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Publication
The arrival of a non-indigenous ecosystem engineer to a heavily invaded and flow-regulated estuary in Europe
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Ecosystem engineering bivalves can shape aquatic ecosystems because their high
filtration capacity changes water quality and their shells increase the fractal
dimension of benthic ecosystems with consequent abiotic and biotic effects. The
Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia (W. H. Benson, 1842), native to East Asia
between the South China Sea and Siberia, is one such bivalve that, despite its small
size, can reshape a benthic ecosystem when forming dense, continuous mats. We
describe here the first detected population of this non-indigenous species in
southern Portugal. The Asian date mussel was found in the middle portion of the
Guadiana estuary in 2022. There, river flow has been highly regulated since the
construction of the biggest European reservoir in 2002, which may have been the
precursor for the establishment of numerous non-indigenous species. We also
discuss if this new non-indigenous species indicates an ongoing invasion meltdown
process or if it can be framed under the empty niche or niche replacement
hypothesis. So far, there is only circumstantial evidence supporting the niche theory
hypotheses, but the interaction of several hypotheses promoting the spread and
establishment of this species is also likely. Moving forward, better-informed
management and conservation efforts should rely on new empirical and
experimental evidence to understand the establishment mechanisms of nonindigenous species in the Guadiana estuary.
Description
Keywords
Invasive species Invasion meltdown Niche theory Asian mussel Arcuatula senhousia Guadiana Portugal
Citation
Publisher
Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC)