The range expansion pattern and ecologial release of invasive soil invertebrates

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25891002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: IKEDA Hiroshi 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 准教授 (00508880)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 生物多様性 / 土壌動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of our research is to elucidate the range expansion pattern of invasive soil invertebrates in the United States. We used one of the earthworm species, Amynthas agrestis (Megascolecidae), which has invaded to the United States from Japan, as a model species. We conducted molecular analyses for this species collected in Japan and US. The phylogenic tree constructed in our study supported that A. agrestis has invaded to US from Japan. However, the invasion history and the range expansion pattern were not clear because of the low phylogenetic differentiation among the sites in Japan and in the US. In our study, we newly found that another species, A. irregularis, has also invaded from Japan.

Free Research Field

進化生態学