The Origin of Invasive Microorganisms Matters for Science, Policy, and Management: The Case of Didymosphenia geminata

The value of distinguishing native from nonnative invasive species has recently been questioned. However, this dichotomy is important for understanding whether a species’ successful dominance is caused by introductions, changing environmental conditions that facilitate an existing population, or bot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2014-06, Vol.64 (6), p.531-538
Main Authors: TAYLOR, BRAD W., BOTHWELL, MAX L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Algal blooms
Common fisheries policy
Diatoms
Environmental changes
Environmental conditions
Environmental policy
Eutrophication
Forum
Fossils
Genotypes
Indigenous species
Invasive species
Lakes
Microorganisms
Native species
Rare species
Science
Streams
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Summary:The value of distinguishing native from nonnative invasive species has recently been questioned. However, this dichotomy is important for understanding whether a species’ successful dominance is caused by introductions, changing environmental conditions that facilitate an existing population, or both processes. We highlight the importance of knowing the origin of hard-to-detect invasive microorganisms for scientific research, management, and policy using a case study of recent algal blooms of the stalk-producing diatom Didymosphenia geminata. Nuisance blooms have been reported in rivers worldwide and have been hastily attributed to introductions. However, evidence indicates that blooms are probably not caused by introductions but, rather, by environmental conditions that promote excessive stalk production by this historically rare species. Effective responses to invasive microorganisms depend on knowing whether their proliferation is caused by being nonnative or is the result of changing environmental conditions that promote invasive characteristics of native species.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1093/biosci/biu060