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Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Effective conservation of endangered plant species requires identifying their greatest threats to formulate management protocols. Invasive species are a result of global change and are a major threat to biodiversity. We used the island cycad Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill as a model tha...

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Autores principales: Deloso, Benjamin E., Terry, L. Irene, Yudin, Lee S., Marler, Thomas E.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7767224/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33339374
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11120888
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author Deloso, Benjamin E.
Terry, L. Irene
Yudin, Lee S.
Marler, Thomas E.
author_facet Deloso, Benjamin E.
Terry, L. Irene
Yudin, Lee S.
Marler, Thomas E.
author_sort Deloso, Benjamin E.
collection PubMed
description SIMPLE SUMMARY: Effective conservation of endangered plant species requires identifying their greatest threats to formulate management protocols. Invasive species are a result of global change and are a major threat to biodiversity. We used the island cycad Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill as a model that represents the global issues of conservation science and invasion biology. In Guam, several non-native insect invasions began in 2003 and have combined to threaten the island population of this cycad species. In this article, we summarize the history of reported invasions and the reported non-native insect herbivores that have recently increased the threat status. We also discuss the interactions among herbivores that threaten the sustainability of C. micronesica on the island of Guam. ABSTRACT: Invasions of non-native species can threaten native biodiversity, and island ecosystems are ideal for studying these phenomena. In this article, first, we report on the invasive species that combine to threaten the island cycad Cycas micronesica by reviewing the history of previously reported invasions and providing an update of recent invasions. Then, we prioritize the threat status of each herbivore and the interactions among them. Plant damage was initiated in 2003─2005 by the non-native Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi armored scale, Erechthias sp. Meyrick leaf miner, and Luthrodes pandava Horsfield butterfly, which elicited unprecedented irruptions of the native Acalolepta marianarum Aurivillius stem borer and increased herbivory by feral pigs (Sus scrofa L.). The combined impact of these five consumers represents the greatest sustained threat to the cycad tree species. Mitigation of the damage caused by phytophagous non-native species is urgently needed to conserve this unique gymnosperm tree.
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spelling pubmed-77672242020-12-28 Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions Deloso, Benjamin E. Terry, L. Irene Yudin, Lee S. Marler, Thomas E. Insects Communication SIMPLE SUMMARY: Effective conservation of endangered plant species requires identifying their greatest threats to formulate management protocols. Invasive species are a result of global change and are a major threat to biodiversity. We used the island cycad Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill as a model that represents the global issues of conservation science and invasion biology. In Guam, several non-native insect invasions began in 2003 and have combined to threaten the island population of this cycad species. In this article, we summarize the history of reported invasions and the reported non-native insect herbivores that have recently increased the threat status. We also discuss the interactions among herbivores that threaten the sustainability of C. micronesica on the island of Guam. ABSTRACT: Invasions of non-native species can threaten native biodiversity, and island ecosystems are ideal for studying these phenomena. In this article, first, we report on the invasive species that combine to threaten the island cycad Cycas micronesica by reviewing the history of previously reported invasions and providing an update of recent invasions. Then, we prioritize the threat status of each herbivore and the interactions among them. Plant damage was initiated in 2003─2005 by the non-native Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi armored scale, Erechthias sp. Meyrick leaf miner, and Luthrodes pandava Horsfield butterfly, which elicited unprecedented irruptions of the native Acalolepta marianarum Aurivillius stem borer and increased herbivory by feral pigs (Sus scrofa L.). The combined impact of these five consumers represents the greatest sustained threat to the cycad tree species. Mitigation of the damage caused by phytophagous non-native species is urgently needed to conserve this unique gymnosperm tree. MDPI 2020-12-16 /pmc/articles/PMC7767224/ /pubmed/33339374 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11120888 Text en © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Communication
Deloso, Benjamin E.
Terry, L. Irene
Yudin, Lee S.
Marler, Thomas E.
Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title_full Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title_fullStr Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title_full_unstemmed Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title_short Biotic Threats to Cycas micronesica Continue to Expand to Complicate Conservation Decisions
title_sort biotic threats to cycas micronesica continue to expand to complicate conservation decisions
topic Communication
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7767224/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33339374
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11120888
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