The Shack Idea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estella B. Leopold
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
New Order ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Perfect Model ◽  
Major Disruption ◽  
The Right ◽  
Splendid Isolation

As each of us siblings—Starker, Luna, Carl, Nina, and i— matured and entered our professional lives in different parts of the country, we carried with us a hankering to have a place in the country, a Shack of our own. It is not merely real estate, of course. Instead, it is a camping place for feeling close to the land, a place to work with the land and to observe the ecosystem and its fauna. To “own,” or as the first peoples saw it, to “belong” on a piece of land is exciting and special—a chance to become acquainted with a few favorite species, then to watch them grow. But of course it is way more than that. As Dad said, he chose his land for its backwardness, but it flourished in splendid isolation under our care. Shack land, as we conceived of it, had the potential of being inhabited by a vast number of native bird species, plus a diverse fauna of mammals, which got richer with time. We were excited that the Shack landscape itself had such physical variety; it had hills and dales, a grand river, a series of tributaries animated by spring and fall floods, a standing bottomland forest coursed by those floods and occupied by lively muskrats, with ducks flying in and out of the sloughs, as well as kingfishers and jays. Even though it was “degraded” agricultural land, Dad and Mother saw it as a land of opportunities for the family. While it had a “reduced level of complexity,” the soil was still there, and we could help improve it, which actually means that the right plants could make it better. Prairie is the perfect model for this kind of restoration and recovery. Dad described the upward flow of energy from soils through the plant community as a kind of circuit. After major disruption and loss of native species, the energy circuit is slowed and altered. He asked, “Can the land adjust itself to the new order?” He was sure it could if we reintroduced the native plant species on that cornfield, on that terrace, on that hill, in order for a genuine prairie, with its very efficient energy-flow, to become reestablished.

Restoration of seed dispersal interactions in communities invaded by non-native plants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-401
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
Marco Aurélio Pizo
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species

Abstract Restoration aims to rebuild not only species but also the tangled interactions between species that ensure communities perpetuate by themselves. In tropical forests, restoration of seed dispersal interactions is essential because most plant species depend on animals to spread their seeds. A big challenge in restoring such forests is dealing with invasion by non-native species. Non-native plant species may outcompete and eliminate native species from the community, potentially disrupting or arresting the restoration process. Once established, invasive non-native plants are usually incorporated into the local seed dispersal network, potentially causing loss of biodiversity by competition with native species. This chapter reports on a case study of a 25-year old restored forest invaded by several bird-dispersed plant species. We assessed network metrics at the species level to specifically evaluate the role performed by invasive non-native species in the structure of the bird - seed dispersal network. The removal of invasive non-native plants and the re-establishment of native plant communities should be considered for the restoration of habitats invaded by non-native plants. For this reason, we discuss the impacts of removing such non-native plants and explore the consequences for the structure of the overall network. Because restoration areas are open systems, even after the removal of invasive non-native plant species they can return via seed dispersal. So, both the control and management of invasive non-native species would be more effective if planned with a landscape perspective. We also point out relevant management aspects to avoid the negative influence of invasive non-native plants on the seed dispersal interactions occurring between native plant and bird species in restored tropical forests.

Restoration of seed dispersal interactions in communities invaded by non-native plants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-401
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
◽  
Marco Aurélio Pizo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species

Restoration aims to rebuild not only species but also the tangled interactions between species that ensure communities perpetuate by themselves. In tropical forests, restoration of seed dispersal interactions is essential because most plant species depend on animals to spread their seeds. A big challenge in restoring such forests is dealing with invasion by non-native species. Non-native plant species may outcompete and eliminate native species from the community, potentially disrupting or arresting the restoration process. Once established, invasive non-native plants are usually incorporated into the local seed dispersal network, potentially causing loss of biodiversity by competition with native species. This chapter reports on a case study of a 25-year old restored forest invaded by several bird-dispersed plant species. We assessed network metrics at the species level to specifically evaluate the role performed by invasive non-native species in the structure of the bird - seed dispersal network. The removal of invasive non-native plants and the re-establishment of native plant communities should be considered for the restoration of habitats invaded by non-native plants. For this reason, we discuss the impacts of removing such non-native plants and explore the consequences for the structure of the overall network. Because restoration areas are open systems, even after the removal of invasive non-native plant species they can return via seed dispersal. So, both the control and management of invasive non-native species would be more effective if planned with a landscape perspective. We also point out relevant management aspects to avoid the negative influence of invasive non-native plants on the seed dispersal interactions occurring between native plant and bird species in restored tropical forests.

scholarly journals Impact of secondary landscape structure on the presence of non-native plant species in the cadastral area of the Topoľčany town

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Gális ◽  
Jela Galková ◽  
Jozef Straňák
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Ruderal Vegetation ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Different Types

AbstractThis study characterises an impact of secondary landscape structure on the introduction of non-native plant species during the years 2008 and 2010−2012. The field mapping was realised in the cadastral area of the Topoľčany town. The area of study consists of built-up area with surrounding agricultural land. During the period of our research, we identified the presence of total 55 non-native plant species, including 21 invasive, 11 casual and 23 naturalised. The highest dominance occurred in elements of ruderal vegetation without trees (22) and in the vegetation protection of aquatic dams (15). Several species were observed in a wide range of landscape elements. The occurrence in many structurally different types of habitats confirmed the ability of non-native species to tolerate a wide range of biotic and abiotic conditions.

