Invasive species in the flora and fauna of Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park (Ukraine)

Geo&Bio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (20) ◽  
pp. 70-78
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Lyubinska ◽  
◽  
Mykola Маtvieiev ◽  

The territory of Podilski Tovtry National Natural Park covers an area of 261 315 ha, 72 % of which are cultivated lands that facilitated the expansion of 335 adventive species. Research on invasive plant and animal species was carried out during field surveys in 1996–2019. More than 220 geobotanical descriptions were compiled applying the Brown-Blanque method. In this territory, 26 species display distinct aggression and are referred to as invasive, which belong to 15 families of the class Magnoliopsida and division Magnoliophyta. By origin, Northern American species prevail (15 species) followed by Asian (6) and European (5) species. By life form, annual herbal plants (therophytes) and trees predominate. Тherophytes mainly represent the family Asteraceae. The studies of the phytocenosis showed that the invasive species are part of 19 vegetation classes. The invasive species settled in 14 natural communities and they grow in 10 rare (singular) aggregations. To reduce the impact of invasive species on rare habitats and communities it is necessary to take measures to restore the natural vegetation cover. In the territory of Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park, 7 species of vertebrate animals are considered invasive, the naturalisation of which threatens and has negative influence on the local fauna. Another 6 species of birds and mammals, due to natural range expansion and anthropogenic changes of abiotic environmental factors, settled in urban landscapes and were introduced by means of synanthropisation; they can be considered as close invaders. Motacilla citreola occurs in wet meadows and has an unstable abundance, thus it belongs to propulsive species. Another 11 bird species appear in the surveyed territory during the autumn and winter periods or in separate years. Their invasiveness is possible due to abundance fluctuations during migration and changes in their migration routes because of the influence of trophic factors.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Li ◽  
Zhanrui Leng ◽  
Yueming Wu ◽  
Yizhou Du ◽  
Zhicong Dai ◽  
...  

Abstract Global changes have altered the distribution pattern of the plant communities, including invasive species. Anthropogenic contamination may reduce native plant resistance to the invasive species. Thus, the focus of the current review is on the contaminant biogeochemical behavior among native plants, invasive species and the soil within the plant-soil ecosystem to improve our understanding of the interactions between invasive plants and environmental stressors. Our studies together with synthesis of the literature showed that a) the impacts of invasive species on environmental stress were heterogeneous, b) the size of the impact was variable, and c) the influence types were multidirectional even within the same impact type. However, invasive plants showed self-protective mechanisms when exposed to heavy metals (HMs) and provided either positive or negative influence on the bioavailability and toxicity of HMs. On the other hand, HMs may favor plant invasion due to the widespread higher tolerance of invasive plants to HMS together with the “escape behavior” of native plants when exposed to toxic HM pollution. However, there has been no consensus on whether elemental compositions of invasive plants are different from the natives in the polluted regions. A quantitative research comparing plant, litter and soil contaminant contents between native plants and the invaders in a global context is an indispensable research focus in the future.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
SABRINA KUMSCHICK ◽  
TIM M. BLACKBURN ◽  
DAVID M. RICHARDSON

SummaryAlien species can cause severe impacts in their introduced ranges and management is challenging due to the large number of such species and the diverse nature and context of their impacts. Lists of the most harmful species, like the “100 of the World’s Worst” list collated by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or the “100 of the Worst” invaders in Europe collated by the Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories in Europe (DAISIE) project, raise awareness about these impacts among the public, and can guide management decisions. Such lists are mainly based on expert opinion, but in recent years a more objective comparison of impacts has become possible, even between highly diverse taxa. In this study, we use a semi-quantitative generic impact scoring system to assess impacts of the three birds listed among the “100 of the World’s Worst” IUCN list (IUCN100) and the four birds on the list of “100 of the Worst” European invaders by DAISIE (DAISIE100) and to compare their impacts with those of other alien birds not present on the respective lists. We found that generally, both lists include some of the species with the highest impacts in the respective regions (global or Europe), and these species therefore deserve the dubious honour of being listed among the “worst”. However, there are broad overlaps between some species with regards to the impact mechanisms and the related issues of invasions, especially those of the Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer on the IUCN100, are very similar which might not warrant listing both species. To make the selection of species on such lists more transparent we suggest moving beyond lists based on expert opinion to a more transparent and defendable system for listing alien species based on published records of their impacts and related mechanisms.


Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Carvalho ◽  
Jorge M. Palmeirim ◽  
Francisco C. Rego ◽  
Nelson Sole ◽  
Aristides Santana ◽  
...  

AbstractHunting and invasive species are amongst the main causes of species extinctions on oceanic islands. On the island of São Tomé hunting of introduced mammals (monkeys, civets and pigs) and endemic bird species has contrasting effects in terms of conservation. Hunting of introduced mammals may benefit native fauna and flora but pressure on endemic birds poses a threat to some species. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 119 hunters to assess the relative importance of native and introduced prey species, gathering information on personal profiles, preference and practice, and hunters’ perceptions of trends in prey populations. Eleven species were hunted, including five invasive mammals and five endemic birds of high conservation importance. Based on species hunted, techniques used and final destination of the quarry we distinguished three groups of hunters, using cluster analyses: bird, monkey and feral-pig hunters. Bird hunters were all from urban areas but most pig hunters were rural. Monkey hunters were mostly rural workers but a small proportion were from urban areas. Bird and monkey hunters were primarily motivated by commercial gains but they also hunted for enjoyment and food. In general, hunting of mammals is an opportunistic activity that, if regulated, can be sustainable and contribute to mitigating the effects of invasive species on local fauna as well contributing to local livelihoods. Given the economic drivers involved in hunting of birds, intervention to reduce or eliminate this form of hunting will require enforcement of legislation and raising awareness of the issues involved.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dusanka Vujanovic ◽  
Gianalberto Losapio ◽  
Stanko Milic ◽  
Dubravka Milic

Despite increasing evidence indicating that invasive species are harming ecological systems and processes, impacts of multiple invasions, and the linkages between these events and changes in vegetation and soil are inadequately documented and remain poorly understood. Addressing multiple invasions would help to highlight high priority invaders and would aid in designing more effective control strategies, contributing to environmental restoration and sustainability. In this work, we tested the impact of three concurring invasive plant species, Amorpha fruticosa, Fraxinus pennsylvanica and Acer negundo, on soil conditions and native plant diversity. The research was conducted in riparian ecosystem and included the following treatments: (1) co-occurrence of the three invasive plant species, (2) occurrence of a single invasive species, and (3) control, i.e., absence of invasive species. Our findings revealed that the impact of invasive plants on soil properties and native plant diversity is magnified by their co-occurrence. Soil in mixed plots (those populated with all three invaders) contained much higher levels of nitrifying bacteria (NB), organic matter (Om), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C) as well as lower carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) levels, compared to single species invaded plots and control plots. Mixed plots were also characterized by reduced native plant diversity compared to single species invaded and control plots. Differences in soil conditions and native plant diversity revealed the interactive potential of invasive plants in depleting biodiversity, and thus in affecting ecological and biogeochemical processes. Our results highlight the need to study the impact of multispecies invasion and suggest that sites in riparian areas affected by co-occurring invaders, should be prioritized for ecosystem restoration. Keywords: Acer negundo, Amorpha fruticosa, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, invasive plants, multiple invasions, soil properties


Author(s):  
Janusz Cwiklak

One of the factors which significantly exert a negative influence on flight safety is a collision of an aircraft with birds. Various parts of an aircraft are subjected to damage. Within the conducted analyses, the impact loaded object was a helicopter windshield. Apart from the mandatory physical tests, there are various numerical methods for bird strike modeling. Among them, in this paper, the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is being used and developed for bird modeling. Investigations exploit various geometric figures in order to model the bird shape. Few authors present research findings which employ an approximate shape of certain bird species. For comparison three bird models were elaborated upon, one in the shape of a cylinder with hemispherical ends (homogeneous model) and two others as multi-material models, one in the shape of a simplified white stork and the other one close to the real-life white stork. Multi-material bird models had various parameters. It must be noted that the maximum value of the resultant windshield displacement varies for different bird models. The bird model close to the real-life white stork caused the smallest deflection, while the bird model in the shape of a simplified white stork and the homogeneous bird model led to the biggest damage, respectively. It is important to add that the models are of the same mass, impact velocity and a different size. This has an impact on the kinetic energy distribution during the collision process, which results in different windshield bending values.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (21) ◽  
pp. 109-113
Author(s):  
Mykola Rozhenko ◽  

