Riparian plant invasions: hydrogeomorphological control and ecological impacts

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Tickner ◽  
Penelope G. Angold ◽  
Angela M. Gurnell ◽  
J. Owen Mountford
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Riparian Plant Communities ◽  
Riparian Plant

Biological invasions are a threat to ecosystems across all biogeographical realms. Riparian habitats are considered to be particularly prone to invasion by alien plant species and, because riparian vegetation plays a key role in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, research in this field has increased. Most studies have focused on the biology and autecology of invasive species and biogeographical aspects of their spread. However, given that hydrogeomorphological processes greatly influence the structure of riparian plant communities, and that these communities in turn affect hydrology and fluvial geomorphology, scant attention has been paid to the interactions between invasions and these physical processes. Similarly, relatively little research has been undertaken on competitive interactions between alien and native riparian plant species. Further research in these fields is necessary at a variety of spatial and temporal scales before the dynamics of riparian invasions, and their impacts, can be properly understood.

Bird species richness and abundance in riparian vegetation invaded by exotic Reynoutria spp.

Biologia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Hajzlerová ◽  
Jiří Reif
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
River Bank ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Acrocephalus Palustris

AbstractImpacts of invasive alien plant species are threatening biodiversity worldwide and thus it is important to assess their effects on particular groups of organisms. However, such impacts were studied mostly in case of plant or invertebrate communities and our understanding the response of vertebrate species to plant invasions remains incomplete. To improve our knowledge in this respect, we studied bird communities in riparian vegetation along the rivers with different levels of Reynoutria spp. invasion in the Czech Republic. These findings will be interesting for basic ecology enhancing our knowledge of consequences of plant invasions, as well as for conservation practice. We surveyed understory bird species in 26 vegetation blocks along parts of three rivers running from the Beskydy Mountains in spring 2011. We used principal component analysis to assess vegetation structure of particular blocks and the first axis ordinated the blocks according to the degree of invasion by Reynoutria spp. Using generalized linear mixed-effects models we found that counts of Motacilla cinerea, Cinclus cinclus and Sylvia borin, as well as the total bird species richness, significantly decreased with increasing degree of Reynoutria spp. invasion, while Acrocephalus palustris showed the opposite pattern. These results suggest that Reynoutria spp. impacts negatively on the species strictly bond with river banks and habitats specialists, whereas habitat generalist species like Sylvia atricapilla were not affected. Preference of Acrocephalus palustris for Reynoutria spp. corroborates affinity of this species to large invasive herbs observed also in other studies. Our study showed that Reynoutria spp. invasion can reduce species richness of understory birds in riparian communities. Although the distribution of this plant species is still quite limited in central Europe, our results suggest that its more widespread occurrence could potentially threat some river bank bird species. Therefore, we urge for development of management actions that will act counter the Reynoutria spp. invasion.

Effects of salinisation on riparian plant communities in experimental catchments on the Collie River, Western Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 667 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Lymbery ◽  
R. G. Doupé ◽  
N. E. Pettit
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Riparian Plant Communities ◽  
Riparian Plant

Although the salinisation of streams has long been recognised as one of Western Australia's most serious environmental and resource problems, there is very little published information on the effects of salinisation on riparian flora and fauna. We studied riparian vegetation in three experimental catchments on the Collie River in Western Australia. The catchments are situated within a 5-km area of state forest and are geologically and botanically similar, but differ in the extent of clearing, groundwater levels and stream salinity. In each catchment, transects were taken perpendicular to the direction of streamflow, and 4-m2 quadrats taken along each transect. Within each quadrat, soil salinity was measured, all plants were identified to species level and percentage cover estimated. The catchments differed significantly in soil salinity, with salinity being greatest in the most extensively cleared catchment and increasing towards the floor of the valley. Plant-species richness, species diversity and species composition were significantly related to soil salinity, both among catchments and among quadrats within the most extensively cleared catchment. Plant-species richness and diversity decreased with increasing soil salinity, an effect that may be partly due to a decline in perennial herb and shrub species. This may have an impact on other components of the riparian ecosystem.

scholarly journals ILORA: A database of alien vascular flora of India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidushi Pant ◽  
Chinmay Patwardhan ◽  
Kshitij Patil ◽  
Amiya Ranjan Bhowmick ◽  
Abhishek Mukherjee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Alien Flora

