scholarly journals Soil characteristics drive Ficaria verna abundance and reproductive output

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin P. Kermack ◽  
Emily S. J. Rauschert
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Plant Abundance ◽  
Spring Ephemerals ◽  
Tuber Production ◽  
Ficaria Verna

AbstractLesser celandine (Ficaria verna Huds.), an invasive plant from Europe, is becoming widespread in river valleys throughout the northeastern United States and the Pacific Northwest. Its high rate of asexual bulbil and tuber production creates dense infestations threatening native spring ephemerals. Ficaria verna abundance and reproductive output (seeds, bulbils, and tubers) were examined in invaded transects spanning a disturbance gradient away from a river. Site characteristics (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR], soil pH, moisture, texture, and nutrients) were quantified to examine their roles in plant abundance and reproduction. A larger-scale study examined random transects not specifically chosen based on F. verna infestations. Soil characteristics and slope were hypothesized to drive F. verna abundance and reproduction; we also hypothesized that reproductive output and biomass would be highest at intermediate distances from rivers, where disturbances are infrequent. Ficaria verna abundance and reproductive output varied considerably by site; soil characteristics, rather than landscape placement, appeared to drive plant abundance and reproduction. Lower percent sand was associated with significantly higher F. verna stem density and bulbil and tuber production. CEC was significantly negatively related to F. verna biomass and tuber counts. In the larger-scale survey, slope and PAR were significantly negatively related to F. verna presence and percent cover, respectively. Overall, these findings suggest that soil texture and slope can help explain higher abundance and reproductive outputs. However, reproductive output and biomass were not significantly greater at intermediate distances, contrary to expectations. We did not observe any seed production in any of the plots, although we did see a few plants with seeds outside our study area in the second year, demonstrating a near-complete reliance on asexual reproduction in these populations. This study expands on the current limited understanding of F. verna and can help management by identifying areas likely to support dense infestations.

Spread Dynamics of Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in Two Seasonal Wetland Areas

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Renz ◽  
Scott J. Steinmaus ◽  
David S. Gilmer ◽  
Joseph M. DiTomaso
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Suppressive Effect ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Dynamics Of Population

AbstractPerennial pepperweed is an invasive plant that is expanding rapidly in several plant communities in the western United States. In California, perennial pepperweed has aggressively invaded seasonal wetlands, resulting in degradation of habitat quality. We evaluated the rate and dynamics of population spread, assessed the effect of disturbance on spread, and determined the biotic and abiotic factors influencing the likelihood of invasion. The study was conducted at eight sites within two wetland regions of California. Results indicate that in undisturbed sites, spread was almost exclusively through vegetative expansion, and the average rate of spread was 0.85 m yr−1 from the leading edge. Spread in sites that were disked was more than three times greater than in undisturbed sites. While smaller infestations increased at a faster rate compared with larger populations, larger infestations accumulated more newly infested areas than smaller infestations from year to year. Stem density was consistently higher in the center of the infestations, with about 2.4 times more stems per square meter compared with the leading edge at the perimeter of the population. The invasion by perennial pepperweed was positively correlated with increased water availability but was negatively correlated with the cover of perennial and annual species. Thus, high cover of resident vegetation can have a suppressive effect on the rate of invasion, even in wetland ecosystems. On the basis of these results, we recommend that resident plant cover not be disturbed, especially in wet areas adjacent to areas currently infested with perennial pepperweed. For infested areas, management efforts should be prioritized to focus on controlling satellite populations as well as the leading edge of larger infestations first. This strategy could reduce the need for costly active restoration efforts by maximizing the probability of successful re-establishment of resident vegetation from the adjacent seedbank.

scholarly journals Limited natural regeneration of unique Scalesia forest following invasive plant removal in Galapagos

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258467
Author(s):  
Anna Walentowitz ◽  
Michael Manthey ◽  
María Belén Bentet Preciado ◽  
Rafael Chango ◽  
Christian Sevilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Introduced Plants ◽  
Adult Trees ◽  
Sapling Survival

