Biological invasions

Biological invasions are now considered as a major threat to Biodiversity across the World. They raise questions about our capacity to predict the spread of an introduced population, the impacts on local ecosystems, the evolutionary responses, and ultimately to control invaders. We have initiated in September 2016 the European Life project CROAA "Control strategies of Alien Amphibians" . Its research objectives are to test alternative control strategies using connectivity modelling, demographic parameters and capture efficiency in two main invasive amphibians the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis and the Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus. Both species have been introduced in France and threatens wetland communities.

Related publications

Vimercati G., Rödder D., Vuilleumier S. , Berroneau M., Secondi J. (2024) Large-landscape connectivity models for pond-dwelling species: methods and application to two invasive amphibians of global concern. Landscape Ecology 39, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01858-4.
Ginal P. , Measey J. , Herrel A., Secondi J. , Rebelo R., Courant J., Rödder D. (2023) Unknown invaders: the African-clawed frog in Europe, six years later. Elaphe 2: 76-87 (in German).
Lorrain-Soligon L., Secondi J. (2022) Quantification of underwater calling and foraging activities in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. Amphibia-Reptilia 43: 357-367.
Ginal P., Kruger N., Wagener C., Araspin L., Mokhatla M., Secondi J., Herrel A., Measey A., Rödder D. (2023) More time for aliens? Performance shifts lead to increased activity time budgets propelling invasion success. Biological Invasions 25: 267-283.
Kruger N., Secondi J., du Preez L., Herrel A., Measey J. (2022) Phenotypic variation in Xenopus laevis tadpoles from contrasting climatic regimes is the result of adaptation and plasticity. Oecologia. doi: 10.1007/s00442-022-05240-6
Lorrain-Soligon L, Cavin T, Villain AS, Perez AC, Kelley AB, Secondi J (2021) Effects of conspecific lures, call playbacks, and moonlight on the capture rate of Xenopus laevis, a major invasive amphibian. Management of Biological Invasions 12: 716-726.
Vimercati G., Kruger N., Secondi J. (2021) Land cover, individual’s age and spatial sorting shape landscape resistance in the invasive frog Xenopus laevis . Journal of Animal Ecology. 90: 1177-1190.
Ginal P., Mohlamatsane M., Kruger N., Secondi J., Herrel,, A., Measey J., Rödder D. (2020) Ecophysiological models for global invaders: Is Europe a big playground for the African clawed frog? Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A 10.1002/jez.2432.
Kruger N., Measey J., Vimercati G., Herrel A., Secondi J. 2020. Does the spatial sorting of dispersal traits affect the phenotype of the non-dispersing stages of the invasive frog Xenopus laevis through coupling?". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 132: 257-269.
Secondi J., Raux F. 2020. An invasive amphibian drives anti-predator responses in two preys at different trophic positions. Behavioral Ecology. 31: 851-857.
Vimercati G., Labadesse M., Dejean T., Secondi J. 2019. Assessing the effect of landscape features on pond colonization by an elusive amphibian invader using eDNA. Freshwater Biology 65: 502-2013.
Kruger N., Measey J., Herrel A., Secondi J. 2019. Anti-predator strategies of invasive African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, to native and invasive predators in western France. Aquatic invasions 14: 433-444.
CourantJ., Secondi J., GuillemetL, VolletteE., HerrelA. 2019. Rapid changes in dispersal on a small spatial scale at the range edge of an expanding population. Ecology and Evolution 33: 599-612.
Schoeman A.L., Kruger K., Secondi J., Du Preez L.H. 2019. Repeated reduction in parasite diversity in invasive populations of Xenopus laevis - a global experiment in enemy release. Biological Invasions. doi: 21: 1323-1338.
Courant J., Secondi J., Volette J., Herrel A., Thirion J-M. 2018. Assessing the impacts of the invasive frog, Xenopus laevis, on amphibians in western France. Amphibia Reptilia 39: 219-227
Courant J., Volette J., Secondi J., Herrel A. 2018. Changes in the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities throughout the expanding range of an invasive anuran. Food Webs 17: e00098
Courant J., Secondi J., Bereiziat V., Herrel A. 2017. Resources allocated to reproduction decrease at the range edge of an expanding population of an invasive amphibian. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 122: 157-165
Courant J., Vogt S., de Villiers A., Marques R., Measey J.G., Secondi J., Rebelo R., de Busschere C., Ihlow F, Backeljau T., Rödder D., Herrel A. 2017. Are invasive populations characterized by a broader diet than native populations? Peer J 5:e3250; DOI 10.7717/peerj.3250
Rödder D., Ihlow F., Courant J., Secondi J., Herrel A., Rebelo R., Measey J.G., Lillo F., de Villiers A., de Busschere C., Backeljau T. 2017. Global realized niche divergence in the African-clawed frog Xenopus laevis. Ecology and Evolution 7: 4044-4058
Ihlow F., Courant J., Secondi J., Herrel A., Rebelo R., Measey G.J., et al. 2016. Impacts of climate change on the global invasion potential of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. PLoS One 11: e0154869.
Secondi J., Dejean T., Valentin A., Audebaud B., Miaud C. 2016 Estimating the density of an aquatic invasive amphibian, Xenopus laevis, using environmental DNA Amphibia-Reptilia 37, 131-136.