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248 results for “invasion impact”
Survey of the impacts of an invasive grass (Microstegium vimineum) on soil C and N dynamics in western North Carolina
A survey of soil carbon, nitrogen, plant, and litter decomposition dynamics was conducted along a land-use gradient extending NW from Asheville, NC in the French Broad River Watershed. We selected 12 forest sites between 580 and 780m in elevation. Within each site, there were four paired invaded-uninvaded plots (48 pairs; 96 plots). Invaded plots contained populations of Microstegium vimineum. Soil C pools, soil N pools and transformations, plant community dynamics and litter decomposition rates were quantified in each plot.
Plant invasion has limited impact on soil microbial alpha-diversity : a meta-analysis
<p>Plant invasion has proved to be a significant driver of ecosystem change, and with increased probability of invasion due to globalization, agricultural practices and other anthropogenic causes, it is crucial to understand its impact across multiple trophic levels. With the strong linkages between above and belowground processes, the response of soil microorganisms to plant invasion is the next logical step in developing our conceptual understanding of this complex system. In our study, we utilized a meta-analytical approach to better understand the impacts of plant invasion on soil microbial diversity. We synthesized 70 independent studies with 23 unique invaders across multiple ecosystem types to search for generalizable trends in soil microbial a-diversity following invasion. When possible, soil nutrient metrics were also collected in an attempt to understand the contribution of nutrient status shifts on microbial a-diversity. Our results show plant invasion to have highly heterogenous and limited impacts on microbial a-diversity. When taken together, our study indicates soil microbial a-diversity to remain constant following invasion, contrary to the aboveground counter parts. As our results suggest a decoupling in patterns of below and aboveground diversity, future work is needed to examine the drivers of microbial diversity patterns following invasion.</p>
Community-level direct and indirect impacts of an invasive plant favour exotic over native species
<p class="CxSpFirst">1. Indirect interactions mediated by shared enemies or mutualists (i.e., apparent competition) can influence whether invasive plants harm or benefit co-occurring species. However, studies to date have largely examined single pairwise interactions, limiting our understanding of the interplay among different types of interactions and whether indirect impacts systematically favour native or exotic species. Predicting indirect interaction strength has also proven challenging, and it remains unclear whether the strengths of different indirect interactions are correlated.</p> <p class="CxSpMiddle">2. We conducted a field experiment in a grassland invaded by Scotch broom (<i>Cytisus scoparius</i>) to compare the strength of its indirect impacts, via both soil fungi or herbivores, on 21 native and exotic legume species growing in pots buried in the ground. Direct interactions of plants with soil fungi were controlled using nylon mesh pot windows of differing porosity (1 or 38 µm) to prevent or allow soil fungi hyphal growth. Arthropod herbivores were controlled through spraying pyrethrum pesticide. To assess indirect impacts, interactions were compared between plants adjacent to or 50 m away from an extensive Scotch broom invasion. We measured plant performance (survival, height, and biomass), arthropod and hare herbivory, and rhizobia nodulation.</p> <p class="CxSpMiddle">3. Despite increasing arthropod herbivory of both native and exotic plant species, Scotch broom had a net positive impact on their survival and growth, through sheltering them from abiotic stress, and indirectly via beneficial soil fungi and release from hare browsing. Soil fungi also increased arthropod herbivory, decreased rhizobia nodulation, and disproportionately promoted the growth of exotic plants. Overall, exotic plants experienced stronger interactions, which favoured them with beneficial soil fungi and rhizobia but not hare browsing. Finally, indirect interaction strength was not correlated among indirect interactions mediated by different interaction partners.</p> <p class="CxSpMiddle">4. Synthesis: We demonstrate that invaders affect their competitors through multiple interacting indirect pathways that were stronger than direct 'nurse plant' effects, emphasising the importance of a community-level approach to studying biological invasions. Exotic species experienced stronger positive and negative impacts than natives, but were facilitated overall, potentially contributing to exotic dominance in communities.</p>
Data from: An invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid, indirectly impacts Louisiana Waterthrush nest site selection and nest survival in the southern Appalachians
