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25 results for “shrub invasion”
Datasets and R Code for native-invasive shrub analysis
<p>Datasets and R code to reproduce statistical analysis comparing functional traits of native and invasive shrub and liana species of North America.</p>
Data from: Assessing the mechanisms and impacts of shrub invasion in forests: A meta-analysis
<ol> <li>The encroachment of invasive shrubs in forest understories can have detrimental effects on native plant recruitment. As a result, removal of invasive species is a common practice although long-lasting success is rare. In order to effectively conserve and manage invaded forests, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms that drive shrub invasion, i.e., high propagule pressure, low native resistance, and exploitation of empty niches.</li> <li>To gain a deeper understanding of the invasion process in forest ecosystems we conducted a meta-analysis of the work done in this topic. We collected data on invasive species and native community performance and on the abiotic conditions of forest understories under low and high levels of shrub invasion. We analyzed data from 124 articles that yielded 377 unique observations.</li> <li>Our results revealed that while invader performance did not vary by the mechanism of invasion, the impact on the native community was significantly detrimental when invasion occurred via low biotic resistance, and only marginally significant via propagule pressure. Invasive species performance was associated with increases in light availability, but not with other resources (soil water, or nutrients). When assessing impact on native performance as a function of invasive performance, results were again only significant under the low biotic resistance mechanism. Lastly, impacts were stronger when invasion took place by a single invader.</li> <li> <em>Synthesis and applications</em>: Taken together, these results suggest that restoration efforts should focus on (i) increasing the presence of strong native competitors or functionally diverse native communities, (ii) decreasing sources of invasive shrub propagules while keeping the canopies closed when invasion occurs via high propagule pressure, (iii) avoiding management techniques that degrade or diminish canopy cover, and (iv) prioritizing management of forest understories dominated by particularly impactful invasive shrubs.</li> </ol>
Data from: Assessing the mechanisms and impacts of shrub invasion in forests: A meta-analysis
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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.
Trophic rewilding revives biotic resistance to shrub invasion
<p>Trophic rewilding seeks to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems by repopulating them with large animals, thereby reestablishing strong top-down interactions. Yet there are vanishingly few tests of whether such initiatives can restore ecosystem structure and functions, and on what timescales. Here we show that war-induced collapse of large-mammal populations in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park exacerbated woody encroachment by the invasive shrub <i>Mimosa pigra</i>—one of the world's '100 worst' invasive species—and that one decade of concerted trophic rewilding restored this invasion to pre-war baseline levels. Mimosa occurrence increased between 1972 and 2015, a period encompassing the near-extirpation of large herbivores during the Mozambican Civil War. From 2015–2019, mimosa abundance declined as ungulate biomass recovered. DNA metabarcoding revealed that ruminant herbivores fed heavily on mimosa, and experimental exclosures confirmed the causal role of mammalian herbivory in containing shrub encroachment. Our results provide mechanistic evidence that trophic rewilding has rapidly revived biotic resistance to a notorious woody invader, underscoring the potential for restoring ecosystem structure and functions in degraded African protected areas.</p>
Functional stability of vegetation following biocontrol of an invasive riparian shrub
<p>Understanding plant community response to environmental change is a crucial aspect of biological conservation and restoration, but species-based approaches are limited in that they do not reveal the underlying mechanisms driving vegetation dynamics. An understanding of trait-environment relationships is particularly important in the case of invasive species which may alter abiotic conditions and available resources. This study is the first to measure the functional response of riparian plant communities to biocontrol of an invasive species. We focused on an invasive shrub <em>Tamarix</em> (saltcedar) that is defoliated by a beetle that was released by the US Department of Agriculture along the Upper Colorado River (southwestern United States). We calculated community weighted means and functional dispersion of individual traits, multivariate functional dispersion and species diversity. We used linear mixed effect models (LME) to compare these metrics at paired vegetation patches dominated and not dominated by <em>Tamarix</em> during cycles of defoliation and refoliation over eight years. We found that community-weighted average trait values, species diversity and functional dispersion changed little in response to defoliation, and instead seemed to be responding to fluctuations in yearly precipitation. Average height and seed weight were greater in <em>Tamarix</em>-dominated patches relative to control patches. Functional dispersion followed a similar trajectory to species diversity, but was a more sensitive indicator of plant community change. We showed that riparian vegetation can be resilient to <em>Tamarix</em> biocontrol, and that defoliation might not necessarily always lead to substantial changes in ecosystem function.</p>
Data from: Do impacts of an invasive nitrogen-fixing shrub on Douglas-fir and its ectomycorrhizal mutualism change over time following invasion?
