Multiple species of black bass (a collective term that refers to members of the genus Micropterus, including Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and Florida Bass Micropterus floridanus) have been introduced into southern Africa and form the basis of an important recreational fishery.
Repeated introductions from both the native and the invaded ranges of a major tree pest, the Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), has enhanced its establishment and spread. These were some of the findings of a paper recently published in the journal Molecular Ecology.
Climate data are increasingly accessible and are being used to predict which species are most vulnerable to climate change. The available datasets often consist of monthly measurements or predictions for locations every dozens or hundreds of kilometres. Can such coarse data provide realistic vulnerability assessments for small organisms?
Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia species) are promoted as a green manure, but a survey of rural farmers revealed that these species are invasive, and have substantial negative impacts in addition to their benefits.
Because resources for addressing environmental problems are limited, it has been suggested that management should focus on those species that have the highest impacts in their new environments. Comparing the ability of alien and native species to utilize resources has been shown to offer a sound approach for identifying alien species with high impacts.