<p>Eastern hemlock (<i>Tsuga canadensis</i>) is declining throughout the eastern United States due to hemlock woolly adelgid (<i>Adelges tsugae</i> Annand), an invasive insect from Asia. In the southern Appalachians, hemlock is concentrated in moist ravines and its decline threatens riparian ecosystems. Previous research on this invasion has focused on adelgid control and how hemlock decline affects community composition or forest processes; few studies have evaluated the consequences for demography of obligate riparian species. The Louisiana Waterthrush (<i>Parkesia motacilla</i>) is an obligate riparian species that could be sensitive to hemlock condition in this region, but how individuals respond to decline is currently unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we leveraged recent adelgid treatment efforts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to evaluate the relationship(s) between hemlock decline and waterthrush habitat selection (foraging and nest site) and vital rates (nest and adult survival). We found that hemlock decline was unrelated to foraging habitat selection and apparent adult survival, but was related to nest site selection through an interaction with percent ground cover of exposed live tree roots: birds selected for nest sites in areas with more exposed live roots but only when hemlock were in poor condition. Nest survival was lower in areas where deciduous species (vs. evergreen species) dominated the understory, suggesting that adelgid invasion could indirectly impact waterthrush fitness depending on how vegetative succession proceeds following hemlock decline. Our results suggest that the short-term consequences of adelgid invasion on this riparian avian species are minimal in this area, but these relationships are likely dynamic and dependent on local habitat features and the predator community response to hemlock decline.Eastern hemlock (<i>Tsuga canadensis</i>) is declining throughout the eastern United States due to hemlock woolly adelgid (<i>Adelges tsugae</i> Annand), an invasive insect from Asia. In the southern Appalachians, hemlock is concentrated in moist ravines and its decline threatens riparian ecosystems. Previous research on this invasion has focused on adelgid control and how hemlock decline affects community composition or forest processes; few studies have evaluated the consequences for demography of obligate riparian species. The Louisiana Waterthrush (<i>Parkesia motacilla</i>) is an obligate riparian species that could be sensitive to hemlock condition in this region, but how individuals respond to decline is currently unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we leveraged recent adelgid treatment efforts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to evaluate the relationship(s) between hemlock decline and waterthrush habitat selection (foraging and nest site) and vital rates (nest and adult survival). We found that hemlock decline was unrelated to foraging habitat selection and apparent adult survival, but was related to nest site selection through an interaction with percent ground cover of exposed live tree roots: birds selected for nest sites in areas with more exposed live roots but only when hemlock were in poor condition. Nest survival was lower in areas where deciduous species (vs. evergreen species) dominated the understory, suggesting that adelgid invasion could indirectly impact waterthrush fitness depending on how vegetative succession proceeds following hemlock decline. Our results suggest that the short-term consequences of adelgid invasion on this riparian avian species are minimal in this area, but these relationships are likely dynamic and dependent on local habitat features and the predator community response to hemlock decline.</p>
Synergistic impacts of co-occurring invasive grasses cause persistent effects in the soil-plant system after selective removal
1. Human influence on the environment is so extensive that virtually all ecosystems on the planet are now affected by biological invasions. And, often, ecosystems are invaded by multiple co-occurring non-native species. Hence, it is important to understand the impacts these invasions are producing on biodiversity and ecosystem processes. 2. Here, we present results of a two-year long field experiment where we tested the effects of co-occurring invasive C4 African grasses in a Cerrado area in central Brazil. We compared plant and arthropod communities, plant biomass, and soil nitrogen dynamics and soil chemical characteristics across five experimental treatments: Urochloa decumbens removal, Melinis minutiflora removal, both U. decumbens, and M. minutiflora removal, U. decumbens and M. minutiflora invaded plots, and uninvaded Cerrado. We hypothesized that selective removal of invasive grasses would have distinct effects on the native ecosystem structure and functioning. We expected that each invasive grass would produce a different type of impact on the native ecosystem and that their impacts would be synergistic when co-occurring. 3. Removal of M. minutiflora doubled native plant diversity and biomass when compared to invaded plots, whereas removal of U. decumbens did not alter these parameters. Cerrado plots had four times more plant species than plots cleared of invasives. Removal of invasive grasses did not affect the species richness or community composition of soil epigeal fauna. Cerrado soils had lower fertility, organic matter content, and pH than invaded soils. The effects were generally higher when both invasive grasses were removed, suggesting impacts were synergistic, but M. minutiflora had greater effects on plants and soils than U. decumbens. Both invasive species produced negative impacts, but a single species was the main driver. We also detected persistent effects of the invasive grass species on the ecosystem after two years of removal. 4. We conclude that invasive species of the same functional group have similar types of effects in native ecosystems, but the magnitude of impact was largely dependent on invasive species biomass and cover. Where multiple invasive species are present, research and management of invaded ecosystems should tackle the interacting effects of co-occurring invaders.
