Climate-induced expansions of invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, North America: A synthesis of observations and projections

Biological Invasions
By: , and 

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Abstract

Climate change may facilitate the expansion of non-native invasive species (NIS) in aquatic and terrestrial systems. However, empirical evidence remains scarce and poorly synthesized at scales necessary for effective management. We conducted a literature synthesis to assess the state of research on the observed and predicted effects of climate change on a suite of 398 aquatic and terrestrial NIS now present in or a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA and British Columbia. Surprisingly, very few studies (n = 15) have investigated the observed effects of climate change on the distribution, abundance, spread, or impact of the focal NIS, with only five studies focusing on terrestrial (n = 2) or aquatic (n = 3) species within the PNW. Only 93 studies predicted the future dynamics of the focal NIS somewhere in their non-native range using climate model projections, yielding 117 species-specific predictions. However, only 30 of those studies generated predictions that overlapped with the PNW, and only six focused specifically on the expansion or abundance of NIS (n = 11 species) entirely within the region. Although our understanding of how climate change may interact with biological invasions is notably lacking, some evidence suggests that climate-induced NIS expansions are already underway in the PNW, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, and will be exacerbated by future changes in temperature and precipitation regimes. Better information is urgently needed for managers to implement strategic prevention, early detection, and proactive actions that ameliorate ecologically and economically devastating impacts of NIS.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Climate-induced expansions of invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, North America: A synthesis of observations and projections
Series title Biological Invasions
DOI 10.1007/s10530-020-02244-2
Volume 22
Year Published 2020
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Description 21 p.
First page 2163
Last page 2183
Country United States
State Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Other Geospatial Pacific Northwest
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