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Human activities such as transport, trade and tourism are likely to influence the spatial distribution of non-native species and yet, Species Distribution Models (SDMs) that aim to predict the future broad scale distribution of invaders often rely on environmental (e.g. climatic) information only. This study investigates if and to what extent do human activities that directly or indirectly influence nature (hereafter the human footprint) affect the global distribution of invasive species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. We selected 72 species including terrestrial plants, terrestrial animals, freshwater and marine invasive species of concern in a focus area located in NW Europe (encompassing Great Britain, France, The Netherlands and Belgium). Species Distribution Models were calibrated with the global occurrence of species and a set of high-resolution (9×9 km) environmental (e.g. topography, climate, geology) layers and human footprint proxies (e.g. the human influence index, population density, road proximity). Our analyses suggest that the global occurrence of a wide range of invaders is primarily limited by climate. Temperature tolerance was the most important factor and explained on average 42% of species distribution. Nevertheless, factors related to the human footprint explained a substantial amount (23% on average) of species distributions. When global models were projected into the focus area, spatial predictions integrating the human footprint featured the highest cumulative risk scores close to transport networks (proxy for invasion pathways) and in habitats with a high human influence index (proxy for propagule pressure). We conclude that human related information-currently available in the form of easily accessible maps and databases-should be routinely implemented into predictive frameworks to inform upon policies to prevent and manage invasions. Otherwise we might be seriously underestimating the species and areas under highest risk of future invasions.

The functional roles of freshwater mussels (Unionida) in tropical systems are poorly understood. We quantified the effects of mussel filtration, excretion and deposition in three anthropogenic tropical systems, i.e. a man-made lake, abandoned mining pool and rice paddy channel. Sinanodonta cf. woodiana (non-native) was present at all three sites, whilst Pilsbryoconcha compressa (native) was present in the channel only. Clearance rates, biodeposition rates and effects on suspended algal pigment and dissolved nutrient concentrations were quantified in controlled, replicated experiments in laboratory tanks with water from original habitats. Clearance rates were generally low and did not explain the high biodeposition rates observed. A considerable proportion of the natural diet of these populations may therefore consist of material that was not available in tanks, i.e. benthic or deposited algae. Deposition rates in lake and channel populations exceeded published rates from temperate and Mediterranean habitats, presumably due to prevalence of non-palatable material and/or higher metabolic rates in tropical systems. The presence of S. cf. woodiana but not P. compressa led to a strong increase in total ammonia nitrogen concentrations and N:P ratios, exceeding estimations from other systems. This study suggests that freshwater mussels play different functional roles in anthropogenic tropical habitats than in temperate systems.

Recent research efforts have significantly advanced our knowledge on Asian freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) diversity and distribution. Here we provide a modern consensus of the diversity, biogeography and conservation of Unionida in the region comprising East and Southeast Asia (excluding Wallacea) and Asian Russia. A data review confirmed the presence of 228 native and 3 non-native Unionida (98% Unionidae, 2% Margaritiferidae), rendering the region a global hotspot of freshwater mussel diversity. Species richness was highest in China (particularly Yangtze basin) in absolute numbers and Cambodia when correcting for country area, and decreased gradually towards the south and steeply towards the north and east. Six of the seven unionid subfamilies are native to the region, with species richness peaking in Southeast Asia for Rectidentinae, Gonideinae, Parreysiinae and Modellnaiinae, China for Anodontinae and Unioninae, and Asian Russia for Margaritiferidae. Conservation status and data collected after 1980 were not available for 61 and 24% of species, respectively. Dams, deforestation and pollution are likely the major threats to mussels in the region, though data in this respect are scarce. The Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia are among the countries with the poorest data availability and urgently require research.

The freshwater mussel Westralunio carteri (Iredale, 1934) has long been considered the sole Westralunio species in Australia, limited to the Southwest and listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and under Australian legislation. Here, we used species delimitation models based on COI mtDNA sequences to confirm existence of three evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) within this taxon and conducted morphometric analyses to investigate whether shell shape differed significantly among these ESUs. “ W. carteri ” I was found to be significantly larger and more elongated than “ W. carteri ” II and “ W. carteri ” II + III combined, but not different from “ W. carteri ” III alone. We recognise and redescribe “ W. carteri ” I as Westralunio carteri (Iredale, 1934) from western coastal drainages and describe “ W. carteri ” II and “ W. carteri ” III as Westralunio inbisi sp. nov. from southern and lower southwestern drainages. Two subspecies are further delineated: “ W. carteri ” II is formally described as Westralunio inbisi inbisi subsp. nov. from southern coastal drainages, and “ W. carteri ” III as Westralunio inbisi meridiemus subsp. nov. from the southwestern corner. Because this study profoundly compresses the range of Westralunio carteri northward and introduces additional southern and southwestern taxa with restricted distributions, new threatened species nominations are necessary.