Data from: Do impacts of an invasive nitrogen-fixing shrub on Douglas-fir and its ectomycorrhizal mutualism change over time following invasion?
1. Impacts of invasive species may change in magnitude and even direction with invasion age. Impacts could increase as the population increases, individuals grow in size, and ecological changes accumulate. 2. We used a chronosequence approach to characterize the development of soil impacts over time following the invasion of Cytisus scoparius, a widespread nitrogen-fixing shrub thought to limit reforestation success. In a greenhouse experiment, we evaluated how abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi, Douglas-fir performance, and leaf nitrogen changed across a 3-31 year chronosequence of invasion. Each of the chronosequence sites were clearcuts where reforestation efforts were unsuccessful and where C. scoparius invaded. To estimate the contributions of the invasion separately from contributions of the accompanying disturbance, i.e. deforestation, we included soils from both invaded and uninvaded patches in each site of the chronosequence. In a complementary soil conditioning experiment, we examined the separate effects of host absence and invader presence on the mycorrhizal mutualism, leaf nitrogen, and seedling growth. 3. Ectomycorrhizal colonization was lower in invaded soil, but this effect did not intensify with time. Despite the suppression of the mutualism, Douglas-fir grew larger in invaded soils. This positive response is likely due to nitrogen fertilization, a conclusion supported by higher concentrations of leaf nitrogen of Douglas-fir grown in invaded soils. While leaf N concentration increased with invasion duration, Douglas-fir survival and growth did not. Synthesis. Our findings suggest that soil impacts of an invader can develop rapidly and can be surprisingly stable over time. In such systems, recently invaded areas may be as difficult to restore as long invaded areas, especially where ectomycorrhizal fungi are important drivers of reforestation success. More chronosequence studies or long time series are needed to evaluate whether this is a general pattern.
