Extinction of an introduced warm-climate alien species, Xenopus laevis, by extreme weather events.
Extinction of an introduced warm-climate alien species, Xenopus laevis, by extreme weather events.
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DOI：
10.1007/s10530-015-0944-x
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发表时间：
2015
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Tinsley MC
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Tinsley RC;Stott LC;Viney ME;Mable BK;Tinsley MC
外来入侵物种是全球生物多样性的主要威胁。非洲两栖动物非洲爪蟾被广泛认为是一种入侵物种，对当地动物群构成威胁。原产于南非西开普省的种群已被引入四大洲，主要是在类似地中海气候的地区。一些引入的种群也在较冷的环境中定居，数十年的持续存在表明它们具有长期适应的能力。在这些情况下，最近的气候变暖可能会增强入侵能力，有利于范围扩大，人口增长和对本地动物群的负面影响。在英国冷温带地区，威尔士的种群已经建立了大约50年，而英格兰（林肯郡）的种群建立时间不详，可能超过20年。我们分别在30年和10年的实地研究表明，在有利的条件下，可能有良好的补充，快速的个体生长率和大的身体尺寸;最长寿命超过23年。然而，分布地区仍然有限，每个人口中的人数不到500人。2010年，每个地点只捕获到一只个体，进一步的搜索未能在2014年的重复采样中记录到任何其他个体。我们的结论是这两个种群现在都灭绝了。2009-2010年和2010-2011年的冬天经历了极端寒冷和干旱（2010年12月是120年来最冷的，100年来第三干旱）。X的灭绝。在这些地区，即使是相对长期存在的外来物种也仍然容易受到罕见的极端天气条件的影响。
Invasive, non-native species represent a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. The African amphibian Xenopus laevis is widely regarded as an invasive species and a threat to local faunas. Populations originating at the Western Cape, South Africa, have been introduced on four continents, mostly in areas with a similar Mediterranean climate. Some introduced populations are also established in cooler environments where persistence for many decades suggests a capacity for long-term adaptation. In these cases, recent climate warming might enhance invasion ability, favouring range expansion, population growth and negative effects on native faunas. In the cool temperate UK, populations have been established for about 50 years in Wales and for an unknown period, probably >20 years, in England (Lincolnshire). Our field studies over 30 and 10 years, respectively, show that in favourable conditions there may be good recruitment, fast individual growth rates and large body size; maximum longevity exceeds 23 years. Nevertheless, areas of distribution remained limited, with numbers <500 in each population. In 2010, only a single individual was captured at each locality and further searching failed to record any others in repeated sampling up to 2014. We conclude that both populations are now extinct. The winters of 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 experienced extreme cold and drought (December 2010 was the coldest in 120 years and the third driest in 100 years). The extinction of X. laevis in these areas indicates that even relatively long-established alien species remain vulnerable to rare extreme weather conditions.