More than 60% of the flora of the Galapagos Islands is introduced and some of these species have become invasive, severely altering ecosystems. An example of an affected ecosystem is the Scalesia forest, originally dominated by the endemic giant daisy tree Scalesia pedunculata (Asteraceae). The remnant patches of this unique forest are increasingly being invaded by introduced plants, mainly by Rubus niveus (blackberry, Rosaceae). To help large-scale restoration of this ecologically important forest, we seek to better understand the natural regeneration of S. pedunculata after invasive plant control. We monitored naturally recruited S. pedunculata saplings and young trees over five years in an area where invasive plant species are continuously being removed by manual means. We measured survival, height and growth of S. pedunculata saplings and young trees along permanent transects. Percent cover of surrounding plant species and of canopy shade directly above each S. pedunculata individual were determined, as well as distance to the next mature S. pedunculata tree. We identified potential factors influencing initial sapling survival and growth by applying generalized linear models. Results showed a rapid growth of saplings and young trees of up to 0.45 cm per day and a high mortality rate, as is typical for pioneer species like S. pedunculata. Sapling survival, growth and mortality seemed to be influenced by light availability, surrounding vegetation and distance to the next adult S. pedunculata tree. We concluded that natural regeneration of S. pedunculata was high only five months after the last herbicide application but that 95% of these recruits had died over the 5-year period. Further studies are needed to corroborate whether the number of surviving trees is sufficient to replace the aging adult trees and this way maintain remnants of the Scalesia forest. Urgent action is needed to help improve future restoration strategies to prevent further degradation of this rapidly shrinking threatened forest ecosystem.

scholarly journals Occurrence and dynamics of Impatiens parviflora depending on various environmental conditions in the protected areas in Slovakia

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Bobuľská ◽  
Dagmar Macková ◽  
Radovan Malina ◽  
Lenka Demková
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Biological Characteristics ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Impatiens Parviflora

Abstract Biological invasion as one of the main threats to natural ecosystems has big economic impact on conservation of nature. Studies of the population biology of invasive species may allow more precise focus on specific plant and soil characteristics involved in invasiveness. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected biological population characteristics of Impatiens parviflora and a few chosen chemical and physical soil features. Sites were selected because of the poor mapping of invasive plants in the protected natural areas and their interactions with specific soil characteristics. Research on I. parviflora was realised during a vegetation season in three forest nature reserves in Prešov district, Slovakia. Some population biological characteristics of I. parviflora as one of the most invasive plant species in Slovakia and Central Europe were surveyed. The correlation between the numbers of plants was analysed, as well as select population biological characteristics of I. parviflora (plant height, width of the largest leaf and the number of flowers/fruits) on some select chemical and physical soil attributes (soil pH, bulk density, porosity and soil moisture) were analysed. The results suggest that biological characteristics of I. parviflora in three different microhabitats – a meadow (a habitat without tree vegetation), a habitat close to the stumps and a habitat under dense tree vegetation seemed to influence the selected soil parameters. Our results showed that I. parviflora prefers acidic and non-compacted soil conditions. Sunlight and soil moisture do not show statistically significant differences on any biological characteristic of the population. The results also suggest that the autecology of I. parviflora in Western and Central Europe is not very well known and deserves further study.

Evaluating the efficacy of removal treatments on wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius)

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-188
Author(s):  
Anna K. M. Bowen ◽  
Vanessa B. Beauchamp ◽  
Martin H. H. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Hand Weeding ◽  
Density And Biomass ◽  
Native Species Richness ◽  
Wavyleaf Basketgrass

AbstractWith the spread of a new invasive plant species, it is vital to determine the effectiveness of removal strategies as well as their advantages and disadvantages before attempting widespread removal. While thousands of dollars have been spent to curtail the spread of wavyleaf basketgrass [Oplismenus undulatifolius (Ard.) P. Beauv.], a relatively new invasive species, the lack of a cohesive management plan and funding has made controlling this species especially difficult. We assessed the efficacy of a variety of chemical control methods and hand weeding for this species and followed select methods over time. We also assessed the potential for ecosystem recovery following removal by measuring total and native species richness in response to treatments. Our pilot study revealed a wide breadth of responses to our eight herbicides, with fluazifop plus fenoxaprop, imazapic, quizalofop, and sulfometuron methyl being the least effective. In our follow-up experiments, hand weeding, glyphosate, and clethodim treatments were effective at reducing O. undulatifolius percent cover, density, and biomass, with an average reduction of at least 48% in the first year. However, we found substantial variation in the effectiveness of clethodim between our two experiments, which was likely driven by site differences. We also found that all three of these removal methods were effective at reducing the number of O. undulatifolius flowering stems and the height of those stems, which will likely reduce the spread of this species to new areas. Finally, we found that these methods have the potential to restore total and native species richness, but that glyphosate-treated plots did not fully recover until 2 yr after treatment.