Data from: Impact of the invasive alien topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) and its associated parasite Sphaerothecum destruens on native fish species
<p>Two datasets belonging to the paper "Impact of the invasive alien topmouth gudgeon (<i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>) and its associated parasite <i>Sphaerothecum destruens</i> on native fish species" published in Biological Invasions (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02114-6), is provided here. The first dataset consists of individual measured and weighed fish per sampled water body. In case a large number (>50) of the same species and length were encountered, a representative number was weighed and measured, and the remaining individuals were only counted. The second dataset consists of parameters related to morphology and water quality, and number of specimens found per fish species, of each sampled water body. Below, methodological information is provided on the study site, the sampling process, and the water sample analysis. For references, see the published paper in Biological Invasions.</p><p> </p><p>Study site</p><p>We selected 54 water bodies (oxbow lakes, shallow lakes and ponds) in river floodplains of the IJssel, Meuse, Nederrijn and Waal River. These water bodies were selected using the following criteria: a) Potential presence of <i>P. parva</i> according to the Dutch National Database Flora and Fauna, b) No permanent hydrological connection with the main stream or a side channel, c) Similarity in habitat characteristics (e.g., depth and surface area, for habitat characteristics per sampling site), d) Suitability for sampling with a seine net. These criteria were set to reduce variance in the fish species composition created by habitat variables, as our aim was to detect effects caused by <i>P. parva</i>. The areas of sampled water bodies ranged from 100 to 80,000 m2. In total 54 sites located in the floodplains were visited and sampled using a seine net (21 m long, 2.4 m high, mesh size 4x4 to 10x10 mm). Fifteen sites could not be sampled sufficiently with this gear type due to high vegetation cover and/or water depth. Hence, 39 sites were included in the analyses of effect on fish assemblages and body condition. The coordinate system used here concerns Amersfoort RD (EPSG: 28992). </p><p> </p><p>Sampling</p><p>Sampling of the fish populations was carried out from October to December 2015. The seine net was used while wading and provided adequate data on juvenile and small fishes in shallow habitats. The sampling area ranged from 0.04 to 82.35% of the surface area of water bodies and was used to calculate fish densities (number of fish m-2). All caught fishes were identified, weighed (accuracy 0.05 g) and their total lengths (TL, from tip of snout to longer caudal fin lobe, accuracy 1 mm) measured in the field. Young of the year (YOY) were distinguished, based on length. Each individual was assigned to being a YOY, based on known YOY thresholds in the Netherlands. Small fishes (<35 mm) were pooled for weighting. In case a large number (>50) of the same species and length were encountered, a representative number was weighed and measured, and the remaining individuals were only counted. Subsequently, the fishes were released. </p><p>Habitat and soil parameters which included coverage percentage of aquatic vegetation, littoral vegetation, and substrate (mud, sand, gravel and rocks), and tree branches in the water were visually estimated. The water transparency (cm) was determined using a Secchi disk (measured vertically). Water temperature (°C), conductivity (μS cm-1) and salinity (PSU) were measured at the site with the use of a Model 30 meter (YSI incorporated). A water sample was taken and at the same day pH and alkalinity (eq l-1) were measured in the laboratory. Water samples in polyethylene bottles were stored in the freezer at a maximum storage time of 75 days until analysis. Metal ions were analysed using an ICP analyser (Thermo Electron corporation IRIS Intrepid ΙΙ XDL). Concentrations of nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), phosphate (PO43-), chloride (Cl-) and potassium (K+) were determined using an Auto Analyzer 3 system (Bran and Luebbe, Norderstedt Germany). Physico-chemical data is missing for site 39 due to loss of the sample.</p><p> </p><p>Abstract</p><p>The Asian cyprinid <i>Pseudorasbora parva</i> 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 <i>P. parva</i> and it parasite <i>Sphaerothecum destruens</i> on native fish populations by analysing fish assemblages and body condition of individuals of native fish species in floodplain water bodies that were invaded and uninvaded by <i>P</i>. <i>parva</i>. We explored the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to detect <i>S. destruens</i>. Prevalence of <i>S. destruens</i> in native fish species was assessed. Fish samplings showed significantly negative correlations between the abundance of <i>P. parva</i> and the native <i>Leucaspius delineatus</i>, and <i>Pungitius pungitius</i> and three biodiversity indices of the fish assemblages (Simpson's diversity index, Shannon-Wiener index and evenness). Contrastingly, the abundances of the native <i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i> and <i>P. parva</i> were positively related. In nearly all isolated water bodies with <i>P. parva</i>, this species is outnumbering native fish species. No effect of <i>P. parva</i> presence was found on body condition of native fish species. <i>Sphaerothecum destruens</i> was demonstrated to occur in both <i>P. parva</i> and <i>G. aculeatus</i>. <i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i> is suggested to be an asymptomatic carrier that can aid the further spread of <i>S. destruens,.