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Invasive predator reshapes island trophic network and biogeography
Weishan Tu1, Yanxia Li2, Yuanbao Du3
1State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China; Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Current Biology : CB
|December 5, 2025
Summary
Invasive American bullfrogs disrupt island food webs by altering native anuran diets and network structure. These impacts are most severe on islands with longer invasion histories and closer proximity to the mainland.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Invasive Species Research
Background:
- Invasive predators threaten global biodiversity, particularly on islands with simplified food webs.
- The impact of invasive predators on island trophic network structure and its relation to island characteristics is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of the invasive American bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana) on native anuran-prey trophic networks.
- To assess how island isolation and area influence the impact of invasive predators on trophic networks.
Main Methods:
- Conducted intensive field surveys and analyzed fecal DNA metabarcoding data.
- Compared trophic networks in 64 invaded and control ponds across 21 islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China.
Main Results:
- Invasive bullfrogs destabilized native anuran-prey networks by occupying central positions and generalizing native diets.
- Increased native network connectance, decreased modularity, and diluted the influence of island isolation on network structure.
- Impacts were most pronounced on islands with long bullfrog invasion histories and those near the mainland.
Conclusions:
- The American bullfrog significantly reshapes native trophic networks on islands.
- Invasive predators can homogenize island ecosystem functions and services, diminishing unique characteristics.
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