Behavioral consequences of plant invasion: an invasive plant alters rodent antipredator behavior

<p>Drivers of global change have direct impacts on the structure of communities and functioning of ecosystems, and interactions between drivers may buffer or exacerbate these direct effects. Interactions among drivers can lead to complex non-linear outcomes for ecosystems, communities and species, but are infrequently quantified. Through a combination of experimental, observational and modelling approaches, I address critical gaps in our understanding of the interactive effects of climate change and plant invasion, using Tongariro National Park (TNP; New Zealand) as a model. TNP is an alpine ecosystem of cultural significance which hosts a unique flora with high rates of endemism. TNP is invaded by the perennial shrub Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. My objectives were to: 1) determine whether species-specific phenological shifts have the potential to alter the reproductive capacity of native plants in landscapes affected by invasion; 2) determine whether the effect of invasion intensity on the Species Area Relationship (SAR) of native alpine plant species is influenced by environmental stress; 3) develop a novel modelling framework that would account for density-dependent competitive interactions between native species and C. vulgaris and implement it to determine the combined risk of climate change and plant invasion on the distribution of native plant species; and 4) explore the possible mechanisms leading to a discrepancy in C. vulgaris invasion success on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. I show that species-specific phenological responses to climate warming increase the flowering overlap between a native and an invasive plant. I then show that competition for pollination with the invader decreases the sexual reproduction of the native in some landscapes. I therefore illustrate a previously undescribed interaction between climate warming and plant invasion where the effects of competition for pollination with an invader on the sexual reproduction of the native may be exacerbated by climate warming. Furthermore, I describe a previously unknown pattern of changing invasive plant impact on SAR along an environmental stress gradient. Namely, I demonstrate that interactions between an invasive plant and local native plant species richness become increasingly facilitative along elevational gradients and that the strength of plant interactions is dependent on invader biomass. I then show that the consequences of changing plant interactions at a local scale for the slope of SAR is dependent on the pervasion of the invader. Next, I demonstrate that the inclusion of invasive species density data in distribution models for a native plant leads to greater reductions in predicted native plant distribution and density under future climate change scenarios relative to models based on climate suitability alone. Finally, I find no evidence for large-scale climatic, edaphic, and vegetative limitations to invasion by C. vulgaris on either the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Instead, my results suggest that discrepancies in invasive spread between islands may be driven by human activity: C. vulgaris is associated with the same levels of human disturbance on both islands despite differences in the presence of these conditions between then islands. Altogether, these results show that interactive effects between drivers on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics are frequently not additive or linear. Therefore, accurate predictions of global change impacts on community structure and ecosystems function require experiments and models which include of interactions among drivers such as climate change and species invasion. These results are pertinent to effective conservation management as most landscapes are concurrently affected by multiple drivers of global environmental change.</p>

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The role of pathogens in plant invasions.

Plant invasions: the role of biotic interactions ◽

10.1079/9781789242171.0208 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 208-225

Author(s):

Amy E. Kendig ◽

S. Luke Flory ◽

Erica M. Goss ◽

Robert D. Holt ◽

Keith Clay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plants ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Invasion Biology ◽

Resident Species ◽

Introduced Plants ◽

Novel Host ◽

Survival And Reproduction ◽

Agricultural Literature

Abstract Plant-pathogen interactions occur throughout the process of plant invasion: pathogens can acutely influence plant survival and reproduction, while the large densities and spatial distributions of invasive plant species can influence pathogen communities. However, interactions between invasive plants and pathogens are often overlooked during the early stages of invasion. As with introductions of invasive plants, the introduction of agricultural crops to new areas can also generate novel host-pathogen interactions. The close monitoring of agricultural plants and resulting insights can inform hypotheses for invasive plants where research on pathogen interactions is lacking. This chapter reviews the known and hypothesized effects of pathogens on the invasion process and the effects of plant invasion on pathogens and infectious disease dynamics throughout the process of invasion. Initially, pathogens may inhibit the transport of potentially invasive plants. After arrival in a new range, pathogens can facilitate or inhibit establishment success of introduced plants depending on their relative impacts on the introduced plants and resident species. As invasive plants spread, they may encounter novel pathogens and alter the abundance and geographic range of pathogens. Pathogens can mediate interactions between invasive plants and resident species and may influence the long-term impacts of invasive plants on ecosystems. As invasive plants shift the composition of pathogen communities, resident species could be subject to higher disease risk. We highlight gaps in invasion biology research by providing examples from the agricultural literature and propose topics that have received little attention from either field.

