Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives

Abstract Invasive non-native fish species can profoundly disrupt ecosystems. In invasion ecology, using the functional similarity with native species to help predict demographic rates of non-native species and infer the ecological processes underlying it remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a compr...

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Main Authors: Barbbara Silva Rocha¹, Amanda Cantarute Rodrigues, Rafaela Vendrametto Granzotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04587-z
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author Barbbara Silva Rocha¹
Amanda Cantarute Rodrigues
Rafaela Vendrametto Granzotti
author_facet Barbbara Silva Rocha¹
Amanda Cantarute Rodrigues
Rafaela Vendrametto Granzotti
author_sort Barbbara Silva Rocha¹
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Invasive non-native fish species can profoundly disrupt ecosystems. In invasion ecology, using the functional similarity with native species to help predict demographic rates of non-native species and infer the ecological processes underlying it remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis of 2,903 species pairs across 153 sampling sites in rivers distributed in different continents, we evaluated interspecific synchrony patterns among populations of native and non-native fish species and explored their relationship with functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities using a linear mixed model. Our results indicate that non-native fish exhibit higher synchrony with native species that share similar ecological and morphological traits. This finding corroborates our hypothesis that co-occurring non-native and native species that are more functionally similar are more synchronized and emphasizes the importance of environmental filtering significantly shaping population dynamics between native communities and coexisting non-native species. We highlight the potential of widespread non-native species in increasing synchronous patterns and consequently decreasing community stability. By elucidating which type of dissimilarities (ecological, life history, morphological, and phylogenetic) can predict synchrony and which ecological mechanisms facilitate the coexistence of native and non-native species, this research underscores the ecological implications of invasion dynamics in the long term and helps to guide conservation efforts.
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spelling doaj-art-88e9f0b4530244aba26ba51ad6e559aa2025-08-20T02:31:04ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-04587-zWidespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar nativesBarbbara Silva Rocha¹0Amanda Cantarute Rodrigues1Rafaela Vendrametto Granzotti2Environmental Sciences Department, Federal University of São CarlosUMR5300 CRBE (Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement), CNRS 5174, IRD253, UPSPrograma DTI/CNPq, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Ecologia, Evolução e Conservação da Biodiversidade (EECBio), Universidade Federal de GoiásAbstract Invasive non-native fish species can profoundly disrupt ecosystems. In invasion ecology, using the functional similarity with native species to help predict demographic rates of non-native species and infer the ecological processes underlying it remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis of 2,903 species pairs across 153 sampling sites in rivers distributed in different continents, we evaluated interspecific synchrony patterns among populations of native and non-native fish species and explored their relationship with functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities using a linear mixed model. Our results indicate that non-native fish exhibit higher synchrony with native species that share similar ecological and morphological traits. This finding corroborates our hypothesis that co-occurring non-native and native species that are more functionally similar are more synchronized and emphasizes the importance of environmental filtering significantly shaping population dynamics between native communities and coexisting non-native species. We highlight the potential of widespread non-native species in increasing synchronous patterns and consequently decreasing community stability. By elucidating which type of dissimilarities (ecological, life history, morphological, and phylogenetic) can predict synchrony and which ecological mechanisms facilitate the coexistence of native and non-native species, this research underscores the ecological implications of invasion dynamics in the long term and helps to guide conservation efforts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04587-zInvasive speciesTrait similarityPopulation dynamicsFreshwaterLong-term trendsCo-occurrence
spellingShingle Barbbara Silva Rocha¹
Amanda Cantarute Rodrigues
Rafaela Vendrametto Granzotti
Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
Scientific Reports
Invasive species
Trait similarity
Population dynamics
Freshwater
Long-term trends
Co-occurrence
title Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
title_full Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
title_fullStr Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
title_full_unstemmed Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
title_short Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
title_sort widespread freshwater non native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives
topic Invasive species
Trait similarity
Population dynamics
Freshwater
Long-term trends
Co-occurrence
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04587-z
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AT amandacantaruterodrigues widespreadfreshwaternonnativefishesexhibitsynchronizedpopulationdynamicswithfunctionallysimilarnatives
AT rafaelavendramettogranzotti widespreadfreshwaternonnativefishesexhibitsynchronizedpopulationdynamicswithfunctionallysimilarnatives