Alejandro Bortolus

Instituto para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC-CONICET)

Why do ecologists seem to underestimate the consequences of using bad taxonomy? Is it because the consequences of doing so have not been yet scrutinized well enough? Is it because these consequences are irrelevant? In this paper I examine and discuss these questions, focusing on the fact that because ecological works provide baseline information fo...

THIS ARTICLE WAS RETRACTED *ONLY* TO CORRECT MY NAME due to an editorial problem after the Galley Proof was edited. (see details on the "retraction notice" link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0291-4) Do Not Get Discouraged by the nasty orange label RG put up there. :-) . ABSTRACT: The aim of publishing papers in high-impact peer-reviewed jou...

NEW!!: DOWNLOAD FREE HighRes COPY FROM BHL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/281334#page/4/mode/thumb SPANISH: Las especies exóticas son aquellas cuya presencia en una región se debe a diversas acciones humanas, deliberadas o no, que les permitieron superar barreras biogeográficas que hubieran sido imposibles de atravesar por sí solas. Este...

ABSTRACT: In this article, we analyze and challenge a long-held paradigm that reduces the field of biological invasions to its ecological components. We explore thirteen case studies grouped within three major human dimensions (values, traditions, and quality of life) to show how biological invasions interwove and interact with them. The group of h...

Aim The smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is an iconic ecological engineer that has inspired some of the more insightful concepts and perspectives in modern theoretical ecology and environmental management, from population to community and ecosystem scales. Although it is currently considered native over more than 100 degrees of latitude along...

In a hyperconnected world, framing and managing biological invasions poses complex and contentious challenges, affecting socioeconomic and environmental sectors. This complexity distinguishes the field and fuels polarized debates. In the present article, we synthesize four contentious issues in invasion science that are rarely addressed together: v...

Background Evidence-based policymaking is a paradigm aimed at increasing the use of evidence by actors involved in policymaking processes. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a heavy reliance on emerging evidence for policymaking during emergencies. Objective This study describes the focus and types of evidence in journal articles self-described as r...

When evidence-based policymaking is so often mired in disagreement and controversy, how can we know if the process is meeting its stated goals? We develop a novel mathematical model to study disagreements about adequate knowledge utilization, like those regarding wild horse culling, shark drumlines and facemask policies during pandemics. We find th...

Standardized terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science – a dynamic and rapidly evolving discipline – the proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardized framework for its development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with various discrep...

At least 39,215 alien species and more than 37,000 established alien species have been recorded worldwide and occurrences of established alien species have been reported from all countries and all ecosystems globally. The number of established alien species has risen at continuously accelerating rates for centuries, recently reaching the highest to...

Aim Human activities have introduced numerous non‐native species (NNS) worldwide. Understanding and predicting large‐scale NNS establishment patterns remain fundamental scientific challenges. Here, we evaluate if NNS composition represents a proportional subset of the total species pool available to invade (i.e. total global biodiversity), or, conv...

Standardized terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science — a dynamic and quickly evolving discipline — the rapid proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardized framework for its language development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with...

Coastal salt marshes are recognized worldwide as diverse and productive environments, providers of many ecosystem services, and as places where a wide variety of taxa live, nest, nurse, and/or feed. Along the Atlantic coast of South America, the austral cordgrass Spartina densiflora displays great phenotypic variations that may favor it to thrive o...

The study of marine bioinvasions was not homogenously developed worldwide and it is unclear the amount of research effort currently applied across the Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) countries. Through a comprehensive literature review, in this work, we analyze trends, gaps and achievements in the marine bioinvasion research efforts made along the coas...

Early naturalists suggested that predation intensity increases toward the tropics, affecting fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes by latitude, but empirical support is still limited. Several studies have measured consumption rates across latitude at large scales, with variable results. Moreover, how predation affects prey community com...

Early naturalists suggested that predation intensity increases toward the tropics, affecting fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes by latitude, but empirical support is still limited. Several studies have measured consumption rates across latitude at large scales, with variable results. Moreover, how predation affects prey community com...

Early naturalists suggested that predation intensity increases toward the tropics, affecting fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes by latitude, but empirical support is still limited. Several studies have measured consumption rates across latitude at large scales, with variable results. Moreover, how predation affects prey community com...

Early naturalists suggested that predation intensity increases toward the tropics, affecting fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes by latitude, but empirical support is still limited. Several studies have measured consumption rates across latitude at large scales, with variable results. Moreover, how predation affects prey community com...