</i> Analysis of eDNA proved to be a promising method for early detection of <i>S. destruens</i>, here showing that <i>S. destruens</i> presence coincided with <i>P. parva</i> presence. The ongoing invasion of both <i>P. parva</i> and <i>S. destruens</i> is predicted to pose a significant risk to native fish communities.</p>
Data from: Distribution, population dynamics and potential impacts of the invasive snail, Tarebia granifera in aquatic ecosystems of north-eastern South Africa
<p>Aquatic ecosystems globally have been invaded by molluscs. <em>Tarebia granifera</em> is a highly successful invader, often becoming the dominant aquatic invertebrate species in an invaded ecosystem. Resultingly, it has been suggested that <em>T. granifera</em> may have severe negative impacts on these invaded ecosystems. Limited information is available regarding the population structures and densities of <em>T. granifera</em>, particularly in invaded countries such as South Africa, and information on this could assist in developing management and control strategies for this invasive species. The aim of the present study was to assess the current distribution, densities, and population structures of <em>T. granifera</em> in invaded habitats on the Limpopo and Phongolo River systems, South Africa. This was accomplished by collecting aquatic benthic molluscs from sites across these systems. Water quality parameters were measured at each site and water samples collected for chemical nutrient analyses. The density of snails was determined for each site and the population size and structure as well as birth rate was calculated for <em>T. granifera. </em><em>Tarebia granifera</em> was found to be the dominant molluscan species in habitats where it was present and all size classes from new-born to mature adults were found throughout at some of the highest densities globally. Worryingly, native molluscan species, were often absent or in much lower densities than reported in literature at sites where <em>T. granifera</em> was present, suggesting a negative effect on the native molluscan density and diversity. Contrary to most previous studies, there were no significant correlations between <em>T. granifera </em>and the selected water quality parameters. Higher densities and new-born recruitment of <em>T. granifera </em>were observed in the spring than autumn, likely in response to shifts in environmental conditions. This study provides crucial insights into the population structure and dynamics of <em>T. granifera</em> in invaded habitats, particularly for relatively newly invaded regions such as southern Africa.</p>
The distribution and impact of an invasive plant species (Senecio inaequidens) on a dune building engineer (Calamagrostis arenaria)
<p>These data sets are used to run the analyses in the paper '<em>The distribution and impact of an invasive plant species (</em>Senecio inaequidens<em>) on a dune building engineer (</em>Calamagrostis arenaria<em>)</em>' by Van De Walle et al., 2022, Neobiota (in progress).</p> <p>The presence/absence data (PA) of <em>Senecio inaequidens</em> in European coastal dunes can be found in 'Senecio_PA.xlsx', in the tab 'senecio_PA', together with the country and location where the occurrences were mapped. All coordinates of the samples are available in the tab 'coordinates samples'.</p> <p>'Marram_growth_experiment.xlsx' contains the data gathered during the growth experiment. The origin of the sand is subdivided in 3 columns: 'Location' represents the location along the Belgian coast where sand was gathered, 'senecio' represents whether sand was gathered from underneath a senecio plant or not and 'biota' represents whether biota could affect marram grass growth (biota = 0 thus means that the sand was sterilized).</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>Disturbance is thought to enhance the probability of invasive species establishment, a prerequisite for naturalization. Coastal dunes are characterized by disturbance in the form of sand dynamics. We studied the effect of this disturbance on the establishment and spread of an invasive plant species (<em>Senecio inaequidens</em>) in European coastal dunes. Local sand dynamics dictate the spatial configuration of marram grass (<em>Calamagrostis arenaria</em>). Therefore, marram grass configuration was used as a reliable proxy for disturbance. As marram grass plays a crucial role in natural dune formation, we evaluated the possible effects <em>S. inaequidens</em> could have on this process, if it would be able to naturalize in European coastal dunes.