Post-epizootic microbiome associations across communities of neotropical amphibians.

Microbiome-pathogen interactions are increasingly recognized as an important element of host immunity. While these host-level interactions will have consequences for community disease dynamics, the factors which influence host microbiomes at larger scales are poorly understood. We here describe landscape-scale pathogen-microbiome associations within the context of post-epizootic amphibian chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the panzootic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. We undertook a survey of Neotropical amphibians across altitudinal gradients in Ecuador ~30 years following the observed amphibian declines and collected skin swab-samples which were metabarcoded using both fungal (ITS-2) and bacterial (r16S) amplicons. The data revealed marked variation in patterns of both B. dendrobatidis infection and microbiome structure that are associated with host life history. Stream breeding amphibians were most likely to be infected with B. dendrobatidis. This increased probability of infection was further associated with increased abundance and diversity of non-Batrachochytrium chytrid fungi in the skin and environmental microbiome. We also show that increased alpha diversity and the relative abundance of fungi are lower in the skin microbiome of adult stream amphibians compared to adult pond-breeding amphibians, an association not seen for bacteria. Finally, stream tadpoles exhibit lower proportions of predicted protective microbial taxa than pond tadpoles, suggesting reduced biotic resistance. Our analyses show that host breeding ecology strongly shapes pathogen-microbiome associations at a landscape scale, a trait that may influence resilience in the face of emerging infectious diseases.

The effects of phylogenetic relatedness on invasion success and impact: deconstructing Darwin's naturalisation conundrum.

Darwin's naturalisation conundrum describes the paradox that the relatedness of exotic species to native residents could either promote or hinder their success through opposing mechanisms: niche pre-adaptation or competitive interactions. Previous studies focusing on single snapshots of invasion patterns have provided support to both sides of the conundrum. Here, by examining invasion dynamics of 480 plots over 40 years, we show that exotic species more closely related to native species were more likely to enter, establish and dominate the resident communities, and that native residents more closely related to these successful exotics were more likely to go locally extinct. Therefore, non-random displacement of natives during invasion could weaken or even reverse the negative effects of exotic-native phylogenetic distances on invasion success. The scenario that exotics more closely related to native residents are more successful, but tend to eliminate their closely related natives, may help to reconcile the 150-year-old conundrum.

Congener diversity, topographic heterogeneity and human-assisted dispersal predict spread rates of alien herpetofauna at a global scale.

Understanding the factors that determine rates of range expansion is not only crucial for developing risk assessment schemes and management strategies for invasive species, but also provides important insight into the ability of species to disperse in response to climate change. However, there is little knowledge on why some invasions spread faster than others at large spatiotemporal scales. Here, we examine the effects of human activities, species traits and characteristics of the invaded range on spread rates using a global sample of alien reptile and amphibian introductions. We show that spread rates vary remarkably among invaded locations within a species, and differ across biogeographical realms. Spread rates are positively related to the richness of native congeneric species and human-assisted dispersal in the invaded range but are negatively correlated with topographic heterogeneity. Our findings highlight the importance of environmental characteristics and human-assisted dispersal in developing robust frameworks for predicting species' range shifts.

Different sets of traits determine transition of alien species along the invasion continuum.

Invasive alien species are currently considered as one of the dominant drivers of global environmental change. Till now, the majority of studies have focused on single or a few traits of alien species that facilitate their invasion. Also inclusion of all the traits which determine the transition of aliens along the different stages of invasion continuum (casual, naturalised and invasive) has remained largely overlooked. In this study, we collected a comprehensive trait dataset on 144 alien plant species of Kashmir Himalaya - a global biodiversity hotspot region. To test which traits of alien species, individually or in combination along with anthropogenic factors, determine their transition along the invasion continuum, we employed chi-square tests, boosted regression trees and phylogenetic methods. We found the perennial life span, longer residence time, greater number of introduced regions, and better seed dispersal mechanism were critical in determining the transition from casual to naturalised. The herbaceous growth form, therophyte Raunkiaer life-form, annual life span, achene fruit, longer residence time and broader introduced range were the species' traits determining transition from naturalised to invasive. Aliens introduced as ornamentals have more propensity to become naturalised; whereas aliens introduced unintentionally show overrepresentation at the invasive stage. Phylogeny alone showed mixed results indicating both clustering and dispersion; however, in combination with other traits, it plays a significant role in determining the stage of invasion. Overall, our study disentangles the individual and interactive roles of multiple traits that determine the transition of alien species' along the invasion continuum. Further, we foresee the potential applicability of our findings in designing robust invasion risk analysis protocols and stage-specific invasion management strategies in this Himalayan region, with learnings for elsewhere in the world.

