Author
David C. Aldridge
Bio: David C. Aldridge is an academic researcher from University of Cambridge. The author has contributed to research in topics: Introduced species & Mussel. The author has an hindex of 41, co-authored 148 publications receiving 5982 citations.
Topics: Introduced species, Mussel, Dreissena, Unionidae, Zebra mussel
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: The issue of microplastics in freshwater systems is reviewed to summarise current understanding, identify knowledge gaps and suggest future research priorities.
1,688 citations
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University of Porto1, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources2, University of Minho3, Technische Universität München4, University of Cambridge5, Spanish National Research Council6, Russian Academy of Sciences7, Buffalo State College8, Ghent University9, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague10, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University11, University of Zagreb12, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens13, University of Santiago de Compostela14, Swedish Museum of Natural History15, University of Belgrade16, American Museum of Natural History17, University of Latvia18, Mustafa Kemal University19, University of Kragujevac20, University of Jyväskylä21, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences22, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro23, Polish Academy of Sciences24
TL;DR: Greater international cooperation using standardized protocols and methods to monitor and manage European freshwater mussel diversity will not only help conserve this vulnerable group but also, through the protection of these important organisms, will offer wider benefits to freshwater ecosystems.
Abstract: Freshwater mussels of the Order Unionida provide important ecosystem functions and services, yet many of their populations are in decline. We comprehensively review the status of the 16 currently recognized species in Europe, collating for the first time their life-history traits, distribution, conservation status, habitat preferences, and main threats in order to suggest future management actions. In northern, central, and eastern Europe, a relatively homogeneous species composition is found in most basins. In southern Europe, despite the lower species richness, spatially restricted species make these basins a high conservation priority. Information on freshwater mussels in Europe is unevenly distributed with considerable differences in data quality and quantity among countries and species. To make conservation more effective in the future, we suggest greater international cooperation using standardized protocols and methods to monitor and manage European freshwater mussel diversity. Such an approach will not only help conserve this vulnerable group but also, through the protection of these important organisms, will offer wider benefits to freshwater ecosystems.
378 citations
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TL;DR: By reviewing the ecology of several invasive bivalves, a variety of mechanisms via which they modify, maintain and/or create habitats are identified, which should receive more serious consideration in restoration and management initiatives.
Abstract: Several non-indigenous bivalve species have been colonising aquatic ecosystems worldwide, in some cases with great ecological and economic impacts. In this paper, we focus on the ecosystem engineering attributes of non-indigenous invasive bivalves (i.e., the capacities of these organisms to directly or indirectly affect the availability of resources to other species by physically modifying the environment). By reviewing the ecology of several invasive bivalves we identify a variety of mechanisms via which they modify, maintain and/or create habitats. Given the usually high densities and broad spatial distributions of such bivalves, their engineering activities can significantly alter ecosystem structure and functioning (e.g., changes in sediment chemistry, grain size, and organic matter content via bioturbation, increased light penetration into the water column due to filter feeding, changes in near bed flows and shear stress due to the presence of shells, provision of colonisable substrate and refuges by shells). In addition, changes in ecosystem structure and functioning due to engineering by invasive bivalves often have very large economic impacts. Given the worldwide spread of non-indigenous bivalves and the varied ways in which they physically modify habitats, their engineering effects should receive more serious consideration in restoration and management initiatives.
372 citations
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McGill University1, Zoological Society of London2, University College London3, Williams College4, Queen's University Belfast5, Canterbury of New Zealand6, University of Victoria7, Free University of Berlin8, Leibniz Association9, United States Forest Service10, Rutgers University11, University of Windsor12, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic13, Charles University in Prague14, Stellenbosch University15, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center16, University of Tennessee17, University of Cambridge18, Nanyang Technological University19, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences20
TL;DR: Diverse issues suggest an expanding interdisciplinary role for invasion science in biosecurity and ecosystem management, burgeoning applications of biotechnology in alien species detection and control, and new frontiers in the microbial ecology of invasions.
