title: An ecosystem-service approach to evaluate the role of non-native species in urbanized wetlands.
abstract: Natural wetlands have been increasingly transformed into urbanized ecosystems commonly colonized by stress-tolerant non-native species. Although non-native species present numerous threats to natural ecosystems, some could provide important benefits to urbanized ecosystems. This study investigated the extent of colonization by non-native fish and bird species of three urbanized wetlands in subtropical Taiwan. Using literature data the role of each non-native species in the urbanized wetland was evaluated by their effect (benefits/damages) on ecosystem services (ES) based on their ecological traits. Our sites were seriously colonized by non-native fishes (39%-100%), but <3% by non-native birds. Although most non-native species could damage ES regulation (disease control and wastewater purification), some could be beneficial to the urbanized wetland ES. Our results indicated the importance of non-native fishes in supporting ES by serving as food source to fish-eating waterbirds (native, and migratory species) due to their high abundance, particularly for Oreochromis spp. However, all non-native birds are regarded as "harmful" species causing important ecosystem disservices, and thus eradication of these bird-invaders from urban wetlands would be needed. This simple framework for role evaluation of non-native species represents a holistic and transferable approach to facilitate decision making on management priority of non-native species in urbanized wetlands.
authors: Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan. ritayam@ntu.edu.tw.
authors: Rita S W
authors: RS
authors: Yam
authors: Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan. d00622007@ntu.edu.tw.
authors: Ko-Pu
authors: KP
authors: Huang
authors: Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan. zohl@gate.sinica.edu.tw.
authors: Hwey-Lian
authors: HL
authors: Hsieh
authors: Department of Life Sciences and Research Center for Global Change Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan. hjlin@dragon.nchu.edu.tw.
authors: Hsing-Juh
authors: HJ
authors: Lin
authors: Taiwan Wetland Society, Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan. huang120@gate.sinica.edu.tw.
authors: Shou-Chung
authors: SC
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D013624:Taiwan; D014507:Urbanization; D053833:Wetlands