Co-Invasion of Congeneric Invasive Plants Adopts Different Strategies Depending on Their Origins.

Plant communities may be co-invaded by invasive plants, sometimes even by congeneric invasive plants (CIPs). Despite the growing understanding of co-invasion in the environment, little is known about how CIP interactions and mechanisms regulate co-invasion. Darwin's naturalisation conundrum predicts that the coexistence of closely related species is difficult due to their structural and behavioural similarities. Nevertheless, communities containing closely related species are more susceptible to being invaded because close relatives may favour similar environments; therefore, this hypothesis should be followed in the co-invasion of CIPs. To explore whether the phylogenetic relatedness and origins of invasive species to CIPs can promote or hinder co-invasion, we conducted a controlled interaction and soil-legacy greenhouse experiment to quantify the growth response of invasive plants and their congeners. We consistently found that CIPs of identical origin were more likely to co-invade compared to CIPs of distinct origins. CIPs of distinct origins exhibited an antagonistic effect on co-invasion by allelopathy. Invasive plant-conditioned soil was more conducive to the growth of CIPs of identical origin than CIPs of distinct origins. Our results revealed the different effects of invader-invader phylogenetic relatedness on co-invader success and impact, suggesting the operation of different mechanisms across co-invasion.

Alien Plants of Kyrgyzstan: The First Complete Inventory, Distributions and Main Patterns.

The first inventory of casual and naturalised alien plants of Kyrgyzstan is based on an overview of published data, which were re-assessed and re-evaluated using modern standards. Altogether, 151 alien species were registered in the country, of which nearly 40% became naturalised. The total number of alien plant species and the proportion of casual aliens are relatively low due to the harsh climatic conditions (high aridity and continentality) and predominantly high elevations. The highest number of alien plant species in Kyrgyzstan originated from the Mediterranean, which can be explained by some common climatic features between this area and Central Asia, but half of the ten most harmful aliens originated from the Americas. The intensity of plant invasions was the greatest during the period of the Russian Empire and the USSR, and this rapid accumulation of alien plants continues in independent Kyrgyzstan. The uneven distribution of alien plants in Kyrgyzstan is explained by different elevations and climatic conditions across its regions, as well as by the concentration of agricultural activities and human population along warm lowland depressions. More research is required to uncover pathways and particular times of introduction and to produce detailed distribution maps.

Who Wants to Become Italian? A Study of Interest in Naturalisation among Foreign Migrants in Italy.

Since the early 1990s, Italy, along with other countries situated at Europe's periphery, has become an attractive destination for migrants due to its lax regulation of migration and its job market. Despite its restrictive naturalisation laws, an increasing number of migrants are becoming eligible for Italian citizenship, which has led to a growing number of naturalisations in recent years. Existing research exploring naturalisation and its determinants has found migrants' ability to attain citizenship strongly depends on their interest in becoming a member of the host state, requirements (as defined by the host country), and their capacity to overcome various constraints such as the costs involved in the naturalisation process. However, few empirical studies have focused on immigrants' interest in naturalisation. To fill this gap, we analyse migrants' interest in naturalisation and how it correlates to their eligibility. This paper relies on the most recent data on interest in naturalisation from the 2018 and 2019 waves of the Regional Observatory for Integration and Multiethnicity of Lombardy (Italy). The results show that not all migrants are interested in naturalisation after assessing its perceived costs and benefits, thus confirming an instrumental approach to citizenship. Interest is mostly related to the legislation and conditions in the country of origin. Moreover, the relationship between eligibility and interest is highly dependent on civil stratification, and eligibility is not directly associated with interest. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10680-022-09639-y.