</p> <p> We expected the highest probability of <em>S. inaequidens </em>establishment at intermediate marram grass cover because too low cover would increase sand burial, whereas high cover would increase competition. However, our results indicate that <em>S. inaequidens</em> is quite capable of handling higher levels of sand burial. Thus, probability of <em>S. inaequidens</em> establishment was high under low marram cover but slightly lowered when marram cover was high, hinting at the importance of competition.</p> <p>We expected a negative impact of <em>Senecio</em>-altered soils on marram grass growth mediated by soil biota. However, marram grass grew better in sand gathered underneath <em>Senecio</em> plants due to abiotic soil modifications. This enhanced growth may be caused by <em>Senecio</em> leaf litter elevating nutrient concentrations in an otherwise nutrient-poor substrate. If such increased plant growth is a general phenomenon, further expansion of <em>S. inaequidens</em> could accelerate natural succession in European coastal dunes.</p>
Human impact, climate and dispersal strategies determine plant invasion on islands
<p><span><strong>Aim:</strong></span></p> <p><span>Biological invasions are likely determined by species dispersal strategies as well as environmental characteristics of a recipient region, especially climate and human impact. However, the contribution of climatic factors, human impact and dispersal strategies in driving invasion processes is still controversial and not well embedded in the existing theoretical considerations. Here, we study how climate, species dispersal strategies and human impact determine plant invasion processes on islands distributed in all major oceans in the context of directional ecological filtering. </span></p> <p><span><strong>Location:</strong></span></p> <p><span>Six mountainous, tropical and subtropical islands in three major oceans: Island of Hawai'i and Maui (Pacific), Tenerife and La Palma (Atlantic), La Réunion and Socotra (Indian Ocean).</span></p> <p><span><strong>Taxon:</strong></span></p> <p><span>Vascular Plants.</span></p> <p><span><strong>Methods:</strong></span></p> <p><span>We recorded 360 non-native species in 218 plots along roadside elevational transects covering the major temperature, precipitation and human impact (i.e. road density) gradients of the islands. We collected dispersal strategies for a majority of the recorded species and calculated the environmental niche per species using a hypervolume approach. </span></p> <p><span><strong>Results:</strong></span></p> <p><span>Non-native species' generalism (i.e., mean community niche width) increased with precipitation, elevation and human impact but showed no relationship with temperature. Increasing precipitation led to environmental filtering of non-native species resulting in more generalist species under high precipitation conditions. We found no directional filtering for temperature but an optimum range of most species between 10 and 20°C. Niche widths of non-native species increased with the prevalence of certain dispersal strategies, particularly anemochory and anthropochory. </span></p> <p><span><strong>Main conclusions:</strong></span></p> <p><span>Plant invasion on tropical and subtropical islands seems to be mainly driven by precipitation and human impact, while temperature seems to be of little importance. Furthermore, anemochory and anthropochory are dispersal strategies associated with large niche widths of non-native species. Our study allows a more detailed look at the mechanisms behind directional ecological filtering of non-native plant species in non-temperature limited ecosystems. </span></p>
Invasive water hyacinth impacts dataset
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment, database for Chapter 4. Impact Evidence Database
<p>This is a database described in the data management report for chapter 4 of IPBES thematic assessment on invasive alien species and their control.</p> <p>Data were gathered on direct observations of impacts from published literature, including grey literature, in order to form a database on the evidence to which invasive alien species impact, negatively and positively, nature, nature's contributions to people and good quality of life for Chapter 4 of IPBES thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control. The criteria for inclusion were a published direct evidence of an impact on native species, a change in ecosystem properties, nature's contributions to people and the extent to which humans were affected through changes in their constituents of well-being.</p> <p> </p> <p>Updates to version 3:</p> <p>1) Assessor “EAM” has been replaced by “Ester Mostert”,</p> <p>2) There were 50 Unique IDs that were paired. These are now differentiated by adding an a and b to the end of these to make them truly unique,</p> <p>3) Removed 40 duplicates</p> <p>4) RowID were re-numbered to reflect the unique number of rows</p> <p> </p>
Optical traits perform equally well as directly-measured functional traits in explaining the impact of an invasive plant on litter decomposition