A Guide to Planting Wildflower Enhancements in Florida

EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Bammer ◽  
Josh Campbell ◽  
Chase B. Kimmel ◽  
James D.. Ellis ◽  
Jaret C. Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Control Techniques ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
The Right

The establishment of native wildflower plantings in Florida can benefit agricultural producers as well as native pollinators and other beneficial insects (predators and parasitoids). The plantings do this by:  providing forage and nesting sites for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, increasing wild bee numbers possibly across the farm, and increasing natural enemies of insect pests (that also depend on forage and nesting sites). This document discusses choosing the right mix of native plant species to benefit many pollinator species, as well as proper site selection, planting practices, and weed control techniques. Wildflower plots should be practical to manage, maximize benefits to wildlife, and fit into the overall management practices of the property. 

scholarly journals Emerging fungal pathogen of an invasive grass: Implications for competition with native plant species

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0237894
Author(s):  
Amy E. Kendig ◽  
Vida J. Svahnström ◽  
Ashish Adhikari ◽  
Philip F. Harmon ◽  
S. Luke Flory
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Leaf Spot Disease ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Invasive Grass ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Species Specific

Infectious diseases and invasive species can be strong drivers of biological systems that may interact to shift plant community composition. For example, disease can modify resource competition between invasive and native species. Invasive species tend to interact with a diversity of native species, and it is unclear how native species differ in response to disease-mediated competition with invasive species. Here, we quantified the biomass responses of three native North American grass species (Dichanthelium clandestinum, Elymus virginicus, and Eragrostis spectabilis) to disease-mediated competition with the non-native invasive grass Microstegium vimineum. The foliar fungal pathogen Bipolaris gigantea has recently emerged in Microstegium populations, causing a leaf spot disease that reduces Microstegium biomass and seed production. In a greenhouse experiment, we examined the effects of B. gigantea inoculation on two components of competitive ability for each native species: growth in the absence of competition and biomass responses to increasing densities of Microstegium. Bipolaris gigantea inoculation affected each of the three native species in unique ways, by increasing (Dichanthelium), decreasing (Elymus), or not changing (Eragrostis) their growth in the absence of competition relative to mock inoculation. Bipolaris gigantea inoculation did not, however, affect Microstegium biomass or mediate the effect of Microstegium density on native plant biomass. Thus, B. gigantea had species-specific effects on native plant competition with Microstegium through species-specific biomass responses to B. gigantea inoculation, but not through modified responses to Microstegium density. Our results suggest that disease may uniquely modify competitive interactions between invasive and native plants for different native plant species.

scholarly journals Are declines in insects and insectivorous birds related?

The Condor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas W Tallamy ◽  
W Gregory Shriver
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Insectivorous Birds ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Host Plant Specialization ◽  
Scale Population

Abstract A flurry of recently published studies indicates that both insects and birds have experienced wide-scale population declines in the last several decades. Curiously, whether insect and bird declines are causally linked has received little empirical attention. Here, we hypothesize that insect declines are an important factor contributing to the decline of insectivorous birds. We further suggest that insect populations essential to insectivorous birds decline whenever non-native lumber, ornamental, or invasive plant species replace native plant communities. We support our hypothesis by reviewing studies that show (1) due to host plant specialization, insect herbivores typically do poorly on non-native plants; (2) birds are often food limited; (3) populations of insectivorous bird species fluctuate with the supply of essential insect prey; (4) not all arthropod prey support bird reproduction equally well; and (5) terrestrial birds for which insects are an essential source of food have declined by 2.9 billion individuals over the last 50 years, while terrestrial birds that do not depend on insects during their life history have gained by 26.2 million individuals, a 111-fold difference. Understanding the consequences of insect declines, particularly as they affect charismatic animals like birds, may motivate land managers, homeowners, and restoration ecologists to take actions that reverse these declines by favoring the native plant species that support insect herbivores most productively.

Urban conservation gardening in the decade of restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingmar Staude ◽  
Josiane Segar ◽  
Corey Thomas Callaghan ◽  
Emma Ladouceur ◽  
Jasper Meya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Urban Conservation ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Native Seed ◽  
Conservation Gardening

Global commitments to species conservation have failed to halt systematic widespread declines in plant species. Current policy interventions, such as protected areas and legal species legislation, remain insufficient, and there is an urgent need to engage novel approaches and actors in conservation. Here, we propose that urban conservation gardening, namely the cultivation of declining native plant species in public and private green spaces, can be one such approach. Conservation gardening can address key (a)biotic drivers of species decline, act as a critical dispersal pathway and increase the occupancy of declining native species. We identify policy mechanisms to upscale conservation gardening to a mainstream activity by reforming the existing horticultural market into an innovative nature protection instrument. This involves incentivizing the integration of the native seed sector, leveraging existing certification and labelling schemes, promoting consumer access, as well as building citizen-science projects to foster public engagement. Mainstreamed conservation gardening can be an economically viable, sustainable, and participatory measure that complements traditional approaches to plant conservation.

