
Rob S.E.W. LeuvenRadboud University | RU · Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology
Rob S.E.W. Leuven
Professor Invasion biology
About
358
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Introduction
Rob S.E.W. Leuven currently works at the Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology of Radboud University in Nijmegen. He performs research on ecology of alien species, risk assessment and management of biological invasions.
Publications
Publications (358)
The invasive alien false mussels Mytilopsis leucophaeata cochleata and Dreissena polymorpha (Dreissenidae) have established populations in the North Sea canal in the Netherlands that connects the harbours of Amsterdam with the North Sea. The favourable and unfavourable salinity ranges of both species were earlier studied in long-term outdoor mesoco...
Exotic sturgeons in the river Rhine
The alien freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) has rapidly spread throughout Europe over the past decades. This species can cope with a broad range of environmental conditions and has a high reproductive capacity making S. woodiana a successful invader. Due to its negative effects on native freshwater mollusk communities and parasitiz...
Co-occurring and morphologically similar species have adapted to differential niches to minimize competition. An invasive alien species can occupy an ‘empty niche’ in introduced ranges. Alternatively, the invader may occupy an overlapping niche and compete with native species to a certain degree. In a Western European lowland brook with high nutrie...
The Rhine sculpin (Cottus rhenanus) is a benthic rheophilic fish species that is endemic to tributaries of the rivers Rhine and Meuse in North-western Europe. Little is known about its occurrence and individuals density in relation to habitat characteristics. A core population of C. rhenanus occurs in the River Geul in the Netherlands. Since the la...
The invasive Crassula helmsii is rapidly expanding in Europe. Several ecological effects are described, most of which focus on ecosystem functioning and native vegetation but rarely on fauna. In North-western Europe, C. helmsii often invades the breeding habitat of endangered amphibians, such as Epidalea calamita. The spawning rate, egg survival an...
Invasive alien crayfish species pose major ecological and hydrological risks globally. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is one of the most widespread crayfish species worldwide. Its impacts arise from burrowing activities and lead to mobilization of soil nutrients, water safety risks by instability of dikes and erosion of banks. Increas...
The invasive Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) threatens species characteristic of shallow soft water lakes and pools, among others, in Europe. Anthropogenic disturbances, including restoration actions, of these ecosystems cause open niches in their littoral zones and allow C. helmsii to form dominant stands, especially under nutrient e...
Longitudinal training dams (LTDs) are novel river training structures that divide a river into a main navigation channel and protected shore channels. High velocities at the inflows of shore channels constructed in the river Waal (The Netherlands) pose a potential bottleneck for migratory fish species swimming upstream. This study assessed the pass...
Team-based learning (TBL) is a structured form of collaborative learning that is particularly beneficial in courses where students are expected to understand a significant amount of information to answer complex questions. Here we evaluate the implementation of TBL in a second-year undergraduate sustainability course. The course introduces structur...
Sturgeons rank among the most endangered vertebrates in the world. Yet, the dwindling of wild sturgeon populations stands in stark contrast to their thriving status in aquaculture. Moreover, through the exotic pet trade, sturgeons are introduced outside their natural ranges where they may compete and hybridize with native species and transmit paras...
Plastic pollution in the ocean occurs mainly via riverine transport. In rivers, plastic is pervasive in sediments and in the water column. Monitoring of floating plastics in rivers is time consuming as it is usually collected using nets and classified by hand, or counted and classified visually. To make plastic detection in the water column more ti...
In recent decades, gobies have dispersed or introduced from the Ponto-Caspian region of eastern Europe in a westerly direction to North American and western European waters. By contrast, the naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc, is the only known gobiid species to have been introduced in an easterly direction from North American to western Europe. The potent...
Longitudinal training dams (LTDs) are novel hydraulic engineering structures in the river Waal intended to facilitate intensive navigation and safe discharges in the main channel while providing sheltered habitats for aquatic biota in shore channels. Monitoring data collected using light detection and ranging, multibeam echosounder and aerial photo...