New records in non-native vascular plants of Russian Lapland.

BACKGROUND: The non-native vascular plants of Murmansk Region (European Russia) are under active investigation towards the compilation of the first complete checklist. This work is part of the project 'Flora of Russian Lapland', which ultimately aims at the complete inventory of the taxonomy, distribution and status of vascular plant species in Murmansk Region, based on the comprehensive database of herbarium specimens, field observations and literature. NEW INFORMATION: New territory-level records of non-native vascular plants emerged during our inventory of herbarium collections and recent fieldwork. Fourteen species (Anthemisruthenica, Aruncusdioicus, Bromuscommutatus, Chaerophyllumhirsutum, Galegaorientalis, Geumaleppicum, Leonurusquinquelobatus, Lepidiumdensiflorum, Levisticumofficinale, Myrrhisodorata, Phleumphleoides, Prunusarmeniaca, Rorippasylvestris, Seneciovernalis) are reported as new to Murmansk Region. The historical occurrences of alien plants appeared in the territory largely as contaminants (of seed or forage). In particular, Rorippasylvestris and Seneciovernalis arrived with the forage imported during the Second World War. All recent occurrences originated by escape from confinement (ornamental purposes, horticulture, agriculture), reflecting a high diversity of the modern assortment of cultivated plants in commerce and private gardens. Regarding the invasion status, five alien species are considered casual and eight species are treated as locally established or persisting (for uncertain time). Only one species, Galegaorientalis, is considered naturalised and capable of further spreading in the territory, although without invasive potential.

The first checklist of alien vascular plants of Kyrgyzstan, with new records and critical evaluation of earlier data. Contribution 2.

Background: We continue the inventory of alien vascular plants of Kyrgyzstan, with emphasis on the time and pathways of introduction of the species and their current status in the territory. Each taxon is discussed in the context of plant invasions in Central Asia. This work is a further development of the preliminary checklist of alien plants of Kyrgyzstan, which was compiled for the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species in 2018. New information: This contribution includes all alien species of Kyrgyzstan belonging to Solanaceae and Asphodelaceae and one species of Asteraceae. Physalisphiladelphicus (syn. P.ixocarpa) is reported for the first time from Central Asia, as new to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, thus marking a recent invasion with a variety of imported grain and seed material. The old records of P.ixocarpa from Uzbekistan are based on misidentified specimens of P.angulata. Physalisangulata is an old cotton immigrant in Central Asia, whose invasion started in the 1920s; it is excluded from the alien flora of Kyrgyzstan as registered in error on the basis of cultivated plants. Alkekengiofficinarum is an archaeophyte of the Neolithic period in Central Asia, formerly used for food, now strongly declining and largely casual in Kyrgyzstan. The only historical record of Physalisviscosa from Uzbekistan was based on a technical error and belongs to A.officinarum. Daturastramonium and Hyoscyamusniger were introduced as medicinal plants during the period of the Arabic invasion of Central Asia, by the 11th century. Daturainnoxia is a newly recorded casual alien, recently escaped from ornamental cultivation. Nicandraphysalodes is a casual alien, which was cultivated by Russian colonists in the early 20th century for culinary use and is currently used in ornamental cultivation. Hemerocallisfulva was a remnant of historical cultivation in the former Khanate of Buxoro, and its formerly established colonies are presumably extinct in the wild. Bidensfrondosa was seemingly introduced with contaminated forage and seed of American origin during the late Soviet period and started to spread in the period of independence; its invasion in the former USSR is analysed.

Crisis management for surgical teams and their leaders, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic; A structured approach to developing resilience or natural organisational responses.