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Trophic rewilding revives biotic resistance to shrub invasion
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Figure 1 in A new species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) inducing ovule galls on Miconia chamissois Naudinı a potentially invasive shrub in the Brazilian cerrado
Figure 1. Allorhogas uberlandiensis sp. nov. (female, holotype): (a) habitus, lateral view; (b) head, frontal view; (c) head and mesosoma, lateral view; (d) mesosoma, dorsal view; (e) metasoma, dorsal view; (f) forewing; (g) hindwing.
Data from: Competition alters seasonal resource selection and promotes use of invasive shrubs by an imperiled native cottontail
1. Many ecosystems face multiple invaders, and interactions among invasive and native species may complicate conservation efforts for imperiled species. Examination of fine-scale resource selection can be used to detect patterns in habitat selection resulting from species interactions and assess the value of specific resources, including invasive plants, to wildlife. 2. We used animal location data with mixed-effects resource selection models to examine seasonal competitive interactions and species-specific selection for forage and cover resources by an imperiled native lagomorph, the New England cottontail Sylvilagus transitionalis and its non-native competitor, the eastern cottontail S. floridanus in the eastern Hudson Valley, NY. 3. We found evidence that resource selection by New England cottontails depended on the relative prevalence of eastern cottontails to New England cottontails. Where eastern cottontails were less prevalent New England cottontail selected for resources characteristic of early-successional shrublands. Where eastern cottontails were more prevalent, New England cottontails selected for resources characteristic of later-successional shrublands. 4. New England cottontail use of certain invasive shrubs depended on the prevalence of eastern cottontails relative to New England cottontails, suggesting response to invasive plants is confounded by interactions with a non-native competitor. 5. Our results further emphasize the need for conservation efforts to consider invasive management within the ecosystem context. We demonstrate the utility of resource selection studies to assist in this regard by exploring competitive interactions in the absence of removal studies, while simultaneously assessing the impact of habitat components such as invasive vegetation on species of conservation concern. 6. Synthesis and applications Resource selection studies can be directly applied to inform ongoing species conservation where multiple invaders are present or where species interactions influence resource selection. Fine-scale assessments of resource selection, similar to those presented here, can be used to selectively manage habitat to benefit desired species within the ecosystem context.
Data from: Population-level consequences of herbivory, changing climate and source-sink dynamics on a long-lived invasive shrub
Long-lived plant species are highly valued environmentally, economically, and socially, but can also cause substantial harm as invaders. Realistic demographic predictions can guide management decisions, and are particularly valuable for long-lived species where population response times can be long. Long-lived species are also challenging, given population dynamics can be affected by factors as diverse as herbivory, climate, and dispersal. We developed a matrix model to evaluate the effects of herbivory by a leaf-feeding biological control agent released in Australia against a long-lived invasive shrub (mesquite, Leguminoseae: Prosopis spp.). The stage-structured, density-dependent model used an annual time step and 10 climatically diverse years of field data. Mesquite population demography is sensitive to source–sink dynamics as most seeds are consumed and redistributed spatially by livestock. In addition, individual mesquite plants, because they are long lived, experience natural climate variation that cycles over decadal scales, as well as anthropogenic climate change. The model therefore explicitly considered the effects of both net dispersal and climate variation. Herbivory strongly regulated mesquite populations through reduced growth and fertility, but additional mortality of older plants will be required to reach management goals within a reasonable time frame. Growth and survival of seeds and seedlings were correlated with daily soil moisture. As a result, population dynamics were sensitive to rainfall scenario, but population response times were typically slow (20–800 years to reach equilibrium or extinction) due to adult longevity. Equilibrium population densities were expected to remain 5% higher, and be more dynamic, if historical multi-decadal climate patterns persist, the effect being dampened by herbivory suppressing seed production irrespective of preceding rainfall. Dense infestations were unlikely to form under a drier climate, and required net dispersal under the current climate. Seed input wasn't required to form dense infestations under a wetter climate. Each factor we considered (ongoing herbivory, changing climate, and source–sink dynamics) has a strong bearing on how this invasive species should be managed, highlighting the need for considering both ecological context (in this case, source–sink dynamics) and the effect of climate variability at relevant temporal scales (daily, multi-decadal, and anthropogenic) when deriving management recommendations for long-lived species.