The freshwater mussel fauna of Borneo is highly endemic, with at least 11 species being unique to that island. Most of these species have not been recorded for at least 50 years owing to a lack of sampling effort and large-scale habitat destruction and degradation. Surveys conducted in 2016 across much of Malaysian Borneo failed to locate four out of five native species historically recorded in the study area. The present study aimed to determine the diversity and distribution of freshwater mussels of Brunei and adjacent Limbang Division, Malaysia. In 2018, we conducted interviews with locals, recorded environmental data and surveyed mussels at 43 sites, and conducted interviews at a further 38 sites. Only one population of native mussels, i.e. Ctenodesma borneensis, was found in a small tributary of the Limbang River situated in a patch of intact rainforest, representing the first record of this Bornean endemic genus since 1962. In addition, Sinanodonta lauta was found in a pond in Lawas district, representing the first record of this species outside its native East Asian distribution. Our data suggest that C. borneensis can sustain populations in relatively undisturbed habitats and is likely to have suffered population losses across northern Borneo. The first molecular phylogenetic analysis (COI + 28S) including an endemic Bornean freshwater mussel genus revealed that Ctenodesma is phylogenetically divergent from all other previously sampled lineages, rendering it a particularly valuable conservation target.

Low- and middle-income countries in Southeast and East Asia face a range of challenges related to the rapid pace of urbanisation in the region, the scale of pollution, climate change, loss of ecosystem services and associated difficulties for ecological restoration. Possible pathways towards a more sustainable future lie in the applications of nature-based solutions (NBS). However, there is relatively little literature on the application of NBS in the region, particularly Southeast Asia. In this paper we address this gap by assessing the socio-ecological challenges to the application of NBS in the region – one of the most globally biodiverse. We first provide an overview and background on NBS and its underpinnings in biodiversity and ecosystem services. We then present a typology describing five unique challenges for the application of NBS in the region: (1) Characteristics of urbanisation; (2) Biophysical environmental and climatic context; (3) Environmental risks and challenges for restoration; (4) Human nature relationships and conflicts; and (5) Policy and governance context. Exploiting the opportunities through South-South and North-South collaboration to address the challenges of NBS in Southeast and East Asia needs to be a priority for government, planners and academics.

Tropical freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) are one of the most endangered groups of animals globally, but conservation is hindered by a lack of species distribution data. Traditional hand‐sampling is time‐ and cost‐intensive and not always possible, for example, because of the presence of crocodiles. Surveying freshwater mussel populations by environmental DNA (eDNA) could potentially rapidly increase data availability, but no published study and protocols targeted towards tropical freshwater mussels are available to date. We aimed to develop a reliable and cost‐efficient eDNA protocol for surveying tropical freshwater mussels. We first developed and validated a qPCR primer‐probe assay within the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene for Rectidens sumatrensis. We applied this assay in a controlled laboratory setting on eDNA collected from lake and river water, respectively, at two different R. sumatrensis densities in order to test a set of 18 different protocols for capturing, preserving, and extracting freshwater mussel eDNA. All protocols use equipment that is readily available and reusable. Our results revealed that samples stored in Longmire's buffer (at 4°C) yielded more mussel DNA than when stored in absolute ethanol (at −20°C), with < 1% of ethanol‐ and 78% of buffer‐preserved samples fulfilling the criteria for positive R. sumatrensis eDNA detection (i.e., amplifying above the limit of detection in at least four out of five qPCR replicates). Across buffer‐preserved samples, eDNA detection and amplification success rates were higher and quantification cycle values were lower for eDNA captured without pre‐filtration and with filter membrane pore sizes > 0.45 μm, and eDNA extracted with the Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit rather than the PowerSoil ProKit (albeit latter exhibiting fewer instances of amplification in negative controls). The assay detailed here was capable of detecting down to R. sumatrensis eDNA concentrations of 6.38 × 10−7 ng/μL and reflected the difference in stocking density. We aimed to develop a reliable and cost‐efficient eDNA protocol for surveying tropical freshwater mussels by firstly, developing and validating a qPCR primer‐probe assay for Rectidens sumatrensis, and secondly, applying this assay on eDNA collected from lake and river water, respectively, at two different mussel densities in order to test a set of 18 different protocols for capturing, preserving and extracting freshwater mussel eDNA. Mussel eDNA detection and amplification success rates were higher and quantification cycle values were lower for samples preserved in Longmire's buffer compared to ethanol, eDNA captured with filter membrane pore sizes > 0.45 μm, and eDNA extracted with the Qiagen© DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit rather than the PowerSoil ProKit (albeit latter exhibiting fewer instances of amplification in negative controls).

Sabah, a Malaysian state at the north-eastern tip of Borneo, is situated in one of the Earth's biodiversity hotspots yet its freshwater gastropod diversity remains poorly known. An annotated checklist of the freshwater gastropods is presented, based on specimens deposited in the collection of the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia. A KMZ file is also provided, which acts as a repository of digital images and complete collection data of all examined material, so that it can be shared and adapted to facilitate future research.