New Paper Shows Invasive Species Removal is a Nature-Based Solution for Climate Resilience
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!
Restoring islands for nature and people worldwide.
Published on
May 3, 2019
Written by
stephanie
Photo credit
stephanie
Often times what makes an invasive species particularly threatening in a new environment is their ability to adapt to their surroundings. Researchers at the University of Plymouth wanted to understand exactly what characteristics if any, an invasive anole in the Cayman Islands has that made it so quick to adapt. To understand this process, researchers sought to uncover how the morphology of an invasive anole changed in a new environment.
The lizard population in question is the invasive maynard’s anole (Anolis maynardi) which migrated in the mid-1980s from its native territory of Little Cayman to the island of Cayman Brac. A native population of anole also exists on Cayman Brac. The researchers discovered the two species had diverged morphologically from each other. Meaning each species had adapted unique characteristics that allow them to specialize in different ways to acquire resources on the island. Specifically, the invasive anole trended towards an increase in forelimb length. However, researchers expected to see an increase in hindlimb length, not forelimb:
There has been a history of lizard studies indicating that longer hindlimbs are an important factor affecting movement ability, so to not find longer hind limbed animals on the range edge was a surprise.”
Not only this, the native anole found on the island had a greater parasite prevalence and a lesser overall body condition than the invasive population. In other words, the invasive population on the island tended to be healthier overall.
The study highlights the ways invasive species adapt their behavior and characteristics in order to successfully take hold within a population. This emerging research should also function as a call to action for improved bio-security measures which can assist with mitigating introductions moving forward.
Source: Science Daily
Featured Photo: A Brown Anole, native to Cayman Brac.
Credit: Jill Bazeley
Check out other journal entries we think you might be interested in.
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!
Climate Week NYC: what is it and why is it important? Read on to find out why Island Conservation is attending this amazing event!
With sea levels on the rise, how are the coastlines of islands transforming? Read on to find out how dynamic islands really are!
Join us in celebrating the most amazing sights from around the world by checking out these fantastic conservation photos!
Rare will support the effort to restore island-ocean ecosystems by engaging the Coastal 500 network of local leaders in safeguarding biodiversity (Arlington, VA, USA) Today, international conservation organization Rare announced it has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), a global effort to…
Island Conservation accepts cryptocurrency donations. Make an impact using your digital wallet today!
For Immediate Release Conservation powerhouse BirdLife South Africa has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) – a global initiative aiming to restore, rewild and protect islands, oceans and communities – to support its work to save internationally significant albatross populations…
Video captures insights and hopes from the partners who are working to restore Lehua Island, Hawai’i. In 2021, Lehua Island officially became free from the threat of invasive rodents. This is a huge accomplishment that has enriched the region’s biodiversity…
Carolina Torres describes how the project to restore and rewild Floreana Island signals hope for a future where people and nature can thrive together in the Galápagos.
A new plan to restore seabird habitats in areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster includes invasive species removal.