Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

The role of refuges in biological invasions: A systematic review

Boon, James S.; Keith, Sally A.; Exton, Dan A.; Field, Richard

The role of refuges in biological invasions: A systematic review Thumbnail


Authors

James S. Boon

Sally A. Keith

Dan A. Exton



Abstract

Aim
Ecological refuges buffer organisms against stressors and mediate a range of species interactions. However, their role in the context of biological invasions has yet to be synthesized, despite the increasing prevalence and impact of non-native species. To address this, we conducted a systematic review aiming to determine the extent to which refuges are considered explicitly in the invasion literature and to synthesize their function.

Location
Global.

Time period
Present day.

Major taxa studied
All.

Methods
Our search of the literature was conducted using the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases and followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol. We obtained 315 records of refuge use in biological invasions from 300 studies. From each record, we extracted information relating to the experimental design, species characteristics and refuge type, where available.

Results
Refuges and refuge-mediated processes are widely reported in the invasion literature. Native species commonly use refuges to avoid non-native predation and competition, with spatial complexity and habitat heterogeneity key factors in facilitating their coexistence. Records show that artificial structures safeguard non-natives in their introduced range. However, there were key differences in the use of such structures in marine and terrestrial environments. Moreover, the enhanced structural complexity created by non-native plants and bivalves is often reported to act as a predation refuge for other species.

Main conclusions
The ubiquity of refuge-based processes suggests that refuges can play an important role in affecting the persistence, spread and impacts of non-native species, either through previously described mechanisms (i.e. refuge-mediated apparent competition and the persistent pressure scenario) or through a mechanism we describe (i.e. when non-native species use existing refuges), or both.

Citation

Boon, J. S., Keith, S. A., Exton, D. A., & Field, R. (2023). The role of refuges in biological invasions: A systematic review. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 32(8), 1244-1271. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13701

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 3, 2023
Online Publication Date May 23, 2023
Publication Date 2023-08
Deposit Date Jun 27, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jun 27, 2023
Journal Global Ecology and Biogeography
Print ISSN 1466-822X
Electronic ISSN 1466-8238
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 32
Issue 8
Pages 1244-1271
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13701
Keywords Coexistence; invasion biology; management; non-native; persistence; refuge
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/21112980
Publisher URL https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.13701

Files







You might also like



Downloadable Citations