Abstract: We identified emerging scientific, technological, and sociopolitical issues likely to affect how biological invasions are studied and managed over the next two decades. Issues were ranked according to their probability of emergence, pervasiveness, potential impact, and novelty. Top-ranked issues include the application of genomic modification tools to control invasions, effects of Arctic globalization on invasion risk in the Northern Hemisphere, commercial use of microbes to facilitate crop production, the emergence of invasive microbial pathogens, and the fate of intercontinental trade agreements. These diverse issues suggest an expanding interdisciplinary role for invasion science in biosecurity and ecosystem management, burgeoning applications of biotechnology in alien species detection and control, and new frontiers in the microbial ecology of invasions.
290 citations
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University of Cambridge1, Stellenbosch University2, Zoological Society of London3, Natural History Museum4, Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland5, Coventry University6, National University of Distance Education7, Open University8, British Trust for Ornithology9, Veterinary Laboratories Agency10, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom11, CABI12, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science13, University of Sussex14, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland15
TL;DR: The aim was to consider IAS that were likely to impact on native biodiversity but were not yet established in the wild in Great Britain, and a novel extension of the consensus method for horizon scanning was developed which coupled consensus methods with rapid risk assessment.
Abstract: Invasive alien species (IAS) are considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, particularly through their interactions with other drivers of change. Horizon scanning, the systematic examination of future potential threats and opportunities, leading to prioritization of IAS threats is seen as an essential component of IAS management. Our aim was to consider IAS that were likely to impact on native biodiversity but were not yet established in the wild in Great Britain. To achieve this, we developed an approach which coupled consensus methods (which have previously been used for collaboratively identifying priorities in other contexts) with rapid risk assessment. The process involved two distinct phases:
1. Preliminary consultation with experts within five groups (plants, terrestrial invertebrates, freshwater invertebrates, vertebrates and marine species) to derive ranked lists of potential IAS.
2. Consensus-building across expert groups to compile and rank the entire list of potential IAS.
Five hundred and ninety-one species not native to Great Britain were considered. Ninety-three of these species were agreed to constitute at least a medium risk (based on score and consensus) with respect to them arriving, establishing and posing a threat to native biodiversity. The quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, received maximum scores for risk of arrival, establishment and impact; following discussions the unanimous consensus was to rank it in the top position. A further 29 species were considered to constitute a high risk and were grouped according to their ranked risk. The remaining 63 species were considered as medium risk, and included in an unranked long list. The information collated through this novel extension of the consensus method for horizon scanning provides evidence for underpinning and prioritizing management both for the species and, perhaps more importantly, their pathways of arrival. Although our study focused on Great Britain, we suggest that the methods adopted are applicable globally.
232 citations
Cited by
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University of Tennessee1, Centre national de la recherche scientifique2, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources3, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences4, Missouri Botanical Garden5, University of Paris-Sud6, University of Girona7, Institut national de la recherche agronomique8, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic9, Charles University in Prague10, University of Porto11, University of Minho12, Paul Sabatier University13, Spanish National Research Council14
TL;DR: Recent progress in understanding invasion impacts and management is highlighted, and the challenges that the discipline faces in its science and interactions with society are discussed.
Abstract: Study of the impacts of biological invasions, a pervasive component of global change, has generated remarkable understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of the spread of introduced populations. The growing field of invasion science, poised at a crossroads where ecology, social sciences, resource management, and public perception meet, is increasingly exposed to critical scrutiny from several perspectives. Although the rate of biological invasions, elucidation of their consequences, and knowledge about mitigation are growing rapidly, the very need for invasion science is disputed. Here, we highlight recent progress in understanding invasion impacts and management, and discuss the challenges that the discipline faces in its science and interactions with society.
2,346 citations
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TL;DR: This review critically evaluates the current literature on the presence, behaviour and fate of microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments and, where appropriate, draws on relevant studies from other fields including nanotechnology, agriculture and waste management.
1,864 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the links between the main drivers of globalization and biological invasions and examined state-of-the-art approaches to pathway risk assessment to illustrate new opportunities for managing invasive species.