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Modelling plant invasion pathways in protected areas under climate change: implication for invasion management

Web Ecology ◽

10.5194/we-17-69-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 69-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chun-Jing Wang ◽

Ji-Zhong Wan ◽

Hong Qu ◽

Zhi-Xiang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Global Climate ◽

High Capacity ◽

Global Scale ◽

Invasion Pathways ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Potential Factors

Abstract. Global climate change may enable invasive plant species (IPS) to invade protected areas (PAs), but plant invasion on a global scale has not yet been explicitly addressed. Here, we mapped the potential invasion pathways for IPS in PAs across the globe and explored potential factors determining the pathways of plant invasion under climate change. We used species distribution modelling to estimate the suitable habitats of 386 IPS and applied a corridor analysis to compute the potential pathways of IPS in PAs under climate change. Subsequently, we analysed the potential factors affecting the pathways in PAs. According to our results, the main potential pathways of IPS in PAs are in Europe, eastern Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa, and eastern regions of South America and are strongly influenced by changes in temperature and precipitation. Protected areas can play an important role in preventing and controlling the spread of IPS under climate change. This is due to the fact that measures are taken to monitor climate change in detail, to provide effective management near or inside PAs, and to control the introduction of IPS with a high capacity for natural dispersal. A review of conservation policies in PAs is urgently needed.

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The role of pathogens in plant invasions.

Plant invasions: the role of biotic interactions ◽

10.1079/9781789242171.0011 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 208-225

Author(s):

Amy E. Kendig ◽

◽

S. Luke Flory ◽

Erica M. Goss ◽

Robert D. Holt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plants ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Invasion Biology ◽

Resident Species ◽

Introduced Plants ◽

Novel Host ◽

Survival And Reproduction ◽

Agricultural Literature

Plant-pathogen interactions occur throughout the process of plant invasion: pathogens can acutely influence plant survival and reproduction, while the large densities and spatial distributions of invasive plant species can influence pathogen communities. However, interactions between invasive plants and pathogens are often overlooked during the early stages of invasion. As with introductions of invasive plants, the introduction of agricultural crops to new areas can also generate novel host-pathogen interactions. The close monitoring of agricultural plants and resulting insights can inform hypotheses for invasive plants where research on pathogen interactions is lacking. This chapter reviews the known and hypothesized effects of pathogens on the invasion process and the effects of plant invasion on pathogens and infectious disease dynamics throughout the process of invasion. Initially, pathogens may inhibit the transport of potentially invasive plants. After arrival in a new range, pathogens can facilitate or inhibit establishment success of introduced plants depending on their relative impacts on the introduced plants and resident species. As invasive plants spread, they may encounter novel pathogens and alter the abundance and geographic range of pathogens. Pathogens can mediate interactions between invasive plants and resident species and may influence the long-term impacts of invasive plants on ecosystems. As invasive plants shift the composition of pathogen communities, resident species could be subject to higher disease risk. We highlight gaps in invasion biology research by providing examples from the agricultural literature and propose topics that have received little attention from either field.

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Ecological Genetics of Plant Invasion: What Do We Know?

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-07-022.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 98-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Sarah M. Ward ◽

John F. Gaskin ◽

Linda M. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Analysis ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Plant Invasions ◽

Molecular Techniques ◽

Native Plant ◽

Plant Populations ◽

Genetic Characteristics ◽

Species Invasions

AbstractThe rate at which plant invasions occur is accelerating globally, and a growing amount of recent research uses genetic analysis of invasive plant populations to better understand the histories, processes, and effects of plant invasions. The goal of this review is to provide natural resource managers with an introduction to this research. We discuss examples selected from published studies that examine intraspecific genetic diversity and the role of hybridization in plant invasion. We also consider the conflicting evidence that has emerged from recent research for the evolution of increased competitiveness as an explanation for invasion, and the significance of multiple genetic characteristics and patterns of genetic diversity reported in the literature across different species invasions. High and low levels of genetic diversity have been found in different invading plant populations, suggesting that either selection leading to local adaptation, or pre-adapted characteristics such as phenotypic plasticity, can lead to aggressive range expansion by colonizing nonnative species. As molecular techniques for detecting hybrids advance, it is also becoming clear that hybridization is a significant component of some plant invasions, with consequences that include increased genetic diversity within an invasive species, generation of successful novel genotypes, and genetic swamping of native plant gene pools. Genetic analysis of invasive plant populations has many applications, including predicting population response to biological or chemical control measures based on diversity levels, identifying source populations, tracking introduction routes, and elucidating mechanisms of local spread and adaptation. This information can be invaluable in developing more effectively targeted strategies for managing existing plant invasions and preventing new ones. Future genetic research, including the use of high throughput molecular marker systems and genomic approaches such as microarray analysis, has the potential to contribute to better understanding and more effective management of plant invasions.

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Soil microorganism impact on the native plant growth under single and co-invasion with invasive plants: Responses through plant-soil feedback

Biomedical Letters ◽

10.47262//bl/6.2.20200432 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 104-111

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Soil Microorganisms ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Plant Competition ◽

Soil Microorganism ◽

Native Plant ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Soil Feedback

Plant invasion is a key element defining the community structure and dynamics and has become a major concern for the invasive plants to control the restoration of ecosystem diversity. In the same line of thought, soil microorganisms are also considered as a significant parameter of evolution and invasive plants' success. The variations usually overserved in the composition and structure of the soil microorganisms and the consequences of plant invasion. Therefore, understanding the concept of plant invasion and soil microorganism impact plant competition and plant-soil feedback would be a very important step forward in invasive plant control and ecosystem restoration. This review aims to provide a conceptual explanation of plant invasion, the role of soil microorganisms on plant growth and its effects on the native plant-soil feedback and also to demonstrate the importance of understanding the integrative soil microorganism impact on the competition between native and invasive plants along with its effects on plant-soil feedback.