Data from: Below-ground causes and consequences of woodland shrub invasions: a novel paired-point framework reveals new insights
1. Confirming the impacts of invasive plants is essential for prioritizing management efforts, but is challenging, especially if impacts occur below ground and over long periods as hypothesized for woodland shrub invasions. 2. For this reason, we developed a novel "paired-point" framework capable of detecting the below-ground impacts of slow-growing invasive plants from short-term datasets in an investigation into the below-ground consequences of European buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica L. (hereafter buckthorn) invasions into Chicago-area woodlands. We measured differences between the members of 97 pairs of buckthorn-invaded and buckthorn-free points in ten below-ground response variables (RVs) that buckthorn is hypothesized to alter (listed below). We then modelled these differences (ΔRVs) in response to the severity of the invasion found at each invaded point. A relationship (linear or non-linear) between a ΔRV and severity, i.e. slope ≠ 0, suggests a buckthorn-induced change. An intercept (value of ΔRV where severity = 0) different from zero suggests a pre-existing difference. 3. Relating differences to an invasion gradient rather than simply noting their presence provided evidence that the higher levels of moisture, pH, total C, total N, NH4+-N, and Ca2+ in invaded soils pre-date and possibly promote invasion (particularly Ca2+), and that neither earthworm biomass nor soil C:N ratios are associated with buckthorn invasion, all of which suggest buckthorn to be less of a "driver" of below-ground change than hypothesized. We did, however, find evidence that buckthorn establishes in areas having greater leaf-litter mass and higher rates of decomposition, and then proceeds to accelerate decomposition further and to alter spring soil NO3--N levels. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that decisions regarding regional buckthorn management should be less driven by concerns about buckthorn's below-ground impacts, and that greater consideration of how variation in below-ground factors relates to invader establishment is needed, rather than simply assuming this variation to be invader-induced. This latter consideration can help to design better-targeted monitoring programs, limiting the further spread of woodland invaders. These insights illustrate the utility of the paired-point framework both for investigating below-ground causes and consequences of slow-growing invasive plants and for guiding the management of these invasions.
Data from: Shrubs as ecosystem engineers across an environmental gradient: effects on species richness and exotic plant invasion
Ecosystem-engineering plants modify the physical environment and can increase species diversity and exotic species invasion. At the individual level, the effects of ecosystem engineers on other plants often become more positive in stressful environments. In this study, we investigated whether the community-level effects of ecosystem engineers also become stronger in more stressful environments. Using comparative and experimental approaches, we assessed the ability of a native shrub (Ericameria ericoides) to act as an ecosystem engineer across a stress gradient in a coastal dune in northern California, USA. We found increased coarse organic matter and lower wind speeds within shrub patches. Growth of a dominant invasive grass (Bromus diandrus) was facilitated both by aboveground shrub biomass and by growing in soil taken from shrub patches. Experimental removal of shrubs negatively affected species most associated with shrubs and positively affected species most often found outside of shrubs. Counter to the stress-gradient hypothesis, the effects of shrubs on the physical environment and individual plant growth did not increase across the established stress gradient at this site. At the community level, shrub patches increased beta diversity, and contained greater rarified richness and exotic plant cover than shrub-free patches. Shrub effects on rarified richness increased with environmental stress, but effects on exotic cover and beta diversity did not. Our study provides evidence for the community-level effects of shrubs as ecosystem engineers in this system, but shows that these effects do not necessarily become stronger in more stressful environments.
Fleshy-fruited invasive shrubs indirectly increase native tree seed dispersal
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Data from: Competition alters seasonal resource selection and promotes use of invasive shrubs by an imperiled native cottontail
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Data from: Population-level consequences of herbivory, changing climate and source-sink dynamics on a long-lived invasive shrub
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Shrubs as ecosystem engineers across an environmental gradient: effects on species richness and exotic plant invasion
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Below-ground causes and consequences of woodland shrub invasions: a novel paired-point framework reveals new insights
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Data from: Hybridization of an invasive shrub affects tolerance and resistance to defoliation by a biological control agent
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Data from: Revisiting Darwin's naturalization conundrum: explaining invasion success of non-native trees and shrubs in southern Africa
1. Invasive species are detrimental ecologically and economically. Their negative impacts in Africa are extensive and call for a renewed commitment to better understand the correlates of invasion success. 2. Here, we explored several putative drivers of species invasion among woody non-native trees and shrubs in southern Africa, a region of high floristic diversity. We tested for differences in functional traits between plant categories using a combination of phylogenetic independent contrasts and a simulation-based phylogenetic anova. 3. We found that non-native species generally have longer flowering duration compared with native species and are generally hermaphroditic, and their dispersal is mostly abiotically mediated. We also revealed that non-native trees and shrubs that have become invasive are less closely related to native trees and shrubs than their non-invasive non-native counterparts. Non-natives that are more closely related to the native species pool may be more likely to possess traits suited to the new environment in which they find themselves and thus have greater chance of establishment. However, successful invaders are less closely related to the native pool, indicating evidence for competitive release or support for the vacant niche theory. 4. Synthesis. Non-native trees and shrubs in southern Africa are characterized by a suite of traits, including long flowering times, a hermaphroditic sexual system and abiotic dispersal, which may represent important adaptations promoting establishment. We suggest that differences in the evolutionary distances separating the native species pool from invasive and non-invasive species might help resolve Darwin's naturalization conundrum.
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