Trends of Aquatic Alien Species Invasions in Ukraine
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Aquatic Invasions (2007) Volume 2, Issue 3: 215-242 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/ai.2007.2.3.8 Open Access © 2007 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2007 REABIC Research Article Trends of aquatic alien species invasions in Ukraine Boris Alexandrov1*, Alexandr Boltachev2, Taras Kharchenko3, Artiom Lyashenko3, Mikhail Son1, Piotr Tsarenko4 and Valeriy Zhukinsky3 1Odessa Branch, Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU); 37, Pushkinska St, 65125 Odessa, Ukraine 2Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas NASU; 2, Nakhimova avenue, 99011 Sevastopol, Ukraine 3Institute of Hydrobiology NASU; 12, Geroyiv Stalingrada avenue, 04210 Kiyv, Ukraine 4Institute of Botany NASU; 2, Tereschenkivska St, 01601 Kiyv, Ukraine E-mail: [email protected] (BA), [email protected] (AB), [email protected] (TK, AL), [email protected] (PT) *Corresponding author Received: 13 November 2006 / Accepted: 2 August 2007 Abstract This review is a first attempt to summarize data on the records and distribution of 240 alien species in fresh water, brackish water and marine water areas of Ukraine, from unicellular algae up to fish. A checklist of alien species with their taxonomy, synonymy and with a complete bibliography of their first records is presented. Analysis of the main trends of alien species introduction, present ecological status, origin and pathways is considered. Key words: alien species, ballast water, Black Sea, distribution, invasion, Sea of Azov introduction of plants and animals to new areas Introduction increased over the ages. From the beginning of the 19th century, due to The range of organisms of different taxonomic rising technical progress, the influence of man groups varies with time, which can be attributed on nature has increased in geometrical to general processes of phylogenesis, to changes progression, gradually becoming comparable in in the contours of land and sea, forest and dimensions to climate impact. deserts, to elevation and isolation of mountains, In the past, even when aquatic ‘stepping to changes in water bodies and water flows. stones’ existed across continents, very often These historical activities may be enhanced or negative environmental factors created natural slackened under global climate changes. obstacles hindering the spread of different Continental drift, the elevation and lowering of species of aquatic bacteria, fungi, plants and large areas of the Earth, the origin and trans- animals. For example water salinity serves as a formation of oceans, inner lake-seas have led to barrier impeding the entry of hydrobionts from the formation on the Earth, in the Paleocene and the Mediterranean to the Black Sea and Sea of Neocene periods of isolated water bodies with Azov. However, aquatic habitats with salinities distinct flora and fauna. As a result of active of 5-26‰ similar to the Black Sea and therefore geological processes and global climate changes suitable for brackish organisms are widely (especially in the glacial age) a natural shift and distributed on the Earth (Vinogradov 1986). transformation of fauna occurred. However, with Thus as these areas are geographically isolated, the origin of man and with the progress of spread by man can lead to successful civilization including extensive travel, the colonization of new comers. So the Black Sea 215 Alexandrov et al. has high risk in naturalization of exotic species coastal shelf especially close to river estuaries in comparison with other areas of world ocean. and large cities. These changes in the trophic Once the natural obstacle can be overcome, status of the sea led to a decline in biological species can spread over a new territory and diversity (losses of immunity due to a reduction expand its range. Often this occurs with the help in the number of predators) the freeing of of intentional or accidental human introductions. ecological niches and their occupation by highly As an example of accidental introduction productive alien species (Alexandrov and Zaitsev (simultaneously with intentional introduction of 1998). valuable species) data can be obtained that of the Of all the lacustrine states in the Black Sea 36 species brought to the Black Sea from the basin, Ukraine, due to its physical-geographic USA, only 4-6 have been applied in fisheries and position and economic development, has all the in angling and 10 for aquarium fishes. The rest, conditions necessary for becoming the main which penetrated into natural water bodies, are testing area for control the introduction of to some degree dangerous for aboriginal fauna aquatic alien species. (Zaitsev and Ozturk, 2001). The most common The aim of this paper is to illustrate, with the way of accidental introduction of new species is help of data from the literature, the chronology via ocean-going ships that transfer organisms of biological invasions of freshwater, brackish through natural barriers. According to the and marine species in Ukraine ranging from International Marine Organisation (IMO) 80% of unicellular algae to fish, with