Plant invasions pose an unprecedented threat to biodiversity and ecosystems at different spatial scales, especially for a biodiversity-rich developing nation like India. While country-level checklists are considered as the first step for effective management of plant invasions, databases having biological and ecological attributes of these plant species are of paramount importance for facilitating research activities and developing policy interventions concerning alien plant invasion in a country or region. Though checklists with the names and basic details of alien plant species are available for India, a database aggregating attributes relevant to the understanding of the invasion continuum is lacking. We have curated data for 13 variables related to ecology, biogeography, introduction history, socio-economy and environmental niche of 1747 alien vascular plant species from 22 national and global sources to produce the Indian Alien Flora Information (ILORA) version 1.0 database. This paper describes the detailed methodology of curating these data along with the logic behind selecting these variables to be included in the database. The database, first of its kind for the Indian alien flora, will provide easy access to high quality data, offer a ready reference to comprehend the existing scenario of alien plant species in the country and provide opportunities to identify, scrutinize and prioritize the management of these species. The database is dynamic and will be continuously updated with the availability of new data. It has the provision for bidirectional information exchange with the users, which will allow increasing the resolution of the database as well as the expansion of its capacity. All data will be associated with the source information and ILORA will encourage users to refer to the primary sources to give the contributors full credit and acknowledgement. The database is, therefore, envisaged to become a nationwide collaborative platform for a wide spectrum of stakeholders involving the scientific community, citizens, and policymakers. ILORA is freely accessible via an online data repository as well as through a dedicated website (https://ilora2020.wixsite.com/ilora2020).

scholarly journals Status and impacts of invasive alien plant species in Parsa National Park, central Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Chaudhary ◽  
B. B. Shrestha ◽  
H. Thapa ◽  
M. Siwakoti
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Alien Plant

Extent of plant invasions has been expected to be low in protected areas such as national parks due to low anthropogenic activities and high wilderness. However, recent researches across the world have revealed that plant invasions can be severe in the national parks with negative impacts on the protected species and ecosystems. Unfortunately, the status of plant invasions in the national parks of Nepal is mostly unknown. In this study, we sampled at seven locations inside the Parsa National Park (PNP) to document diversity and abundance of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) and their impacts on tree regeneration. Altogether, 130 quadrats of 10 m × 10 m were sampled. We recorded 14 IAPS in the PNP. Three of the IAPS (Chromolana odorata, Lantana camara and Mikania micrantha) were among the 100 of the world’s worst invasive alien species. C. odorata was found to be the most frequent IAPS with the highest cover. The frequency and cover of the IAPS were higher at the sites close to the settlements than at the sites away from the settlements. The species richness of the IAPS was also higher at the sites closer to the settlements than away. The sapling density of the tree species was found to have declined with the increasing cover of the IAPS suggesting that the IAPS had negatively affected tree regeneration. Our data revealed that the PNP has already witnessed massive plant invasions with widespread occurrence of three of the world’s worst invasive species. Therefore, it is high time to integrate management of invasive alien species in the management plan of the park.

scholarly journals Stream Structural Limitations on Invasive Communities in Urban Riparian Areas

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Warren ◽  
Daniel L. Potts ◽  
Kelly M. Frothingham
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Riparian Species ◽  
Riparian Plant Communities ◽  
Riparian Plant

AbstractUrban riparian plant communities exist at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and they are rich sources of species biodiversity and ecosystem services. The periodic floods that promote species diversity in riparian plant communities also increase their vulnerability to nonnative plant invasions. Plant invasions are constrained by seed and suitable habitat availability. However, how seed dispersal and establishment limitations interact to shape nonnative plant invasions in riparian communities is poorly understood. We use Stream Visual Assessment Protocol data to evaluate the hydrological and geomorphological parameters that influence the seeding and establishment of six common nonnative species in urban riparian habitats: garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, reed canarygrass, common reed, Japanese knotweed, and multiflora rose. To address this objective, we analyzed stream reach data collected during a basin-wide environmental assessment of the extensively urbanized upper Niagara River watershed. We found limited support for our prediction that propagule limitation constrains the distribution of nonnative riparian species, likely because these species are well established in the study area. Instead, we found that opportune stream reach characteristics better predict the distribution of the common invasive riparian species—most notably open tree canopy. Given that there is widespread investment in urban riparian forest restoration to improve water quality, increase stream-bank stability, enhance wildlife habitat and promote recreation, our data suggest that riparian forests may provide the additional benefit of reducing the abundance of some, but not all, invasive plants.