Mentor relationships are crucial to retention, success, and wellbeing of women and underrepresented minority scientists in academia. A network of diverse mentors may support achieving long-term career goals, advancement, and retention of both mentors and mentees, thus enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Diversified mentorship is...

• Invasive species threaten the conservation of marine environments, and urgent management strategies are needed to prevent their introduction, establishment and spread. Specifically, marine invasive predators destabilize ecological interactions and alter community structure and function. However, most of the evidence showing the effect of these pr...

Only a fraction of the species that are introduced succeed in the non-native environment, while others fail to survive, reproduce and/or disperse. Understanding the causes underlying each outcome is key to designing better early detection, prevention and management programs, and to deepen our knowledge of the invasion process. Here, we examine whet...

NOTE: This work has gone through the peer-review process and was finally published in Nature Communications: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359466937_Community_voices_the_importance_of_diverse_networks_in_academic_mentoring ----- Effective mentoring implies a two-way relationship in which mentees obtain benefits from the knowledge and tr...

The first comprehensive survey of marine bioinvasions in the southern Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWA, ca. 33°45′–ca. 54°50′S) published in 2002 reported 31 introduced and 46 cryptogenic species. In this assessment, we update this work by providing a deep historical perspective of marine biological invasions as well as a full new review of introducti...

In 2014, a DNA‐based phylogenetic study confirming the paraphyly of the grass subtribe Sporobolinae proposed the creation of a large monophyletic genus Sporobolus, including (among others) species previously included in the genera Spartina, Calamovilfa, and Sporobolus. Spartina species have contributed substantially (and continue contributing) to o...

Ports are vulnerable to biological invasions because of the high shipping exchange and the abundance and diversity of artificial structures. These artificial environments provide new habitats for fouling communities, commonly hosting a large number of exotic species. The colonization of artificial structures is influenced by large and small scale p...

Early detection and rapid response are essential to prevent invasive species from thriving in marine environments following their introduction. Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to predict the potential distribution of invasive species, providing excellent tools for the design of strategies to prevent or mitigate impacts of non-nat...

The sulfidic materials present in salt marshes could be oxidized forming sulfuric acid, increasing the toxic levels of both Al and Fe available to plants. The objectives of this study were: (a) to evaluate the mechanism of acid generation from the oxidation of sulfidic materials, and (b) to predict solid phases governing the dissolved Fe and Al con...

Conference Final Report made by Co-Chairs Evan Schwindt and Ale Bortolus

eLetter on the importance of celebrating meetings like the International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions-X in Argentina, Southern South America, where more support is needed to prevent marine bioinvasion scientists from leaving the region and help to improve the decision making on a variety of environmental issues involving exotic invasive marine...

The Southeast South American shelf marine ecosystem extends over the entire continental shelf off the Eastern shores of Argentina, Uruguay and southeastern Brazil (23° to 55°S). The region south of 40ºS is usually known as Patagonian Continental Shelf of Argentina (PCSA). The intertidal environments of the Patagonian shore are among the most divers...

Salt marshes in Patagonia ecosystem are nowadays fully recognized by ecological, pollution and phytoremediation studies but a soil genesis and geomorphology approach is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to establish the soil-geomorphology relationship in Fracasso salt marsh and to determine the successional vegetation dynamics associated...

In this work, we describe and discuss the current status, trends, and gaps for aquatic invasion research in South America, and we reveal the current state of multinational collaborations on these matters across the continent. First, to measure temporal change in the magnitude of invasion research for South America, we replicated a survey performed...

La introducción de especies representa una de las principales amenazas a la biodiversidad mundial. Las estrategias de control y erradicación suelen ser inefectivas, por lo que la prevención surge como la herramienta más eficiente para minimizar su impacto. Dos componentes claves de las estrategias de prevención son el monitoreo y la respuesta rápid...

Las invasiones biológicas son consideradas una de las principales causas de pérdida de biodiversidad mundial, por la variedad de impactos que pueden generar sobre las comunidades receptoras a través de procesos como la depredación. El opistobranquio marino Pleurobranchaea maculata, recientemente introducido en Argentina, es un depredador generalist...

Durante la última década, se incrementaron los estudios de incrustaciones biológicas (biofouling) sobre cascos de barcos, debido a la gran diversidad de especies marinas invasoras transportadas, y a la falta de medidas de control y manejo, como las adoptadas por la Organización Marítima Internacional para el agua de lastre. Mantener los cascos libr...

