Areas of high conservation value at risk by plant invaders in Georgia under climate change

Ecology and Evolution
Daniel SlodowiczHeinz Müller-Schärer

Abstract

Invasive alien plants (IAP) are a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Understanding and anticipating invasions allow for more efficient management. In this regard, predicting potential invasion risks by IAPs is essential to support conservation planning into areas of high conservation value (AHCV) such as sites exhibiting exceptional botanical richness, assemblage of rare, and threatened and/or endemic plant species. Here, we identified AHCV in Georgia, a country showing high plant richness, and assessed the susceptibility of these areas to colonization by IAPs under present and future climatic conditions. We used actual protected areas and areas of high plant endemism (identified using occurrences of 114 Georgian endemic plant species) as proxies for AHCV. Then, we assessed present and future potential distribution of 27 IAPs using species distribution models under four climate change scenarios and stacked single-species potential distribution into a consensus map representing IAPs richness. We evaluated present and future invasion risks in AHCV using IAPs richness as a metric of susceptibility. We show that the actual protected areas cover only 9.4% of the areas of high plant endemism in Georgia. IAPs are presently located at l...Continue Reading

References

Jun 3, 1988·Science·J A Swets
Dec 24, 2002·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Brian LeungGary Lamberti
Jun 5, 2003·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Simon P BlombergAnthony R Ives
Oct 3, 2006·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Miguel B Araújo, Mark New
Jul 31, 2008·Biology Letters·Olivier Broennimann, Antoine Guisan
Mar 28, 2009·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Steven J PhillipsSimon Ferrier
Apr 17, 2010·Bioinformatics·Steven W KembelCampbell O Webb
May 24, 2011·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Tim M BlackburnDavid M Richardson
Mar 17, 2012·Science·Blaise PetitpierreAntoine Guisan
Sep 19, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Karen C SetoLucy R Hutyra
Dec 3, 2014·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Philip E Hulme
May 24, 2016·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Blaise PetitpierreChristoph Kueffer
Nov 8, 2017·Global Change Biology·Jake M AlexanderLoïc Pellissier

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations


❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

HadGEM2
WorldClim
Phylocom
Ensemble
picante
R
AO
Random Forest
R package “ raster
PresenceAbsence

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.