Thursday, March 3, 2011

Success of Introduced Amphibians Increases in the Presence of Similar Native Species

'Establishment Success of Introduced Amphibians Increases in the Presence of Congeneric Species' is the title of a research article published this month in The American Naturalist. The ability to predict the invasive potential of a species has become one of the central goals of conservation efforts. This study suggests that preadaptation is a factor in a species successful establishing in the new environment. So basically, if there are already native amphibians in the same genus as the introduced species living successfully in the habitat, then the introduced species stands a better chance of being successful in that habitat, too. To read the article by Reid Tingley, Benjamin L. Phillips, and Richard Shine click here.