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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Multiple co-occurrent alien invaders constrain aquatic biodiversity in rivers.

Simone Guareschi¹, Alex Laini², Judy England³

¹Geography and Environment, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom.

Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America

|June 15, 2021

Summary

Alien species richness, not abundance, negatively impacts aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Functional redundancy is affected by invader abundance. Preventing new invaders is key for conservation.

Keywords:

alien species bioassessment biological invasions freshwater biodiversity functional diversity invertebrates multiple invasions

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Last Updated: Nov 2, 2025

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Conservation Biology
Freshwater Science

Background:

Biological invasions pose a global threat to biodiversity conservation.
Freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to multiple, co-occurring alien species.
Understanding invasion impacts is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the effects of alien invader abundance and richness on aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity.
To evaluate impacts on taxonomic and functional richness, ecosystem quality, and functional redundancy.
To inform conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems.

Main Methods:

Utilized long-term river data from England.
Analyzed the relative abundance and richness of common aquatic invaders.
Assessed impacts on macroinvertebrate taxonomic and functional metrics.

Main Results:

Invader richness, more than abundance, significantly reduced macroinvertebrate biodiversity.
Functional redundancy was negatively impacted by invader abundance at the river basin scale.
Community responses showed marked reductions with the initial increase in invader taxa.

Conclusions:

Different aspects of multiple invasions affect distinct facets of aquatic biodiversity.
Preventing new invader establishment and limiting invader richness are critical conservation priorities.
Findings aid river scientists and environmental managers in understanding and prioritizing conservation efforts.