riverine Reservoirs: Proactive Management via a Priori Simulation of Management Alternatives

by Elizabeth Edgerton, Hsiao-Hsuan Wang, William E. Grant and Michael Masser

Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121113 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1419

Abstract

Negative impacts from aquatic invasive plants in the United States include economic costs, loss of commercial and recreational use, and environmental damage. Simulation models are valuable tools for predicting the invasion potentials of species and for the management of existing infestations. We developed a spatially explicit, agent-based model representing the invasion, growth, and senescence of aquatic weeds as functions of day length, water temperature, water depth, and the response of aquatic weeds to biological control. As a case study to evaluate its potential utility, we parameterized the model to represent two historical invasions (1975–1983 and 2004–2007) of Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata (L. fil.) Royle) in Lake Conroe, Texas, USA, and their subsequent biological control using grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Results of several hypothetical alternative management schemes indicated that grass carp stocking densities needed to control Hydrilla infestation increased exponentially as the lag time between initial invasion and initial stocking increased, whereas stocking densities needed to control infestation decreased as the amount of time allowed to control the infestation increased. Predictions such as those produced by our model aid managers in developing proactive management plans for areas most likely to be invaded. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Species as Game-Changers of Aquatic Ecosystems)

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Review

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23 pages, 9044 KiB

Open AccessReview

Small but Mighty: The Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) as a Model Species of Biological Invasions

by Alexander F. Cerwenka, Joerg Brandner, Dimitriy Dashinov and Juergen Geist

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040528 - 06 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1946

Abstract

Invasive “game-changer” species cause severe ecological impacts such as “phase shifts” in recipient ecosystems all over the world. Since the early 1990s, the ongoing global spread of the small but highly invasive Ponto-Caspian round goby Neogobius melanostomus into diverse freshwater and marine ecosystems has been observed. We postulate that this species is an ideal model to better understand and mitigate aquatic invasions. Its wide invaded range, as well as its diverse impacts on native species, have triggered a large body of research worldwide concerning its spread, ecology, and traits facilitating invasion. Several hypotheses related to invasiveness have been tested for the round goby, which are also applicable to other invasive species and for understanding general principles in invasion biology. However, a common theory explaining invasion success, especially in round goby, is still lacking. Many case studies do not consider time since invasion and use different sampling protocols and methodologies, hampering the comparability of results and conclusions. We thus propose strengthening the network of goby researchers and establishing long-term databases based on continuous and harmonized monitoring covering all stages of the invasion process as crucial requirements to better understand and manage aquatic invasions. In many cases, such monitoring can easily be integrated into existing survey schemes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Species as Game-Changers of Aquatic Ecosystems)

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