title: Relative roles of climatic suitability and anthropogenic influence in determining the pattern of spread in a global invader.
abstract: Because invasive species threaten the integrity of natural ecosystems, a major goal in ecology is to develop predictive models to determine which species may become widespread and where they may invade. Indeed, considerable progress has been made in understanding the factors that influence the local pattern of spread for specific invaders and the factors that are correlated with the number of introduced species that have become established in a given region. However, few studies have examined the relative importance of multiple drivers of invasion success for widespread species at global scales. Here, we use a dataset of >5,000 presence/absence records to examine the interplay between climatic suitability, biotic resistance by native taxa, human-aided dispersal, and human modification of habitats, in shaping the distribution of one of the world's most notorious invasive species, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). Climatic suitability and the extent of human modification of habitats are primarily responsible for the distribution of this global invader. However, we also found some evidence for biotic resistance by native communities. Somewhat surprisingly, and despite the often cited importance of propagule pressure as a crucial driver of invasions, metrics of the magnitude of international traded commodities among countries were not related to global distribution patterns. Together, our analyses on the global-scale distribution of this invasive species provide strong evidence for the interplay of biotic and abiotic determinants of spread and also highlight the challenges of limiting the spread and subsequent impact of highly invasive species.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa. nrourapascual@gmail.com
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roura-Pascual
authors.forename: Cang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Gwénaël
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leday
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carpintero
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Espadaler
authors.forename: Crisanto
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guénard
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krushelnycky
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Melodie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McGeoch
authors.forename: Sean B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Menke
authors.forename: Jes S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Joel P W
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Andrew V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Touyama
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Sue P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Worner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000254:growth & development*; D002980:Climate; D003132:Commerce; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D058865:Introduced Species / Q000639:trends*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012044:Regression Analysis