Longitudinal training dams (LTDs) in the river Waal are novel river training structures that protect the littoral zone from the adverse effects of navigation providing new habitats for riverine macroinvertebrates. In order to inform river management and to better understand their ecological value for native and alien mussel species, it is important...
Rivers of Europe, Second Edition, presents the latest update on the only primary source of complete and comparative baseline data on the biological and hydrological characteristics of more than 180 of the highest profile rivers in Europe. With even more full-color photographs and maps, the book includes conservation information on current patterns...
Worldwide over 910 terrestrial planarian species have been described. They mainly occur in tropical and subtropical regions. In Europe, 22 alien terrestrial planarian species have been recorded over the last decades. In The Netherlands, 9 alien species have been found so far, mostly in greenhouses. Three of these species have established population...
The Rhine is a 1233 km-long pivotal river in Central Europe. Its catchment harbors about 60 million inhabitants in nine countries from the Alps to the North Sea. On most of its course, this heavily modified water body is managed in favor of industrial production, urbanization, and transport. The 1816 commission on navigability was the first Europea...
Exotische steuren kun je tegenwoordig overal tegenkomen. Ze worden in de aquacultuur geweekt voor de productie van kaviaar, verkocht als vijvervis en uitgezet in speciale hengelvijvers. Daarnaast worden er ook steeds meer vreemde steuren in het open water aangetroffen. Vormen deze vissen, net als de Amerikaanse rivierkreeft, Japanse oester of zwart...
Microplastic pollution is a growing, yet poorly understood problem. Here, we assessed the relationship between microplastic concentration and distance to rivers, shorelines, cities, sediment grain size or water depth in sediments of the world's largest (semi-)enclosed aquatic basins. Microplastic was extracted from sediment using density separation...
Risks and Potential Management of Invasive Crayfish
Since the 1950s, nine alien crayfish species (7 from North America, 1 from Southeast Europe, 1 from East Europe/Asia) have been introduced in the Netherlands. Seven of these species have well-established populations. Their impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning mainly results from diseas...
Ponto-Caspian dreissenids are notorious freshwater invaders. Recently, widespread observations show a dominance shift from the early invader, Dreissena polymorpha, to its successor, Dreissena bugensis. These observations likely reflect congeneric species differences in physiological and behavioural traits. Here, we assessed the mussel attachment st...
The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment area...
As filter-feeders, freshwater mussels provide the ecosystem service (ES) of biofiltration. Chemical pollution may impinge on the provisioning of mussels' filtration services. However, few attempts have been made to estimate the impacts of chemical mixtures on mussels' filtration capacities in the field, nor to assess the economic benefits of mussel...
Ponto-Caspian dreissenids are notorious freshwater invaders. Recently, widespread observations show a dominance shift from the early invader, Dreissena polymorpha, to its successor, Dreissena bugensis. These observations likely reflect congeneric species differences in physiological and behavioural traits. Here, we assessed the mussel attachment st...
Chemical pollution impinges on the quality of water systems and the ecosystem services (ESs) they provide. Expression of ESs in monetary units has become an essential tool for sustainable ecosystem management. However, the impact of chemical pollution on ESs is rarely quantified, and ES valuation often focuses on individual services without conside...
Several invasive alien snails are considered a threat to agriculture and horticulture. The development of rapid methods for reliable prediction of their impacts on crops is a major challenge in agricultural science and invasion biology. The use of comparative functional response tests could give insight in the potential impact of alien herbivorous...
A comparison of chemical, toxicological and ecological monitoring data and
modelling tools for the assessment of sediment pollution
With human population density increasing exponentially with proximity to water, river areas are home to billions
of people. One of the most densely populated areas worldwide is the North Sea region, encompassing
catchments of several large rivers, including the Rhine, Elbe, Scheldt and Humber. In these basins,
agricultural, industrial and household...
The ability to produce byssal threads enables invasive dreissenid mussels to attach to recreational boat hulls and other equipment. These mussels can be exposed to air during overland transport of recreational boats, which affects their potential to survive transport. Survival during air exposure is determined by a variety of environmental factors...
