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Strangers in a strange land: do life history traits differ for alien and native colonisers of novel environments?

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Nahrung, H. F. and Swain, A. J. (2015) Strangers in a strange land: do life history traits differ for alien and native colonisers of novel environments? Biological Invasions, 17 (2). pp. 699-709. ISSN 1387-3547

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0761-7

Abstract

Do alien invasive species exhibit life history characteristics that are similar to those of native species that have become pests in their continent of origin? We compared eucalypt specialists that have become pests in Australian plantations (natives) to those that have established overseas (aliens) using 13 life history traits and found that although traits that support rapid population build-up were shared, overall, aliens and native colonisers differed significantly. Distance from source (New Zealand vs. other) had no significant effect, but species that established more than 50 years ago exhibited different life history traits from those that established within the last 50 years, possibly because of more effective quarantine. Native and alien eucalypt insect invaders differed predominantly in traits that facilitate long-distance movement (pathway traits), compared to traits that facilitate establishment and spread. Aliens had longer adult flight seasons, were smaller and more closely host-associated (cryptic eggs and larvae), had lower incidence of diapause (i.e. were more seasonally plastic) and more generations per year than natives. Thus, studies of species invasive within their country of origin can shed light on alien invasions.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Horticulture and Forestry Science
Keywords:Chrysophtharta-agricola coleoptera Eucalyptus plantations Western Australia Invasion success Population Insects Biology Pest Chrysomelidae Worldwide
Subjects:Science > Botany > Genetics
Plant pests and diseases
Forestry > Research. Experimentation
Live Archive:13 Jun 2016 04:19
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:50

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