River infrastructure and the spread of freshwater invasive species: inferences from an experimentally-parameterised individual-based model
River infrastructure and the spread of freshwater invasive species: inferences from an experimentally-parameterised individual-based model
Invasive species and river infrastructure are major threats to freshwater biodiversity. These stressors are commonly considered in isolation, yet the construction and maintenance of river infrastructure can both enhance and limit the expansion of invasive species. Spatial and temporal limitations of laboratory and field studies, coupled with little consideration of population-level responses (e.g. invasion rate), have limited understanding of the efficacy of infrastructure for long-term, catchment-scale containment of invasive species. This study utilised an individual-based model (IBM) to investigate the ability of a partial riverine barrier to contain the spread of invasive species at large spatio-temporal scales, using American signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus as a model species. The base model (no barrier) accurately recreated longitudinal expansion rates of signal crayfish reported in existing literature. A virtual riverine barrier was added to the base model, with passage at the structure parameterised using existing literature and the results of an experiment that demonstrated no clear relationship between crayfish density and passage efficiency at a Crump weir. Model outputs indicated a weir downstream of the release point had no effect on longitudinal expansion of crayfish, whereas an upstream barrier slowed the invasion rate for 6.5 years after it was first encountered. After the invasion rate had recovered to pre-barrier levels, the invasion front was 2.4 km further downstream than predicted in the absence of a barrier, representing a 1.73 year delay in longitudinal range expansion. Synthesis and applications. Despite substantial negative impacts on native biodiversity, river infrastructure can also delay the spread of freshwater invasive species, representing a trade-off. This demonstrates the need to consider positive ecological consequences of river infrastructure when designing prioritisation techniques for barrier removal and mitigation (e.g. selective fish passage), and suggests that in some cases barriers may provide a useful integrated pest management tool.
agent-based model, dispersal, in-stream engineering, low-head barriers, non-native species, range expansion, river engineering, signal crayfish
999-1009
Daniels, Jack
2e982641-df35-412e-8aaa-876d9bec0760
Kerr, James
cfdf2892-19c2-4206-9416-848b2b0f672c
Kemp, Paul
9e33fba6-cccf-4eb5-965b-b70e72b11cd7
June 2023
Daniels, Jack
2e982641-df35-412e-8aaa-876d9bec0760
Kerr, James
cfdf2892-19c2-4206-9416-848b2b0f672c
Kemp, Paul
9e33fba6-cccf-4eb5-965b-b70e72b11cd7
Daniels, Jack, Kerr, James and Kemp, Paul
(2023)
River infrastructure and the spread of freshwater invasive species: inferences from an experimentally-parameterised individual-based model.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (6), .
(doi:10.1111/1365-2664.14387).
Abstract
Invasive species and river infrastructure are major threats to freshwater biodiversity. These stressors are commonly considered in isolation, yet the construction and maintenance of river infrastructure can both enhance and limit the expansion of invasive species. Spatial and temporal limitations of laboratory and field studies, coupled with little consideration of population-level responses (e.g. invasion rate), have limited understanding of the efficacy of infrastructure for long-term, catchment-scale containment of invasive species. This study utilised an individual-based model (IBM) to investigate the ability of a partial riverine barrier to contain the spread of invasive species at large spatio-temporal scales, using American signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus as a model species. The base model (no barrier) accurately recreated longitudinal expansion rates of signal crayfish reported in existing literature. A virtual riverine barrier was added to the base model, with passage at the structure parameterised using existing literature and the results of an experiment that demonstrated no clear relationship between crayfish density and passage efficiency at a Crump weir. Model outputs indicated a weir downstream of the release point had no effect on longitudinal expansion of crayfish, whereas an upstream barrier slowed the invasion rate for 6.5 years after it was first encountered. After the invasion rate had recovered to pre-barrier levels, the invasion front was 2.4 km further downstream than predicted in the absence of a barrier, representing a 1.73 year delay in longitudinal range expansion. Synthesis and applications. Despite substantial negative impacts on native biodiversity, river infrastructure can also delay the spread of freshwater invasive species, representing a trade-off. This demonstrates the need to consider positive ecological consequences of river infrastructure when designing prioritisation techniques for barrier removal and mitigation (e.g. selective fish passage), and suggests that in some cases barriers may provide a useful integrated pest management tool.
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Journal of Applied Ecology - 2023 - Daniels - River infrastructure and the spread of freshwater invasive species
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 21 January 2023
Published date: June 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work was funded by grant EP/L01582X/1 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council, UK (J.A.D) and the European Horizon 2020 AMBER (Adaptive Management of Barriers in European Rivers) Project, Grant number: 689682 (J.R.K). We thank M. Lawes for allowing access to their land for crayfish trapping. The authors acknowledge the use of the IRIDIS High Performance Computing Facility and associated support services at the University of Southampton.
Funding Information:
This work was funded by grant EP/L01582X/1 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council, UK (J.A.D) and the European Horizon 2020 AMBER (Adaptive Management of Barriers in European Rivers) Project, Grant number: 689682 (J.R.K). We thank M. Lawes for allowing access to their land for crayfish trapping. The authors acknowledge the use of the IRIDIS High Performance Computing Facility and associated support services at the University of Southampton.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Applied Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.
Keywords:
agent-based model, dispersal, in-stream engineering, low-head barriers, non-native species, range expansion, river engineering, signal crayfish
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 476086
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476086
ISSN: 1365-2664
PURE UUID: 4f6863bb-3379-4879-8ec8-94a731f5bf9c
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Date deposited: 12 Apr 2023 11:47
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:54
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Author:
Jack Daniels
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