University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN, United States
Abstract: The invasive wolfsnail, E. rosea, is a carnivorous and ecologically destructive species in many parts of the world but its range has been limited by intolerance to extremely cold temperatures. Here we provide three lines of evidence of significant ongoing and future geographic range expansion caused by global warming: 1) we examine the current range of E. rosea using data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 2) we document the persistence of and provide demographic data on an isolated extra-limital satellite population in Nashville, Tennessee since its discovery in 2006, and 3) we apply a predictive ecological model that incorporates environmental variables which show continued expansion well beyond its current range limits and into the central USA. These results provide insights into the specific processes driving this invasion:1) it is often characterized by jump dispersal events typically related to horticultural and landscaping activities. 2) establishment and expansion of these satellite populations are aided by landscape management practices including irrigation as well as the urban heat island effect (UHI) and 3) there is a synergistic interaction between climate change and the UHI effect whereby the latter accelerates range expansion from global warming.