synonyms world cargoes are transported by shipping. included. Annually, about 85 000 ships carry 3-10 billion tons of ballast water in which more than 3,000 species of algae, invertebrates and fish have been Methodology recorded (IMO Bulletin 1998). The dispersal of species is accompanied by a All species of aliens can be divided into two simultaneous decrease in native species diversity groups: in the entire biosphere and in separate locations 1) Distant aliens – species which never unifying the genetic fund of the planet. The previously inhabited the Black Sea–Azov successful invasive species inevitably leads to basin, In other words these have a different heavy competition squeezing out weaker often origin, and were introduced into the water native species, resulting in a decline of bodies of Ukraine unintentionally or biological diversity (Convention on Biological intentionally with human help. Diversity: June 5, 1992, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil). 2) Neighbouring aliens – inhabitants of the The Black Sea – as a brackish water basin, Black Sea – Azov basin, or adjacent areas semi-isolated from the Mediterranean Sea has expanding by chance within Ukranian waters been closely studied for biological invasions. or with spread accelerated by human activities Not only has a high biodiversity of alien species (this is mostly freshwater species). been established – more than 140 – but also their substantial impact on the marine ecosystem Alien species have subsequently been grouped (Gomoiu et al. 2002; Alexandrov 2004) is into four categories namely casual, invasive, evident. The invasion of the comb jelly established and cryptogenic (questionable). Mnemiopsis leidyi Agassiz, 1865 was characte- rized as an ecological disaster (GESAMP 1997). Casual: In this paper alien is used in the The risk of entry of alien organisms into the sense of CIESM: Alien species are identified Black Sea has been promoted by the dredging of as having been recorded only once (no more shipping channels. These include the Danube- than twice for fishes) in the scientific Main-Rhine Canal, connecting the Black and literature: they are presumed to be not North Seas in 1836, and the Volga-Don Canal established in a river basin. connecting it with the Caspian Sea in 1952. http://www.ciesm.org/online/atlas/index.htm An important factor simplifying the natura- Invasive: These are the introduced species lization of alien species in the Black Sea is the that, having overcome biotic and abiotic instability of its ecosystem. Wide scale barriers, can propagate away from their area eutrophication, observed first in the northwestern of initial introduction through the production sea in the early 1970s, spread almost all over the of fertile offspring without any reference to 216 Trends of aquatic alien species invasions in Ukraine impact (Richardson et al. 2000). In many The largest rivers of the Black Sea (Danube, definitions the term invasive is also Dnieper, Dniester) make up more than 50% of considered as established species which are the total river runoff into the Black Sea agents of change and threaten native (Nikolaenko and Reshetnikov 1991), and their biological diversity (IUCN 2002) or as catchments create a zone of maximum biological species that threaten the diversity or productivity in most of the shelf of Ukraine. In abundance of native species, the ecological total, Ukraine has about 73,000 rivers. The stability of infested ecosystems, economic highest number are present in the western activities dependent on these ecosystems mountainous area including the Dniester and and/or human health (EPA 2001). It is in this Danube basins. The density of the river network last meaning that the term IAS (Invasive there is 1–1.5 km/km2. In the Crimea, rivers are Alien Species is used here). relatively rare, with many areas lacking natural Established (synonym: naturalized): These water flow. The density of the Crimean river include an introduced or feral population of networks is 0.22 km/km2. a species. Species established in the wild The continental waters of the Ukraine pertain with free-living, self-maintaining and self- to two of the largest zoogeographical areas, i.e. perpetuating populations unsupported by and Palearctic and Ponto-Caspian brackish areas independent of humans (European (Starobogatov 1970). The Palearctic includes Commission 2004). North Eurasia and Northwest Africa. Within the Cryptogenic species are species with no boundaries of Ukraine, there are two zoogeo- definite evidence of their native or graphic provinces: the Baltic and Danube-Don. introduced status according to Carlton The former includes the rivers of the Visla basin (1996). Species whose probable introduction and Shatskie lakes. The Ponto-Caspian area has occurred prior to 1800, i.e. has not been includes the Caspian Sea, limans and the lower witnessed, have also been included in our reaches of the rivers of the Black and Azov Seas. compiled list. Often these species are According to some data a number of relict lakes excluded from lists of aliens or included in Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Iran, Iraq, Central among the established ones.