scholarly journals Drivers of the relative richness of naturalized and invasive plant species on Earth

AoB Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz Essl ◽  
Wayne Dawson ◽  
Holger Kreft ◽  
Jan Pergl ◽  
Petr Pyšek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Variation Partitioning ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant

Abstract Biological invasions are a defining feature of the Anthropocene, but the factors that determine the spatially uneven distribution of alien plant species are still poorly understood. Here, we present the first global analysis of the effects of biogeographic factors, the physical environment and socio-economy on the richness of naturalized and invasive alien plants. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models and variation partitioning to disentangle the relative importance of individual factors, and, more broadly, of biogeography, physical environment and socio-economy. As measures of the magnitude of permanent anthropogenic additions to the regional species pool and of species with negative environmental impacts, we calculated the relative richness of naturalized (= RRN) and invasive (= RRI) alien plant species numbers adjusted for the number of native species in 838 terrestrial regions. Socio-economic factors (per-capita gross domestic product (GDP), population density, proportion of agricultural land) were more important in explaining RRI (~50 % of the explained variation) than RRN (~40 %). Warm-temperate and (sub)tropical regions have higher RRN than tropical or cooler regions. We found that socio-economic pressures are more relevant for invasive than for naturalized species richness. The expectation that the southern hemisphere is more invaded than the northern hemisphere was confirmed only for RRN on islands, but not for mainland regions nor for RRI. On average, islands have ~6-fold RRN, and >3-fold RRI compared to mainland regions. Eighty-two islands (=26 % of all islands) harbour more naturalized alien than native plants. Our findings challenge the widely held expectation that socio-economic pressures are more relevant for plant naturalization than for invasive plants. To meet international biodiversity targets and halt the detrimental consequences of plant invasions, it is essential to disrupt the connection between socio-economic development and plant invasions by improving pathway management, early detection and rapid response.

Riparian plant invasions: hydrogeomorphological control and ecological impacts

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.P. Tickner ◽  
P.G. Angold ◽  
A.M. Gurnell ◽  
J. Owen Mountford
Keyword(s):  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Riparian Plant

scholarly journals Plant communities along the Eerste River, Western Cape, South Africa: Community descriptions and implications for restoration

Koedoe ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifton S. Meek ◽  
Dave M. Richardson ◽  
Ladislav Mucina
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Cape Floristic Region ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Alien Plant

Riparian plant communities fulfil many functions, including the provision of corridors linking protected areas and other zones of high conservation value. These habitats across much of South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region, especially in the lowlands, have been heavily impacted and degraded by human activities. There is increasing interest in the restoration of degraded riparian zones and the ecosystem services they provide to enhance the conservation value of landscapes. Previous studies of riparian vegetation in the Cape Floristic Region focused on pristine headwater systems, and little is known about human-impacted communities that make up most of the riparian vegetation in downstream areas. More information is needed on the composition of these plant communities to establish a baseline for management intervention. The riparian zone of the Eerste River in South Africa’s Western Cape province provides a good opportunity to study the features of riparian vegetation along the entire gradient, from pristine vegetation in a protected area through different levels of human-mediated degradation. Riparian vegetation was surveyed in 150 plots along the entire length of the Eerste River (ca. 40 km). Data were analysed using the vegetation classification and analysis software package JUICE. Final groupings were plotted onto a two-dimensional detrended correspondence analysis plane to check the position of the communities in the reduced multidimensional space. Ten distinct plant communities were identified, including several novel communities dominated by alien plant species. Descriptions of each plant community are presented. Diagnostic, constant and dominant species are listed and the major structural and ecological characteristics of each community are described.Conservation implications: Major changes to hydrological and soil properties, nutrient dynamics and disturbance regimes and plant species composition along sections of the riparian zone mean that restoration of many of these habitats to their historic condition is not feasible. However, several native plant species that provide key ecosystem services persist in and adjacent to transformed communities, offering substantial opportunities for restoration to achieve certain goals.

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