Many invertebrate species use the microhabitats generated by barnacles to settle and to avoid predation and desiccation. In Argentina, the acorn barnacle Balanus glandula not only colonizes rocky shores but has also successfully invaded soft bottom salt marshes, where it form large three-dimensional structures that facilitate the presence of other...

Para asentarse y evitar la depredación y la desecación, muchas especies de invertebrados usan los microhábitats que generan los cirripedios. En la Argentina, el cirripedio acorazado invasor Balanus glandula no sólo coloniza las costas rocosas; también ha invadido con éxito marismas de fondos blandos, donde forma grandes estructuras tridimensionales...

The opisthobranch Pleurobranchaea maculata, native to New Zealand and SE Australia, was recently found in Argentina. These sea slugs are highly voracious and active predators that feed on a wide variety of invertebrates, especially sea anemones, that represent their main prey items. Natives Actinothoe lobata and Parabunodactis imperfecta are the do...

Even our most trusted perception of Nature is not infallible; in fact it can easily be completely illusory, a condition we call Ecological Mirage, or Espejismo Ecológico in Spanish. A long overlooked historical event -- where an exotic species is introduced to a given region but then mis-interpreted for centuries as native -- may reveal unexpected...

Invasive species threaten native ecosystems worldwide. However, these species can interact positively with local communities, increasing their richness, or the abundance of some species. Many invasive species are capable of influencing the habitat itself, by ameliorating physical stress and facilitating the colonization and survival of other organi...

Appendix S1: Chronology of the Earliest records of Spartina alterniflora in South America and naturalistic details. Article to CITE: Reimagining South American coasts: Unveiling the hidden invasion history of an iconic ecological engineer. Diversity and Distributions 21(11):1267-1283. 2015

Invasive species threaten native ecosystems worldwide. However, these species can interact positively with local communities, increasing their richness, or the abundance of some species. Many invasive species are capable of influencing the habitat itself, by ameliorating physical stress and facilitating the colonization and survival of other organi...

La plataforma submarina y la costa atlántica argentina durante los últimos 22.000 años El ascenso del nivel del mar en la costa de la provincia de Buenos Aires La corriente de Malvinas.Ramas y frentes oceánicos en el mar patagónico El impacto del Plata sobre el océano Atlántico Efecto de la radiación ultravioleta sobre los ecosistemas acuáticos Atr...

Una guía para ayudar a jóvenes investigadores en el proceso de decidir quién va a supervisar su trabajo, y para alentar el debate crítico sobre esta relación. Esto no es una articulo publicado, sino un material didactico que se anexó a una entrevista. http://www.conicet.gov.ar/la-ciencia-de-elegir-un-director-de-tesis/ This is a Guide in Spanish d...

Phenotypic acclimation of individual plants and genetic differentiation by natural selection within invasive populations are two potential mechanisms that may confer fitness advantages and allow plants to cope with environmental variation. The invasion of Spartina densiflora across a wide latitudinal gradient from California (USA) to British Columb...

Plant zonation is one of the most conspicuous ecological features of salt marshes worldwide. In Patagonian salt marshes the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora forms dense monospecific stands along the lowest marsh level, while the higher levels are dominated by Spartina densiflora or Sarcocornia perennis. In this study, we coupled field transplants co...

Neohelice (Chasmagnathus) granulata is an ecosystem engineer endemic of salt marshes and mudflats of the southwestern Atlantic coast, where several Patagonian salt marshes were invaded by the acorn barnacle Balanus glandula, a typical rocky shore species. In this work, we supply the first report of the occurrence of epibiosis of B. glandula on N. g...

The positive impact that native species have on the survival, persistence and/or range-expansion of invasive species, is receiving increasing attention from ecologists and land managers trying to better understand and predict future invasions worldwide. Ecosystem engineers are among the best-known model organisms for such studies. The austral cordg...

The 8th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions. University of British Columbia

Balanus glandula is a native barnacle of the rocky shores in the west coast of North America. Forty years after its introduction in Argentina, this species is the only barnacle dominating the high intertidal of local rocky shores and more interesting, it was also reported successfully colonizing soft-bottom salt marshes. In this study, we identifie...

This is the on-line Appendix for the Article "Good habits come first in Science too" by Alejandro Bortolus in TREE, 2012, 27: 655.

Several species of ecosystem engineers inhabiting coastal environments have been reported structuring different kinds of communities. The magnitude of this influence often depends on the habitat complexity introduced by the engineers. It is commonly accepted that an increase in habitat complexity will result in an increase in diversity and/or abund...