Conrad's false mussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad, 1831) and the Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia (Benson, 1842) are highly invasive bivalves actively spreading in the Ponto-Caspian region, which includes the basins of the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas. This study provides new records of both species from this region and gives a synopsis o...
Increasing public awareness is a prerequisite for successful management of invasive alien species (IAS). Environmental education can play an important role in this process by providing relevant learning outcomes and experiences for youth and students, as well as professionals in different sectors associated with introduction pathways or who are inv...
De opmars van exotische rivierkreeften lijkt niet te stoppen. In nagenoeg alle watertypes kun je ze tegenwoordig tegenkomen, vaak in (zeer) grote aantallen. De uitheemse dieren vormen niet alleen een gevaar voor de stabiliteit van oevers en dijken, maar bedreigen ook natuurwaarden. Valt dit kreeftenprobleem nog te beheren en te beheersen?
Endemic lizards in the Dutch Caribbean survive by vehicles of park
visitors
The Bonaire island whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus ruthveni) is an
endemic species living on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire. This
species is abundant on coral cliffs in the Washington Slagbaai National
Park. Vehicles of park visitors may cause road mortality of lizard...
The invasive Australian swamp stonecrop, Crassula helmsii, is a perennial amphibious herb originating from Australia and New Zealand. In freshwater wetlands of North-western Europe, this alien plant species is invasive due to its efficient colonization of empty niches. The establishment of dense C. helmsii growth is threatening native biodiversity...
Since the 1950s, nine alien crayfish species have been introduced in the Rhine-Meuse river delta. Seven species originate from North America, one from Southeast Europe and one from East Europe/Asia. Currently, at least seven species have well-established populations. Five species are listed as invasive alien species (IAS) of European Union (EU) con...
Environmental changes due to non-native species introductions and translocations are a global concern. Whilst understanding the causes of bioinvasions is important, there is need for decision-support tools that facilitate effective communication of the potential risks of invasive non-native species to stakeholders. Decision-support tools have been...
Environmental changes due to non-native species introductions and translocations are a global concern. Whilst understanding the causes of bioinvasions is important, there is need for decision-support tools that facilitate effective communication of the potential risks of invasive non-native species to stakeholders. Decision-support tools have been...
Basic information on shell dimensions, calcimass and periostracum mass, biomass, and the relation between the condition and reproduction of Mytilopsis leucophaeata was analyzed for a population in the North Sea Canal, the Netherlands. The mean dry flesh weight of individuals with a mean shell length of 12.5 mm showed a peak at the end of June. The...
Alien fish are important invaders, with a high number of species introduced outside their
native range worldwide. Pathogens associated with these invaders often remain undetected, while they potentially have detrimental effects on native fish species. The topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva), a cyprinid fish, originates from Asia and is globally...
Freshwater mussels are ecosystem engineers that provide important ecosystem functions and services, such as bio-filtration. A method for quantifying filtration capacity in rivers was developed and applied in a case study that estimated the loss in filtration services provided by invasive alien dreissenid mussels following a mass mortality event in...
The Asian cyprinid Pseudorasbora parva is considered to be a major threat to native fish communities and listed as an invasive alien species of European Union concern. Our study aims to gain evidence-based knowledge on the impact of both P. parva and its parasite Sphaerothecum destruens on native fish populations by analysing fish assemblages and b...
The successful use of relations between environmental processes (filters) and either plant traits or plant strategies has boosted ecological research. Various studies identified environmental filters shaping plant species composition. However, this approach is scarce in research on vegetation succession in floodplains of heavily modified rivers. Es...
Door omvangrijke graafactiviteiten vormt een aantal invasieve uitheemse rivierkreeftensoorten risico's voor de waterveiligheid, oeverstabiliteit en sedimenthuishouding. Vanwege snelle en wijde verspreiding wordt uitroeiing van de uitheemse rivierkreeftensoorten niet meer haalbaar geacht. Het aanleggen van natuurlijke oevers zou een kansrijk handeli...