BACKGROUND: Multiple industries and organisations are afflicted by and respond to institutional crises daily. As surgeons, we respond to crisis frequently and individually such as with critically unwell patients or in mass casualty scenarios; but rarely, do we encounter institutional or multi-institutional crisis with multiple actors as we have seen with the COVID-19 pan-demic. Businesses, private industry and the financial sector have been in a more precar-ious position regarding crisis and consequently have developed rapid response strate-gies employing foresight to reduce risk to assets and financial liquidity. Moreover, large nationalised governmental organisations such as the military have strategies in place ow-ing to a rapidly evolving geopolitical climate with the expectation of immediate new chal-lenges either in the negotiating room or indeed the field of conflict. Despite both nation-alised and privatised healthcare systems existing, both appeared ill-prepared for the COVID-19 global crisis. METHODS: A narrative review of the literature was undertaken exploring the approach to crisis man-agement and models used in organisations exposed to institutional crises outside the field of medicine. RESULTS: There are many parallels between the organisational management of private business institutions, large military organisations and surgical organisational management in healthcare. Models from management consultancies and the armed forces were ex-plored discussed and adapted for the surgical leader providing a framework through which the surgical leader can bring about an successful response to an institutional crisis and ensure future resilience. CONCLUSION: We believe that healthcare, and surgeons (as leaders) in particular, can learn from these other organisations and industries to engage appropriate generic operational plans and contingencies in preparation for whatever further crises may arise in the future, both near and distant. As such, following a review of the literature, we have explored a number of models we believe are adaptable for the surgical community to ensure we remain a dy-namically responsive and ever prepared profession.

New records in vascular plants alien to Tenerife (Spain, Canary Islands).

BACKGROUND: Recent fieldwork by the author in Tenerife, mostly between 2014 and 2019, yielded new records of alien vascular plants. NEW INFORMATION: Fifteen taxa (Acacia decurrens, A. mearnsii, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Ensete ventricosum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. arida, E. cladocalyx, Euryops chrysanthemoides, Ficus elastica, Lippia alba, Pavonia sepioides, Pittosporum tobira, Populus × canadensis, Pyrostegia venusta, Ruellia dipteracanthus and Wigandia kunthii) are reported for the first time from the Canary Islands. All were initially introduced on purpose, mostly as ornamentals, and recently started to escape from cultivation. Most of them are ephemerals or only locally established, but nearly all have the potential to naturalise in the future. Thirteen additional species are reported for the first time from Tenerife: Atriplex nummularia, Bellis perennis, Chenopodium probstii, Coccoloba uvifera, Commelina benghalensis, Cuphea hyssopifolia, Eragrostis virescens, Lemna minuta, Malvastrum corchorifolium, Plerandra elegantissima, Psidium guajava, Thunbergia alata and Urochloa subquadripara. Finally, some miscellaneous notes are provided on the presence of Balanites aegyptiaca, Callistemon viminalis, Grevillea robusta and Passiflora caerulea in Tenerife.

The first checklist of alien vascular plants of Kyrgyzstan, with new records and critical evaluation of earlier data. Contribution 1.