Seed dispersal interactions promoting plant invasions.

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-104
Author(s):  
M. Celeste Díaz Vélez ◽  
Ana E. Ferreras ◽  
Valeria Paiaro
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Invasional Meltdown ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Origin Life

Abstract Animal dispersers are essential for many non-native plants since they facilitate seed movement and might promote seed germination and seedling establishment, thereby increasing their chances of invasion. This chapter reviews the published literature on seed dispersal of non-native plant species by native and/or non-native animals. The following questions are addressed: (i) Are interactions between non-native plants and their animal dispersers evenly studied worldwide? (ii) Which are the distinctive traits (i.e. geographical origin, life form, dispersal strategy and propagule traits) of non-native plants that are dispersed by animals? (iii) Which are the most studied groups of dispersers of non-native plants around the world? (iv) Does the literature provide evidence for the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis (non-native plant-non-native disperser facilitation)? (v) What is the role of animal dispersers at different stages of the non-native plant regeneration process? Our dataset of 204 articles indicates that geographical distribution of the studies was highly heterogeneous among continents, with the highest number coming from North America and the lowest from Asia and Central America. Most of the non-native plants involved in dispersal studies were woody species from Asia with fleshy fruits dispersed by endozoochory. More than the half of the animal dispersal agents noted were birds, followed by mammals, ants and reptiles. The dominance of bird-dispersal interactions over other animal groups was consistent across geographical regions. Although most of the studies involved only native dispersers, interactions among non-native species were detected, providing support for the existence of invasional meltdown processes. Of the total number of reviewed articles reporting seed removal, 74% evaluated seed dispersal, but only a few studies included seed germination (35.3%), seedling establishment (5.4%) or seed predation (23.5%). Finally, we discuss some research biases and directions for future studies in the area.

Competition between native and non-native plants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 291-307
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Wandrag ◽  
◽  
Jane A. Catford ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
New Locations ◽  
Strength Of Competition

The introduction of species to new locations leads to novel competitive interactions between resident native and newly-arriving non-native species. The nature of these competitive interactions can influence the suitability of the environment for the survival, reproduction and spread of non-native plant species, and the impact those species have on native plant communities. Indeed, the large literature on competition among plants reflects its importance in shaping the composition of plant communities, including the invasion success of non-native species. While competition and invasion theory have historically developed in parallel, the increasing recognition of the synergism between the two themes has led to new insights into how non-native plant species invade native plant communities, and the impacts they have on those plant communities. This chapter provides an entry point into the aspects of competition theory that can help explain the success, dominance and impacts of invasive species. It focuses on resource competition, which arises wherever the resources necessary for establishment, survival, reproduction and spread are in limited supply. It highlights key hypotheses developed in invasion biology that relate to ideas of competition, outlines biotic and abiotic factors that influence the strength of competition and species' relative competitive abilities, and describes when and how competition between non-native and native plant species can influence invasion outcomes. Understanding the processes that influence the strength of competition between non-native and native plant species is a necessary step towards understanding the causes and consequences of biological invasions.

scholarly journals Slash Pile Burn Scar Restoration: Tradeoffs between Abundance of Non-Native and Native Species

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 813
Author(s):  
Ian Sexton ◽  
Philip Turk ◽  
Lindsay Ringer ◽  
Cynthia S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Burn Scar ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Soil Scarification

The accumulation of live and dead trees and other vegetation in forests across the western United States is producing larger and more severe wildfires. To decrease wildfire severity and increase forest resilience, foresters regularly remove excess fuel by burning woody material in piles. This common practice could also cause persistent ecosystem changes such as the alteration of soil physical and chemical properties due to extreme soil heating, which can favor invasion by non-native plant species. The abundance and species richness of native plant communities may also remain depressed for many years after burning has removed vegetation and diminished propagules in the soil. This adds to the vulnerability of burned areas to the colonization and dominance by invasive species. Research into the use of revegetation techniques following pile burning to suppress invasion is limited. Studies conducted in various woodland types that investigated revegetation of pile burn scars have met with varying success. To assess the effectiveness of restoring pile burn scars in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, we monitored vegetation in 26 scars, each about 5 m in diameter, the growing season after burning. Later that summer, we selected 14 scars for restoration that included soil scarification, seed addition, and pine duff mulch cover. We monitored the scars for four years, pre-restoration, and three years post-restoration and found that the cover of seeded species exceeded the surrounding unburned areas and unseeded controls. The restoration seeding suppressed cover of non-native species as well as native species that were not seeded during restoration. Our results suggest that restoration of pile burn scars could be a useful tool to retard the establishment of invasive plant species when there are pre-existing infestations near scars. However, this must be weighed against the simultaneous suppression of native species recruitment. Monitoring for periods more than three years will help us understand how long the suppression of native and non-native species by restoration species may persist.

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