The mosquito Aedes albopictus breeds in small volumes of water, such as those in

Question

The mosquito Aedes albopictus breeds in small volumes of water, such as those in tree holes (cavities in trees that can hold water) and in abandoned tires. Introduced from Asia to North America in the 1980s, this species is a public health concern because it can transmit diseases such as dengue feber. Once in North America, A. albopictus colonized tree holes and tires, where it encountered thriving populations of several different native species of mosquitoes. Livdahl and Willey (1991) sought to predict the outcome of competition between A. albopictus and the native mosquito A. triseriatus, a predominant member of tree hole communities. To do this, they estimated competition coefficients and carrying capacities forA. albopictus and A. triseriatus mosquito larvae developing in water obtained from tree holes and from tires. Their results are shown in the table below Tires Tree Holes Competition coefficients 0.43 0.72 Carrying capacity (No. individuals per 100 mL water) 42.5 53.2 0.84 0.25 33.4 44.7

Explanation / Answer

Many invasive species are considered competitively superior to native species, with the strongest competition expected in species with similar niches and/or in closely related species. However, competition outcome is strongly context-dependent as competitive strength varies along environmental gradients, and life stages, and also depends on abundances. To explore the importance of these factors, we examined competition effects in an experiment with three Impatiensspecies (Balsaminaceae) widespread in central Europe and sharing similar life-history characteristics and habitats: the native I. noli-tangere, and two invasive species, I. parviflora and I. glandulifera. We compared their competitive strength and reciprocal impacts under two levels of water and light availability, two overall planting densities and three competitor densities.

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