BACKGROUND: National checklists of alien plants and detailed databases of non-native plant occurrences are required to study and control regional and global plant invasions. No country in Central Asia has a national checklist of alien plants. A recent inventory counted 183 alien plant species in Kyrgyzstan, including archaeophytes and neophytes, established and casual. This preliminary checklist, which was developed for the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species in 2018, served as a starting point for the present study. NEW INFORMATION: A complete inventory of Xanthium in Kyrgyzstan has revealed that three alien species are resident in the country. Their correct nomenclature is X.orientale (syn. X.albinum, X.californicum, X.sibiricum auct.; invasive neophyle of the period of extensive grain import to the USSR after the Second World War), X.spinosum (invasive neophyte of the period of the Second World War, which arrived as a contaminant on the relocated livestock) and X.strumarium (syn. X.chinense, X.sibiricum; archaeophyte of the Neolithic period, introduced with wheat cultivation, which had lost its invasive status and appeared on the verge of extinction when its pool was no longer renewed by contaminated grain). A history of introduction to Central Asia is uncovered for all the species of Xanthium. A further spread is documented for Buniasorientalis, with a new record extending its distribution to the Eastern Tian-Shan; a complex history of its introduction to Europe and Central Asia is inferred from the archaeological data and its recent dispersal, and the pathways of its introduction to Kyrgyzstan are established. Erigeronannuus s.str. is reported as new to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and E.lilacinus as new to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Tajikistan (it was previously recorded as E.annuus s.l. from the three latter countries, in which the presence of E.annuus s.str. is not confirmed). These closely related species differ in their pathways of introduction and invasion status: E.annuus s.str. is an invasive established alien which was imported as a contaminant of forage, whereas E.lilacinus is mostly a casual (locally persisting) alien introduced with contaminated seed of ornamental plants or nursery material, and also intentionally introduced and locally established in the Botanical Garden in Bishkek. Bidenstinctoria (syn. Coreopsistinctoria) is newly recorded as a casual alien from a single locality in Kyrgyzstan; this species name is validly published here in conformity with the phylogeny of Coreopsideae.Point maps of species distributions in Kyrgyzstan are provided on the basis of a complete inventory of the literature data, herbarium specimens and documented observations, and our recent fieldwork. The maps are documented with a dataset of herbarium specimens and observations. Period and pathways of introduction, vectors of dispersal, current and historical invasion status, evidence of impact and distributional trend are established or inferred for each species. Each species is discussed in the context of plant invasions in Central Asia as a whole.These species accounts are part of the national database of alien plants which aims at producing a comprehensive overview and analysis of plant invasions in Kyrgyzstan.

The importance of pollinators and autonomous self-fertilisation in the early stages of plant invasions: Banksia and Hakea (Proteaceae) as case studies.

Reproduction is a crucial stage in the naturalisation of introduced plant species. Here, using breeding system experiments and observations of floral visitors, we investigate whether a lack of pollinators or an inability to autonomously self-fertilise limits naturalisation in five Australian Banksia species and the co-familial Hakea salicifolia in South Africa. Banksia species were heavily utilised by native insects and nectar-feeding birds. Although Banksia produced fruit when pollinators were excluded, pollinators significantly increased seed set in four of the five species. H. salicifolia flowers were visited by 11 insect species; honeybees (Apis mellifera) were the main visitors. Flowers in naturalised H. salicifolia populations received almost four times the number of visits as flowers in non-naturalised populations; the latter showed both pollen limitation (PLI 0.40) and partial self-incompatibility. This should not prevent invasion, since H. salicifolia produces fruits via autonomous selfing in the absence of pollinators. The results suggest a limited role of breeding systems in mediating naturalisation of introduced Proteaceae species. Other factors, such as features of the recipient environments, appear to be more important. Spatial variation in rates of reproduction might, however, explain variation in the extent and rate of naturalisation of different populations.

Piecing together the biogeographic history of Chenopodium vulvaria L. using botanical literature and collections.

This study demonstrates the value of legacy literature and historic collections as a source of data on environmental history. Chenopodium vulvaria L. has declined in northern Europe and is of conservation concern in several countries, whereas in other countries outside Europe it has naturalised and is considered an alien weed. In its European range it is considered native in the south, but the northern boundary of its native range is unknown. It is hypothesised that much of its former distribution in northern Europe was the result of repeated introductions from southern Europe and that its decline in northern Europe is the result of habitat change and a reduction in the number of propagules imported to the north. A historical analysis of its ecology and distribution was conducted by mining legacy literature and historical botanical collections. Text analysis of habitat descriptions written on specimens and published in botanical literature covering a period of more than 200 years indicate that the habitat and introduction pathways of C. vulvaria have changed with time. Using the non-European naturalised range in a climate niche model, it is possible to project the range in Europe. By comparing this predicted model with a similar model created from all observations, it is clear that there is a large discrepancy between the realized and predicted distributions. This is discussed together with the social, technological and economic changes that have occurred in northern Europe, with respect to their influence on C. vulvaria.