Het voorzien in mogelijkheden voor sportvisserij is een belangrijke culturele ecosysteemdienst van watersystemen. Het voorliggende rapport beschrijft de ontwikkeling en toepassing van een indicator om deze ecosysteemdienst te kwantificeren en te karteren voor het langsdammengebied van de Waal. Daarbij zijn drie deelindicatoren gebruikt, namelijk he...
Rising surface water temperatures in fluvial systems increasingly affect biodiversity negatively in riverine ecosystems, and a more frequent exceedance of thermal tolerance levels of species is expected to impoverish local species assemblages. Reliable prediction of the effect of increasing water temperature on habitat suitability requires detailed...
The freshwater Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) has been applied in 35 risk assessment areas in 45 countries across the six inhabited continents (11 applications using FISK v1; 25 using FISK v2). The present study aimed: to assess the breadth of FISK applications and the confidence (certainty) levels associated with the decision-support tool’...
Limiting the spread and impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) on biodiversity and ecosystems has become a goal of global, regional and national biodiversity policies. Evidence based management of IAS requires support by risk assessments, which are often based on expert judgment. We developed a tool to prioritize potentially new IAS based on their...
This report examines how food forestry in the Netherlands has developed in recent years and which plant species are introduced. These plant species will be referred to as 'food forest species', but this does not mean that the planting of these species is limited exclusively to food forests. It has been analysed whether and to what extent alien food...
In the last decades, the aquatic vegetation of the river Rhine has declined. In order to rehabilitate the vegetation in the river it is vital to gain insights in the environmental factors that affect the occurrence and establishment of aquatic macrophytes. Especially navigation is expected to negatively influence the environmental conditions throug...
Invasieve uitheemse rivierkreeften veroorzaken signifi cante ecologische en economische
effecten maar vormen ook risico’s voor de waterveiligheid en mogelijk
voor de volksgezondheid. Het aantal uitheemse rivierkreeftsoorten in de provincie
Limburg is nog laag maar zal de komende jaren naar verwachting toenemen. De
inheemse Europese rivierkreeft (As...
The use of residual biomass for the production of bioenergy and biomaterials is often suggested as a strategy to avoid negative effects associated with dedicated biomass production. One potential source is biomass from landscape management. The goal of this study was to find the lowest net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of various applications of r...
Ranaviruses are the second deadliest pathogens for amphibian populations throughout the world. Despite their wide distribution in America, these viruses have never been reported in Mexico, the country with the fifth highest amphibian diversity in the world. This paper is the first to address an outbreak of ranavirus in captive American bullfrogs (L...
The introduction and spread of alien mollusc species is strongly related to human activities such as connecting river basins
through canal construction and shipping. Economic growth has caused an increase in commercial and recreational navigation
on rivers and led to the development of extensive networks of waterways. Ships alter flow velocity in l...
Two of the most invasive freshwater bivalve species in temperate regions worldwide are the Ponto-Caspian dreissenids Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis. Throughout their range, observations have been made of a dominance shift favouring D. r. bugensis where the two species co-occur. Although both dreissenids have been widely st...
Two of the most invasive freshwater bivalve species in temperate regions worldwide are the Ponto-Caspian dreissenids Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis. Throughout their range, observations have been made of a dominance shift favouring D. bugensis where the two species co-occur. Although both dreissenids have been widely studied, the mechanisms d...
At least 10% of children worldwide are diagnosed with overweight. Part of this problem is attributed to low vegetable intake, for which preference at a younger age is an indicator. Few studies examined long‐term effects of school garden interventions on the knowledge about and preference for vegetables. Therefore, in this study, an intervention per...
The amphibious invasive alien Crassula helmsii is native to Australasia and introduced in Europe. This species negatively affects wetland ecosystems by outcompeting native species, impeding water flow, reducing dissolved oxygen and stimulating redox processes. Therefore, effective eradication measures are required. However, a comprehensive overview...