Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia

ABSTRACT Anticipation and identification of new invasive alien species likely to establish, spread and be impactful in a landscape, especially in response to climate change, are consistently a top priority of natural resource managers. Using available global bioclimatic variables limiting plant dist...

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Main Authors: Olusegun O. Osunkoya, Mohsen Ahmadi, Christine Perrett, Moya Calvert, Boyang Shi, Steve Csurhes, Farzin Shabani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71043
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author Olusegun O. Osunkoya
Mohsen Ahmadi
Christine Perrett
Moya Calvert
Boyang Shi
Steve Csurhes
Farzin Shabani
author_facet Olusegun O. Osunkoya
Mohsen Ahmadi
Christine Perrett
Moya Calvert
Boyang Shi
Steve Csurhes
Farzin Shabani
author_sort Olusegun O. Osunkoya
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Anticipation and identification of new invasive alien species likely to establish, spread and be impactful in a landscape, especially in response to climate change, are consistently a top priority of natural resource managers. Using available global bioclimatic variables limiting plant distributions, we employed maximum entropy (MaxEnt) as a correlative species distribution model to predict the current and future (2041–2060 and 2061–2080) distribution for 54 emerging weed species of different growth forms for the State of Queensland, Australia. Overall, the model predictive performance was excellent, with area under the curve (AUC) and the true skill statistic (TSS) averaging 0.90 and 0.67, respectively. Based on distribution records, the emerging weed species sorted out along environmental (climatic) space—with trees and succulents, each at the two ends of the continuum, while grasses, herbs and shrubs were distributed between the two extremes. Temperature seasonality and minimum temperature of the coldest month were the main driver variables that accounted for differences in climatic preference among the focal species and/or plant growth forms. Range shifts were predicted for many species in response to climate change; overall, habitat range increase will occur more often than range contraction and especially more so in trees compared to all other plant growth forms. Range stability was least in succulent weeds. In general, under climate change, the majority of the invasion hotspot area was projected to remain geographically stable (76.95%). Far northern Queensland (especially the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York Peninsula areas) and the coastal communities along the eastern seaboards of the State are the hotspots for emerging invasive alien species to establish and expand/contract in response to climate change. Based on observed and potential ranges, as well as species response to climate change, we derived an index of risk and hence statewide prioritisation watch list for management and policy of the emerging weeds of Queensland.
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spelling doaj-art-96eb76dc3beb4efb92ff615a9cea0a322025-08-20T03:26:55ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-04-01154n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71043Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, AustraliaOlusegun O. Osunkoya0Mohsen Ahmadi1Christine Perrett2Moya Calvert3Boyang Shi4Steve Csurhes5Farzin Shabani6Invasive Plant & Animal Science Unit, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculure & Fisheries EcoSciences Precinct Brisbane Queensland AustraliaDepartment of Natural Resources Isfahan University of Technology Isfahan IranInvasive Plant & Animal Science Unit, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculure & Fisheries EcoSciences Precinct Brisbane Queensland AustraliaInvasive Plant & Animal Science Unit, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculure & Fisheries EcoSciences Precinct Brisbane Queensland AustraliaInvasive Plant & Animal Science Unit, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculure & Fisheries EcoSciences Precinct Brisbane Queensland AustraliaInvasive Plant & Animal Science Unit, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculure & Fisheries EcoSciences Precinct Brisbane Queensland AustraliaCollege of Arts and Sciences Qatar University Doha QatarABSTRACT Anticipation and identification of new invasive alien species likely to establish, spread and be impactful in a landscape, especially in response to climate change, are consistently a top priority of natural resource managers. Using available global bioclimatic variables limiting plant distributions, we employed maximum entropy (MaxEnt) as a correlative species distribution model to predict the current and future (2041–2060 and 2061–2080) distribution for 54 emerging weed species of different growth forms for the State of Queensland, Australia. Overall, the model predictive performance was excellent, with area under the curve (AUC) and the true skill statistic (TSS) averaging 0.90 and 0.67, respectively. Based on distribution records, the emerging weed species sorted out along environmental (climatic) space—with trees and succulents, each at the two ends of the continuum, while grasses, herbs and shrubs were distributed between the two extremes. Temperature seasonality and minimum temperature of the coldest month were the main driver variables that accounted for differences in climatic preference among the focal species and/or plant growth forms. Range shifts were predicted for many species in response to climate change; overall, habitat range increase will occur more often than range contraction and especially more so in trees compared to all other plant growth forms. Range stability was least in succulent weeds. In general, under climate change, the majority of the invasion hotspot area was projected to remain geographically stable (76.95%). Far northern Queensland (especially the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York Peninsula areas) and the coastal communities along the eastern seaboards of the State are the hotspots for emerging invasive alien species to establish and expand/contract in response to climate change. Based on observed and potential ranges, as well as species response to climate change, we derived an index of risk and hence statewide prioritisation watch list for management and policy of the emerging weeds of Queensland.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71043climate changeinvasive alien speciespest prioritisationrange shiftrisk‐assessmentspecies distribution modelling
spellingShingle Olusegun O. Osunkoya
Mohsen Ahmadi
Christine Perrett
Moya Calvert
Boyang Shi
Steve Csurhes
Farzin Shabani
Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
Ecology and Evolution
climate change
invasive alien species
pest prioritisation
range shift
risk‐assessment
species distribution modelling
title Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
title_full Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
title_fullStr Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
title_full_unstemmed Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
title_short Climate‐Induced Range Shift and Risk Assessment of Emerging Weeds in Queensland, Australia
title_sort climate induced range shift and risk assessment of emerging weeds in queensland australia
topic climate change
invasive alien species
pest prioritisation
range shift
risk‐assessment
species distribution modelling
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71043
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