10.5061/DRYAD.2CK58
Willson, John D.
University of Arkansas System
Data from: Indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons on ecosystems in
southern Florida
Dryad
dataset
2017
Reptiles
meso-mammals
Snakes
Python molorus bivittatus
apex predators
non-native species
Procyon lotor
nest predation
alien species
2013
trophic cascades
Python bivittatus
Everglades Ecosystem
2017-12-06T00:00:00Z
2017-12-06T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12844
16850 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Invasive predators can dramatically alter ecosystems through both direct
predation and indirect effects such as tropic cascades. However, most
examples of top-down effects of invasive predators in terrestrial systems
stem from islands or similar low-diversity ecosystems. Snakes are an
emerging guild of damaging invasive predators, but demonstration of
ecosystem-level impacts of invasive snakes are limited to the single case
of the brown treesnake on Guam. Invasive Burmese pythons are firmly
established in southern Florida and have been linked to severe (80–100%)
declines of several previously common mammal species (e.g. raccoons,
opossums and rabbits). Specifically, spatiotemporal patterns of mammal
declines in the Everglades mirror the spread of pythons and experimental
reintroductions of rabbits to areas where they had been extirpated failed
due to high (77% of mortalities) rates of predation by pythons. I
evaluated the potential indirect effects of pythons on the nesting success
of oviparous species by monitoring artificial turtle nests (N = 183) at 13
sites across the expanding range of the python population. I documented
few mammals and low rates of nest predation (average score = 1·5 on a 1–5
scale) in the southern Everglades where pythons have been established the
longest, intermediate (average score = 2·3) rates of nest predation at
recently invaded sites, and very high (average score = 4·6) rates of nest
predation at sites with few or no pythons. These findings represent the
first documentation of potential indirect effects of pythons on non-prey
species, and suggest that loss or decline of mammals is resulting in
trophic cascades that threaten the Everglades ecosystem. Synthesis and
applications. My results suggest that an introduction of non-native apex
predators can result in trophic cascades that alter even complex,
continental ecosystems. The Burmese python invasion of South Florida shows
remarkable parallels with the catastrophic case of the brown treesnake in
Guam, but in some ways is even more worrisome. Documentation of both
strong direct impacts on prey and potential indirect effects on
Everglades’ ecosystems within 15 years after being recognized as
established emphasizes the need to integrate python management into
restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. More broadly, non-native
snakes warrant significant attention for their potential to become
damaging invasive species.
Willson - Python Indirect Effects DataMS excel file with mammal
observation (camera trap) and nest predation rate data.
USA
Florida