外来物种入侵是当今全球化时代人类面临的首要环境问题之一，入侵过程主要包括引种－野生种群建立－扩散三个主要阶段，其中扩散期直接决定了一个物种对当地的影响范围和程度，控制外来种的扩散是防治生物入侵的关键。本项目应用野外工作、人工模拟自然的控制实验和分子生物学技术等宏微观相结合的研究方法，综合种群密度和增长率、年龄结构、性别比例等种群水平上的繁殖体压力特征和迁移廊道、地理异质性、栖息地片段化等景观空间结构特征，以美国牛蛙为研究对象，探索外来物种的自然扩散模式及其影响机理，阐明种群动态调节如何同栖息地景观要素协同决定外来种的自然扩散机制，该研究对揭示外来种的快速扩散规律有重要意义，为发展未来对外来物种的防控策略，构建物种面对气候变化和土地利用改变的响应预测框架提供理论支持。

Alien species invasions have been one major threat to native biodiversity and economies at a global scale. Understanding factors influencing the spread of establishing invaders to more habitats is key to develop risk assessment schemes and management strategies. The present project aims to integrate field surveys, mesocosm studies and laboratory experiments to explore the synergistic effect of population demographics and landscape structures on the spread of invasive species using the invasive American bullfrog in Zhoushan Archipelago, China as a model system. We will examine how the population propagule dynamics and habitat landscape characteristics determine their natural dispersal process, which will be helpful to the development of effective management strategies for predicting and preventing the rapid range expansion of invasive species, and will provide insight into species’ range shifts in response to future climate change and habitat modifications.