<p>1. Functional traits can help elucidate and predict the impact of invasive plant species on ecosystem functioning. Yet, this approach requires comprehensive and labor-intensive trait collection campaigns, covering intraspecific trait variation of both the invader and native species in the invaded community. One potential way to overcome these logistic constraints is using hyperspectral remote sensing technology to efficiently quantify functional trait values. Although such spectrally derived or 'optical' traits are known to closely link to directly-measured functional traits, little research has explored how well these optical traits perform in assessing invader-induced ecosystem impact. 2. Here, we explored the trait-mediated impact of the invasive Rosa rugosa on litter decomposition and evaluated whether optical traits perform equally well as directly-measured traits in predicting litter decomposition variation. We collected data on species-specific functional traits, leaf hyperspectral reflectance and standardized 'tea bag index' litter decomposition across 25 invaded and 25 uninvaded coastal grassland plots. The selected traits were all potentially related to litter decomposition and covered the leaf economics spectrum, additional leaf structural components and competitive ability. Optical traits were quantified through a combination of a physical radiative transfer model inversion and vegetation indices calculations. 3. Invasion significantly increased the stabilization factor, i.e. the amount of resulting recalcitrant litter. Invader impact on litter decomposition could be entirely explained by changes it induced in the functional traits of the native community, rather than by the invader's traits itself. More specifically, the invader pushed the invaded community towards traits associated with high litter quality. Optical traits performed equally well as directly-measured traits in explaining the invasion impact on the stabilization factor (R2= 41.9% vs. 38.5%). Furthermore, the interpretation of the results based on optical traits resulted in a similar functional understanding of the invader impact. 4. Synthesis: Our results indicate the potential of hyperspectral data to explain changes in ecosystem functioning. The combination of radiative transfer models and vegetation indices allowed to extract all relevant trait information from the hyperspectral data. This framework thus presents a practical short-cut to assess relevant leaf traits, requiring only a limited amount of field trait measurements.</p>
Role of species richness and human-impacts in resisting invasive species in tropical forests
<p>The biotic resistance hypothesis suggests that biodiversity rich areas should be resistant to biological invasions. Globally, conservationists use this hypothesis to protect diverse ecosystems. However, supporting data are often contradictory, possibly due to several confounding factors. Complexity in inferences increase in the tropics, which are sparsely studied.</p> <p>We hypothesize that human impacts, forest type and climate would modulate the relationship between native and invasive plant richness. To understand these interacting and varying effects of native richness and human disturbance on plant invasions, we sampled 354 grids of 25 km<sup>2</sup> with equal representation of protected areas and multi-use areas to record abundance of native and non-native plants from 34 protected areas across five forest types in tropical India. We used linear mixed effect models to investigate occurrence and abundance of invasive plants with respect to varying native richness, human impacts, forest types and climate.</p> <p>Human use of forests increased richness and abundance of invasive plants across all forest types. After accounting for human-use, native species richness of tropical wet forests had a negative relationship with invasive plants richness and abundance, while the relationship reversed with increasing aridity and temperature. Human infrastructure facilitated invasions within protected areas.</p> <p><em>Synthesis</em>. The biotic resistance hypothesis explained a lower number of invasions within protected tropical wet forests but not within dry forests. Human-free protected areas had lower richness and abundance of invasive plants across all systems, especially in wet tropical forests. Our results support the contextual importance of the biotic resistance hypothesis, while stressing the importance of protected areas, insulated from human impacts, to preserve the integrity of vulnerable natural systems. </p>
Time scales of ecosystem impacts and recovery under individual and serial invasions
