Introduced invasive terrestrial invertebrates on Macquarie Island: studies on ecology, origins and control

• Other Authors: SUNNUCKS, PAUL (hasPrincipalInvestigator), SUNNUCKS, PAUL (processor), GREENSLADE, PENNY (hasPrincipalInvestigator), GREENSLADE, PENNY (processor), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Antarctic Data Centre
• Subjects: biota; ISLANDS; EARTH SCIENCE; BIOSPHERE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES; BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION; FLATWORMS/FLUKES/TAPEWORMS; EARTHWORMS; SEGMENTED WORMS (ANNELIDS); SPECIES PREDATION; ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS; SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS; EXOTIC SPECIES; CONTROL; PESTS; Arthurdendyus vegrandis; Kontikia andersoni; Invasive species; Distribution; Quarantine; Flatworms; Predators; GPS > Global Positioning System; GPS RECEIVERS; FIELD SURVEYS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN; SOUTHERN OCEAN > MACQUARIE ISLAND; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; New Zealand; Southern Ocean; Macquarie Island
• Online Access: https://researchdata.ands.org.au/introduced-invasive-terrestrial-origins-control/699903; https://doi.org/10.4225/15/574BC085150BE; https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/ASAC_2397; http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617536

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2397 See the link below for public details on this project. --- Public Summary from Project --- Three soil animals, a land shrimp, a slater and a flat worm, were all introduced to Macquarie Island early last century. The three species were probably imported accidentally with sealers and their supplies from New Zealand. This study will investigate the origins and methods of dispersal of these animals and what factors limit their spread in order to advise on possible removal and improved quarantine risk management for the island. From the abstract of the referenced paper: Invasive species are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. The relatively simple ecological systems of the subantarctic have the potential to be significantly damaged by predatory species that invade. Two species of exotic, predatory, terrestrial flatworms were first collected in 1997 from two localitles only 2km apart, in the southeast of subantarctic Macquarie Island. The species were later identified as Kontikia andersoni and Arthurdendyus vegrandis. We report here the results of fieldwork in 2004 that established that both species now occupy about a seventh of the southeast of the island which has a total area of only 170 square kilometres and that there seem to be no barriers to further expansion. The island was first discovered in 1810 and so it is likely the species were introduced by means of human intervention within the last 200 years. We provide evidence to show that both species originated in New Zealand and have probably been on the island for approximately 100 years giving an average rate of spread of about 10 metres per year. Other species of Arthurdendyus have been introduced from New Zealand to the United Kingdom where they prey on earthworms. The quarantine significance of A. vegrandis for Australia is discussed and recommendations made to reduce the probability of it entering Tasmania where it has the potential to become an agriculturla pest. The fields in this dataset are: Site Easting Northing Species