scholarly journals Findings of invasive and potentially invasive plant species in the Western regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
L. M. Abramova ◽  
Ya. M. Golovanov ◽  
A. A. Muldashev
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Invasive Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Republic Of Bashkortostan ◽  
The Republic

Invasions of aggressive alien plant species that have a high rate of expansion and pose a threat to ecosystems and their biodiversity have become more active in the 21st century due to anthropogenic disturbances of vegetation cover, the lack of systematic control of their numbers, the expansion of transport corridors, etc. Research for the search of new locations of adventitious plant species is carried out in the Republic of Bashkortostan especially intensively during the last 10 years. The result of this work was the publication of the "blacklist" flora of Bashkortostan [1] including 100 invasive and potentially invasive plants and "Synopsis of adventive species of the Republic of Bashkortostan" [13], who presented data on 457 localities of alien plant species, is not peculiar to the nature of Bashkortostan. This article is an addition to the previously published data obtained during the route expedition research in 2019-2020, conducted in the Western regions of the Republic. More than 150 new localities of 22 invasive and potentially invasive plant species were identified. 11 species are included in the “Black book of flora of Central Russia” [9]. The data obtained clarify and expand the understanding of the modern secondary range of invasive plants on the territory of the Republic.

scholarly journals Effects of Prosopis velutina Invasion on Soil Characteristics along the Riverine System of the Molopo River in North-West Province, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Alvino Abraham Comole ◽  
Pieter Willem Malan ◽  
Makuété André Patrick Tiawoun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Prosopis Velutina ◽  
North West ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Almost All

Invasive alien plants are one of the major threats to ecosystems. Many invasive plant species, such as Prosopis species, have been introduced around the world and can alter the soil properties of invaded ecosystems. It is one of the most aggressive invasive plant invaders in the North-West Province of South Africa, but little information is available about their influence on soil properties. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Prosopis velutina invasion on selected soil properties at five different sites along the riverine system of the Molopo River in North West Province. At each study site, soil characteristics were measured from soil samples taken under P. velutina canopies, between canopies and in the benchmark stands free of Prosopis species. The effect on selected soil properties of P. velutina invasion varied between the three stands and between sites. In all the sites, almost all soils collected from under the canopies had a significantly higher soil exchangeable Ca, K, Mg, and Na, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (P), Electrical conductivity (EC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) than the other sample positions, except for the pH which had the high value in intercanopies. Significantly higher ( p < 0.05 ) values of almost all soil properties were found on the densely invaded sites (Tshidilamolomo I and Tshidilamolomo II) compared to lightly invaded sites (Mabule, Black Heat Farm, and Bray). However, it was difficult to generalise as the effects often appear to be site-specific. In addition, the findings also indicated that soils textural classes ranged between sand, silt, and clay in all study sites with a higher proportion of sand in the benchmark than in the soil under the canopies and intercanopies. Soil characteristics differed significantly more between sites than among positions. The site effects observed in this current study provide evidences that this species may occupy a relatively broad soil niche.

Forest Roads Facilitate the Spread of Invasive Plants

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Mortensen ◽  
Emily S. J. Rauschert ◽  
Andrea N. Nord ◽  
Brian P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Microstegium Vimineum ◽  
Plant Abundance ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Large Scale Survey ◽  
Patch Scale ◽  
Plant Survey

AbstractThe distribution and abundance of invasive species can be strongly influenced by habitat suitability and by corridors that facilitate dispersal. We synthesize results from a large-scale invasive plant survey with a patch-scale expansion experiment. The large-scale survey involved transects up to 250 m away from of all roads in a 32,000 ha forest. The patch experiment involved initiating invasions in different habitat types (roadside, wetland, disturbed, and intact forests), and then fitting statistical models to patch spread rates. The large-scale survey highlighted the importance of roads in predicting the presence of invasive plants, also revealing that one invasive plant, Microstegium vimineum, has spread rapidly since its purported introduction in 1994. The patch-scale experiments focused on Microstegium and demonstrated that spread rates are higher in roadsides than in forested and wetland patches, even in the absence of major disturbances. These results highlight the importance of landscape features when designing prevention and management practices aimed at limiting invasive plant abundance and spread.

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