AUTHOR=Dinis Marco , Vicente Joana R. , César de Sá Nuno , López-Núñez Francisco A. , Marchante Elizabete , Marchante Hélia TITLE=Can Niche Dynamics and Distribution Modeling Predict the Success of Invasive Species Management Using Biocontrol? Insights From Acacia longifolia in Portugal JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution VOLUME=8 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2020.576667 DOI=10.3389/fevo.2020.576667 ISSN=2296-701X ABSTRACT=
Biological invasions are among the major contemporary threats to biodiversity. Biocontrol has a long history as a safe and effective strategy for the control of invasive species in several world regions, yet the life history and ecological requirements of biocontrol agents are often poorly understood. Species distribution models and assessments of niche overlap and dynamics constitute a way to quantify and compare ecological niches and are widely used for predicting biological invasions. While these tools can also be valuable to predict the effectiveness of biocontrol programs and anticipate whether biocontrol agents can establish on areas targeted for control, they remain underutilized for this purpose. In this work, species distribution models and comparisons of niche dynamics are used to predict the success of the ongoing biocontrol program for