<p>Introductions of keystone or engineering species have complex and long-term impacts on multiple ecosystem features. Anticipating these consequences requires knowledge of the magnitude and pace of a species' impacts and whether they subside as resident species and communities adapt. Managing for the effects of invasive species is particularly complicated by a paucity of long-term ecosystem studies, the fact that invaders can represent novel ecological types, and as serial invasions by new species mediate the impacts of an original invader. We resolve the impacts of quagga (<em>Dreissena rostriformis bugensis</em>) and zebra mussels (<em>D. polymorpha</em>), two of the most widespread species that increasingly co-invade and re-engineer energy flows in freshwater ecosystems. Following many-decade time series and seven ecosystem features, we find remarkably similar ecosystem responses to mussel invasion across seven lakes in Europe and North America. Lakes invaded by zebra mussels only experienced the most severe changes within 5-10 years of invasion, followed by a partial recovery of several key ecosystem features. However, recovery disappeared, and initial impacts amplified in lakes where subsequent, serial invasions by quagga mussels competitively displaced zebra mussels. Our results suggest that the impact of quagga is stronger per unit biomass due to their greater effects on phytoplankton during spring and fall. Thus, we show that the effects of species introductions on many lake ecosystem features can manifest quickly and partially subside, except when multiple species invade a system.</p>
Data from: How science communications can help build societal perceptions of invasive alien species and their impacts on the environment
<p>In this study, we investigated the reported beneficial aspects of the invasive alien plant species (IAPS) and argued that, over time and space, the detrimental impacts of the IAS might endanger sustainable livelihoods. The data set contains the following files:</p> <p>Data_S1.xlsx: The file contains details of 154 literature reports. From each paper, we extracted IAPS names (both as reported and standardized), taxonomic information (family and taxon rank), year, country, the scale of observation, and reported beneficial impacts. The beneficial impacts were further categorized into 13 use categories at TDWG (Taxonomic Databases Working Group) Level-1 states (in binary format - 1 indicates the IAPS use and 0 indicates not in use for the individual category).</p> <p>The Metadata_S1.pdf file contains detailed information on preparing literature records for data extraction, the data extraction process, and data organization. </p>
Herbivory and elevated levels of CO2 and nutrients separately, rather than synergistically, impacted biomass production and allocation in invasive and native plant species
<p><span>Large parts of the Earth are experiencing environmental change caused by alien plant invasions, rising atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), and nutrient enrichments. Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and nutrient concentrations can separately favour growth of invasive plants over that of natives but how herbivory may modulate the magnitude and direction of net responses by the two groups of plants to simultaneous CO<sub>2</sub> and nutrient enrichments remains unknown. In line with the enemy release hypothesis, invasive plant species should reallocate metabolites from costly anti-herbivore defences into greater growth following escape from intense herbivory in the native range</span><span>. Therefore, invasive plants should have</span><span> greater growth than natives </span><span>under simultaneous CO<sub>2</sub> and nutrient enrichments in the absence of herbivory. To test this prediction, we grew nine congeneric pairs of invasive and native plant species that naturally co-occurred in grasslands in China under two levels each of nutrient enrichment (low-nutrient vs. high-nutrient), herbivory (with herbivory vs. without herbivory) and under ambient (412 ± 0.6 ppm) and elevated (790.1 ± 6.2 ppm) levels of CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations in open-top chambers in a common garden. Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and nutrient enrichment separately increased total plant biomass, while herbivory reduced it regardless of the plant invasive status. High-nutrient treatment caused the plants to allocate a significantly lower proportion of total biomass to roots, while herbivory induced an opposite pattern. Herbivory suppressed total biomass production more strongly in native plants than invasive plants. The plants exhibited significant interspecific and intergeneric variation in their responses to the various treatment combinations. Overall, these results suggest that elevated CO2 and nutrients and herbivory may separately, rather than synergistically, impact productivity of the invasive and co-occurring native plant species in our study system. Moreover, interspecific variation in </span>resource-use strategies was more important than invasive status in determining plant responses to the various treatment combinations.</p>
Optical traits perform equally well as directly-measured functional traits in explaining the impact of an invasive plant on litter decomposition
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Community-level direct and indirect impacts of an invasive plant favour exotic over native species
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Plant and microbial impacts of an invasive species vary across an environmental gradient
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Allen Brain Atlas
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
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International Brain Laboratory public data
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OpenNeuro
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