Abstract: Summary
1
Humans have traded and transported alien species for millennia with two notable step-changes: the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Industrial Revolution. However, in recent decades the world has entered a new phase in the magnitude and diversity of biological invasions: the Era of Globalization. This Special Profile reviews the links between the main drivers of globalization and biological invasions and examines state-of-the-art approaches to pathway risk assessment to illustrate new opportunities for managing invasive species.
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Income growth is a primary driver of globalization and a clear association exists between Gross Domestic Product and the richness of alien floras and faunas for many regions of the world. In many cases, the exposure of these economies to trade is highlighted by the significant role of merchandise imports in biological invasions, especially for island ecosystems.
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Post-1950, technical and logistic improvements have accelerated the ease with which commodities are transported across the globe and hindered the traceability of goods and the ease of intercepting pests. New sea, land and air links in international trade and human transport have established novel pathways for the spread of alien species. Increasingly, the science advances underpinning invasive species management must move at the speed of commerce.
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Increasing transport networks and demand for commodities have led to pathway risk assessments becoming the frontline in the prevention of biological invasions. The diverse routes of introduction arising from contaminant, stowaway, corridor and unaided pathways, in both aquatic and terrestrial biomes are complex. Nevertheless, common features enable comparable approaches to risk assessment. By bringing together spatial data on climate suitability, habitat availability and points of entry, as well a demographic models that include species dispersal (both natural and human-mediated) and measures of propagule pressure, it is possible to generate risk maps highlighting potential invasion hotspots that can inform prevention strategies.
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Synthesis and applications. To date, most attempts to model pathways have focused on describing the likelihood of invader establishment. Few have modelled explicit management strategies such as optimal detection and inspection strategies and assessments of the effectiveness of different management measures. A future focus in these areas will ensure research informs response.
1,857 citations
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: The links between the main drivers of globalization and biological invasions are reviewed and state-of-the-art approaches to pathway risk assessment are examined to illustrate new opportunities for managing invasive species.
Abstract: Summary 1. Humans have traded and transported alien species for millennia with two notable step-changes: the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Industrial Revolution. However, in recent decades the world has entered a new phase in the magnitude and diversity of biological invasions: the Era of Globalization. This Special Profile reviews the links between the main drivers of globalization and biological invasions and examines state-of-the-art approaches to pathway risk assessment to illustrate new opportunities for managing invasive species. 2. Income growth is a primary driver of globalization and a clear association exists between Gross Domestic Product and the richness of alien floras and faunas for many regions of the world. In many cases, the exposure of these economies to trade is highlighted by the significant role of merchandise imports in biological invasions, especially for island ecosystems. 3. Post-1950, technical and logistic improvements have accelerated the ease with which commodities are transported across the globe and hindered the traceability of goods and the ease of intercepting pests. New sea, land and air links in international trade and human transport have established novel pathways for the spread of alien species. Increasingly, the science advances underpinning invasive species management must move at the speed of commerce. 4. Increasing transport networks and demand for commodities have led to pathway risk assessments becoming the frontline in the prevention of biological invasions. The diverse routes of
1,786 citations
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TL;DR: There is potential for microplastics to impact human health, and assessing current exposure levels and burdens is key to guide future research into the potential mechanisms of toxicity and hence therein possible health effects.
Abstract: Microplastics are a pollutant of environmental concern Their presence in food destined for human consumption and in air samples has been reported Thus, microplastic exposure via diet or inhalation could occur, the human health effects of which are unknown The current review article draws upon cross-disciplinary scientific literature to discuss and evaluate the potential human health impacts of microplastics and outlines urgent areas for future research Key literature up to September 2016 relating to accumulation, particle toxicity, and chemical and microbial contaminants was critically examined Although microplastics and human health is an emerging field, complementary existing fields indicate potential particle, chemical and microbial hazards If inhaled or ingested, microplastics may accumulate and exert localized particle toxicity by inducing or enhancing an immune response Chemical toxicity could occur due to the localized leaching of component monomers, endogenous additives, and adsorbed enviro
1,515 citations