| The introduction of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei(Dunker, 1857) in South America was related to the discharge of ballast water, with its first record in 1991 in the La Plata River estuary. Since then, the species is spreading throughout the continent, with several economic and ecological negative consequences. Aim: To model, in the headwaters of Parana River, the spatial distribution ofL. fortunei and to understand the determinants of the current pattern of species distribution and the risk of invasion of areas not yet colonized. Methods: The ecological niche of L. fortunei was modeled using the algorithm MAXENT (Maximum Entropy Method) combined with records of occurrence of the bivalve, limnological data and the shear force measured by the... |
