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Monk parakeet invasion success: a role for nest thermoregulation and bactericidal potential of plant nest material?

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Abstract

Invasive species are a global threat to biodiversity, economy and human wellbeing. To mitigate these threats, identifying and halting the introduction of potentially invasive species is crucial. Although progress has been made in elucidating mechanisms underlying invasion success, the role of species behavioral strategies has only received scant attention. Here, we use the invasion of monk parakeets in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil to study whether behavioral strategies such as nest thermoregulation and the ability to self-medicate against pathogens contribute to the establishment success of invading species. We relate data on monk parakeet reproductive success to ambient temperatures in- and outside nesting chambers and test the bactericidal potential of plants transported to the nest by breeding monk parakeets. Compared to breeding data from other invaded ranges and parts of the species’ native range, our results suggest both thermoregulation and the use of bactericidal plants could potentially influence monk parakeet reproductive success. Thermoregulation maintains stable temperatures of incubator chambers compared to large fluctuations (especially hotter extremes) outside the nest. At least one of the plants brought to the nest effectively inhibited growth of pathogenic bacteria. The union of these two factors could increase reproductive rates and may consequently aid the expansion of the species in new non-native environments.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jayme Augusto Prevedello for comments and providing language help on a previous version of this manuscript. We also thank Graziele Milioli to assistance in bactericidal test. I. R. Viana was supported with scholarships from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento Pessoal de Nível Superior. The authors would like to acknowledge the support provided by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology COST Action ParrotNet (ES1304).

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  1. Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Unidade Acadêmica de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Caixa Postal 3167, 88806-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Ivan Réus Viana & Jairo José Zocche

  2. Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Ivan Réus Viana & Jairo José Zocche

  3. Laboratório de Ecologia de Paisagens e Vertebrados, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Ivan Réus Viana & Jairo José Zocche

  4. Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Diederik Strubbe

  5. Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Diederik Strubbe

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  1. Ivan Réus Viana
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Correspondence to Ivan Réus Viana.

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Viana, I.R., Strubbe, D. & Zocche, J.J. Monk parakeet invasion success: a role for nest thermoregulation and bactericidal potential of plant nest material?. Biol Invasions 18, 1305–1315 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1068-7

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