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Interactive effects of climate change and plant invasion on alpine biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics

10.26686/wgtn.17138738 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Justyna Giejsztowt

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

New Zealand ◽

Plant Species ◽

Climate Warming ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Ecosystem Dynamics ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Native Plant ◽

Competition For Pollination

<p>Drivers of global change have direct impacts on the structure of communities and functioning of ecosystems, and interactions between drivers may buffer or exacerbate these direct effects. Interactions among drivers can lead to complex non-linear outcomes for ecosystems, communities and species, but are infrequently quantified. Through a combination of experimental, observational and modelling approaches, I address critical gaps in our understanding of the interactive effects of climate change and plant invasion, using Tongariro National Park (TNP; New Zealand) as a model. TNP is an alpine ecosystem of cultural significance which hosts a unique flora with high rates of endemism. TNP is invaded by the perennial shrub Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. My objectives were to: 1) determine whether species-specific phenological shifts have the potential to alter the reproductive capacity of native plants in landscapes affected by invasion; 2) determine whether the effect of invasion intensity on the Species Area Relationship (SAR) of native alpine plant species is influenced by environmental stress; 3) develop a novel modelling framework that would account for density-dependent competitive interactions between native species and C. vulgaris and implement it to determine the combined risk of climate change and plant invasion on the distribution of native plant species; and 4) explore the possible mechanisms leading to a discrepancy in C. vulgaris invasion success on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. I show that species-specific phenological responses to climate warming increase the flowering overlap between a native and an invasive plant. I then show that competition for pollination with the invader decreases the sexual reproduction of the native in some landscapes. I therefore illustrate a previously undescribed interaction between climate warming and plant invasion where the effects of competition for pollination with an invader on the sexual reproduction of the native may be exacerbated by climate warming. Furthermore, I describe a previously unknown pattern of changing invasive plant impact on SAR along an environmental stress gradient. Namely, I demonstrate that interactions between an invasive plant and local native plant species richness become increasingly facilitative along elevational gradients and that the strength of plant interactions is dependent on invader biomass. I then show that the consequences of changing plant interactions at a local scale for the slope of SAR is dependent on the pervasion of the invader. Next, I demonstrate that the inclusion of invasive species density data in distribution models for a native plant leads to greater reductions in predicted native plant distribution and density under future climate change scenarios relative to models based on climate suitability alone. Finally, I find no evidence for large-scale climatic, edaphic, and vegetative limitations to invasion by C. vulgaris on either the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Instead, my results suggest that discrepancies in invasive spread between islands may be driven by human activity: C. vulgaris is associated with the same levels of human disturbance on both islands despite differences in the presence of these conditions between then islands. Altogether, these results show that interactive effects between drivers on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics are frequently not additive or linear. Therefore, accurate predictions of global change impacts on community structure and ecosystems function require experiments and models which include of interactions among drivers such as climate change and species invasion. These results are pertinent to effective conservation management as most landscapes are concurrently affected by multiple drivers of global environmental change.</p>

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The Effects of Soils from Different Forest Types on the Growth of the Invasive Plant Phytolacca americana

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10060492 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 492

Author(s):

Peng-Dong Chen ◽

Yu-Ping Hou ◽

Yan-Hui Zhuge ◽

Wei Wei ◽

Qiao-Qiao Huang

Keyword(s):

Forest Soils ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Eastern China ◽

Natural Forest ◽

Invasion Success ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Phytolacca Americana ◽

Natural Forests

Due to increasing globalization and human disturbance, plant invasion has become a worldwide concern. Soil characteristics associated with the vegetation of recipient communities affect plant invasion success to a great extent. However, the relative importance of soil biotic and abiotic factors of different recipient communities in resisting plant invasion is not fully understood. We hypothesized that natural forest soils can better resist plant invasion than can plantation soils, that the allelopathic legacy of resident trees in soil plays a role in resisting invasive plants, and that late-successional soils have a strong effect. We examined the effects of soil and litter collected from four natural forests at successional stages and one Robinia pseudoacacia Linn. plantation in eastern China on the growth of Phytolacca americana L., which is a highly invasive species across China, and explored the individual effects of soil nutrients, allelochemicals, and soil microbes. We found that allelopathic activity of natural forest soils can effectively resist P. americana invasion, and that low level of nutrients, especially of phosphorus, in the soils might be potential limiting factors for the plant growth. The profound conditioning of soil resources by exotic R. pseudoacacia based on tree traits (including allelopathy) facilitated further P. americana invasion. Allelochemicals from forest litter inhibited the germination of P. americana seeds, but pH played a major role in P. americana growth when these substances entered the soil. However, we have no evidence that late-successional forest soils exhibit strong allelopathy toward P. americana. The present study will help to further our understanding of the mechanism of community resistance to invasion.

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