Supplementary information to: Non-natives: 141 scientists object Full list of co-signatories to a Correspondence published in Nature 475, 36 (2011); doi: 10.1038/475036a. Daniel Simberloff University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. dsimberloff@utk.edu Jake Alexander Institute of Integrative Biology, Zurich, Switzerland. Fred Allendorf Univ...

Along the Atlantic coast of South America, the northern salt marshes (lower than 43°S) are dominated by Spartina species while the southern salt marshes (greater than 43°S) are dominated by Sarcocornia perennis. The most abundant Spartina species are Spartina densiflora which is present in most coastal marshes, and Spartina alterniflora that was ne...

In Patagonian rocky salt marshes, the presence of the austral cordgrass Spartina densiflora provide habitat for diverse faunal assemblages. Two different mechanisms may influence the distribution and abundance patterns of these associated organisms: those generated by the biological properties of cordgrasses and those caused or mediated by the phys...

interview to James T Carlton

Plant zonation is one of the most conspicuous ecological features of salt marshes worldwide. In this work we used a combination of field transplant and greenhouse experiments to evaluate the importance of interspecific interactions and physical stress in the determination of the major plant zonation patterns in Central Patagonian salt marshes. Ther...

Las marismas son ecosistemas regularmente inundados por el mar. Esta característica condiciona su flora y su fauna, que deben vivir en un medio sucesivamente cubierto y descubierto por el agua y caracterizado por su alta salinidad. La costa atlántica de la Patagonia alberga abundantes y variadas marismas, hasta el momento poco conocidas y aún menos...

The interest in the knowledge of the ecology of soft-sediment communities is increasing due to the importance that these environments pose to ecologists and environmentalists. However, the ecology of Argentinean sandy beaches is almost unknown, in spite of being relatively common landscapes. In this work we describe and compare the macroinfaunal as...

We combined literature reviews with an analysis of regional cartography, aerial photographs, and satellite images to identify the locations of heretofore-unknown salt marshes along the Patagonian coastline of Argentina. Subsequent ground surveys confirmed the presence of the marshes. While numerous sites still require verification, our surveys conf...

Balanus glandula, an east Pacific acorn barnacle from rocky shores, was introduced to Mar del Plata, Argentina more than 40years ago and has spread over 17 latitudinal degrees southward. Here we report the first record of this species living in a soft-bottom environment colonizing the salt marsh plant species Limonium brasiliense, Spartina densiflo...

The aim of this study was to explore the origin of the invasive Spartina densiflora by analysing samples from the native region (South America) and from a recently colonized area (California). A combination of various molecular data (chloroplast and nuclear sequences, molecular fingerprint) and ploidy level estimations was used to answer the questi...

III Congreso Nacional de Conservación de la Biodiversidad

Las marismas son un tipo de ambiente costero-intermareal que brinda invaluables servicios relacionados con el ecosistema oceánico. Las marismas más estudiadas están formadas por pastizales altos con fondos barrosos que se inundan según los ciclos de marea. Su vegetación se encuentra comúnmente dominada por unas pocas especies de plantas vasculares...

Patterns of spatial variation of molluscan communities associated with coralline algal turfs were evaluated over 1,000 km of the coast of Argentinean Patagonia. A hierarchically-nested experimental design was used to determine the relative importance of molluscan assemblage variation at three different spatial scales (shores, sites and cores). Hypo...

We often wonder how many of the pristine places left on Earth we can protect from deterioration before it is too late. The assumption that remote regions remain pristine plays a key role in directing policies for regional environmental management and conservation, and affects the local and global financial impetus to do so. In this paper, we use Ar...

El Parque Nacional Monte León se creó en base a la adquisición de la Estancia Monte León, con aprx. 60.000 hectáreas de ambiente de estepa patagónica. Este Parque Nacional comprende el ambiente terrestre, la costa y el sector intermareal, al cual se refiere principalmente este informe. La costa abarcada por el Parque representa cerca del 1% del lit...

Aim During the last 20 years, the austral cordgrass Spartina densiflora has been recorded aggressively invading estuarine environments in the USA, Spain and Morocco. Whereas this species is one of the three most widely distributed worldwide, it is among the least studied within the genus. The objective of this work is to integrate baseline informat...

Originally entitled: HALLANDO UN MUNDO PERDIDO: LAS MARISMAS PATAGONICAS. Finding a lost world: setting physiographic and ecological baseline information of the austral salt marshes of South America.