Ecological correlates of invasion impact for Burmese pythons in Florida  

作　　者：Robert N.REED John D.WILLSON Gordon H.RODDA Michael E.DORCAS 

机构地区：[1]US Geological Survey,Fort Collins Science Center,Fort Collins,Colorado [2]Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation,Virginia Tech,Blacksburg,Virginia [3]Department of Biology,Davidson College,Davidson,North Carolina,USA

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2012年第3期254-270,共17页整合动物学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs;the Vero Beach office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service;the US Geological Survey’s Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Science and Invasive Species programs;Everglades National Park;supported by Davidson College;the Associated Colleges of the South;the J.E.and Majorie B.Pittman Foundation.

摘　　要：An invasive population of Burmese pythons(Python molurus bivittatus)is established across several thousand square kilometers of southern Florida and appears to have caused precipitous population declines among several species of native mammals.Why has this giant snake had such great success as an invasive species when many established reptiles have failed to spread?We scored the Burmese python for each of 15 literature-based attributes relative to predefined comparison groups from a diverse range of taxa and provide a review of the natural history and ecology of Burmese pythons relevant to each attribute.We focused on attributes linked to spread and magnitude of impacts rather than establishment success.Our results suggest that attributes related to body size and generalism appeared to be particularly applicable to the Burmese python’s success in Florida.The attributes with the highest scores were:high reproductive potential,low vulnerability to predation,large adult body size,large offspring size and high dietary breadth.However,attributes of ectotherms in general and pythons in particular(including predatory mode,energetic efficiency and social interactions)might have also contributed to invasion success.Although establishment risk assessments are an important initial step in prevention of new establishments,evaluating species in terms of their potential for spreading widely and negatively impacting ecosystems might become part of the means by which resource managers prioritize control efforts in environments with large numbers of introduced species.

关 键 词：body size Burmese python Florida invasive species Python molurus 

分 类 号：TP3[自动化与计算机技术—计算机科学与技术]