Valentin, Rafael. The effects of invasion dynamics on post-establishment evolution, global spread, and population detectability. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3P84GC9
DescriptionResearch on non-native species has broad implications, ranging from understanding evolutionary adaptation of species in novel environments to ameliorating the negative ecological and economic impacts dangerous non-natives (i.e. invasive) promulgate. Non-native species are those that have been transported either intentionally or by accident by humans out of their native geographical range and released (introduced) into a new non-native location. Although they have long been a part of human society, non-native species numbers have grown exponentially over the last few decades with the rapid growth of global trade. Species are moved via trade as the commodity itself (e.g., ornamental plants or aquarium fish) or as stow-a-ways within the traded commodity or within the packing material and vessels used to transport commodities. Given the ubiquity of invasive species, there is an urgent need to understand the effects of invasion dynamics and build tools that can aid in our efforts to slow their spread or limit their impact. My research contributes to this understanding at both biogeographical and local scales by addressing: 1) the influence of transport and release on post-establishment morphological evolution within a non-native bird population on Hawaii; 2) the global transportation and release pathways of a rapidly spreading invasive insect that harms agricultural interests worldwide; and 3) the implementation of novel molecular techniques to rapidly detect incipient invasive populations of agricultural pests when at low abundance. To achieve these goals, I use genetic information from the target non-native species. Genetic data is advantageous in this context as it avoids over-reliance on historical records or real-time surveillance to document transportation pathways, does not require a priori assumptions regarding the current distribution of the target species, and is naturally deposited and detectable within the environment for prolonged periods of time. My results inform efforts to manage the global spread of invasive species, and highlight the importance of introduction history on how non-native’s evolutionarily respond to the conditions prevalent in their non-native location.