With the advent of the golden jackal in the Lower Dnister, certain changes have taken place in natural complexes, which are primarily related to the impact of the new species on the local fauna. Under such conditions, the number of jackals in certain areas, the spatial structure and location of separate packs are important information for the development of measures aimed at maintaining an optimal abundance of this species. Given the active impact of wildlife on natural systems, there are a number of both biological and purely social problems that need to be addressed. The effectiveness of solving such problems directly depends on the level of study of various aspects of biology and ecology of jackals. In addition, knowledge of the current state of the Dnister jackal population allows timely and effective response to new environmental challenges, which are associated with an increase in the abundance of new species and in its impact on the native mammal fauna. The results of the research indicate a certain competition of the jackal with other species of predatory mammals, in particular the fox and the raccoon dog. Thus, within the territories where the study was carried out, with the appearance of the jackal at the lower course of the Dnister, the red fox was not observed at all and the number of raccoon dogs decreased significantly. Habitats of separate jackal groups within the Lower Dnister National Nature Park have been identified and their total abundance has been established. The dynamics of settlement by the species of the Lower Dnister area is analysed, the conservatism of the species in relation to the residential areas is indicated. It has been established that in some parts of the park, in particular on the northern bank of the Dnister Estuary, the density of animals is about 12 individuals per 1000 hectares, which significantly exceeds the permissible sanitary and epidemiological standards. At the same time, in some parts of the floodplains of the Lower Dnister, density exceeds 0.5 individuals per 1000 ha, which indicates a complex spatial distribution of separate packs and groups of jackals. Mapping of the number of jackals in the park showed that groups far from the estuary are smaller in number (6–14 individuals), whereas groups near the estuary are more abundant (13–20 individuals).


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Winda Utami Putri ◽  
Ibnul Qayim ◽  
Abdul Qadir

Abstract. Putri WU, Qayim I, Qadir A. 2021. Invasive species in the soil seed bank of two limestone hills in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 4019-4027. Study on the impact of invasive species on plant communities has been conducted mainly on the aboveground vegetation. The impact on the soil seed bank has received less attention mostly due to practical difficulties in conducting seed bank assessment. Evaluation of seed bank composition is useful in detecting invasive plant species that may have been present as buried seeds. Information on the vegetation composition in Nyungcung and Kapur hills both under and aboveground is available, but specific information on invasive species has not been discussed yet. This paper describes and analyzes the structure (composition and density) of invasive species in the soil seed bank. Eighty soil samples were taken from the study sites. The soil seed banks were analyzed using seedling emergence and seed extraction methods. 2602 and 1280 seedlings emerged from soil seed bank of Nyungcung and Kapur hills, respectively. From that number, approximately 48.96% and 68.51% of the seedlings are invasive species in the soil seed bank of Nyungcung and Kapur hills. The invasive species were dominants in the soil seed bank of the two sites. Cecropia peltata and Clidemia hirta were the most abundant invasive species in the Kapur and Nyungcung hills seed bank, respectively. Species richness and seedling density were higher in Nyungcung hills than Kapur hills, which were invaded for a relatively longer period.


2016 ◽  
Vol 140 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
Gabrijel Horvat ◽  
Jozo Franjić

This paper presents an invasive plant species that occur in the forests of Kalnik. It also presents the state of the distribution and their impact on forests of Kalnik. A total of 14 invasive species in the forests of Kalnik and these are – Acer negundo L., Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Amorpha fruticosa L., Asclepias syriaca L., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist, Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. et Gray, Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., Impatiens glandulifera Royle, Juncus tenuis Willd.), Phytolacca americana L., Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Solidago gigantea Aiton. Alochtonous vegetation is not only inevitable, but it also appears to be a constant future challenge in the globalizing world which communicates on all levels with every means possible. Its influence should not by any means be marginalized. Its importance and influence is not completely negative and there are possible benefits and dangers which should be controlled by the preventive measures and physical regulation. The most important species in Kalnik forest vegetation is definitely acacia. It is especially important for private forest lands where acacia tree has become very popular because of its characteristics as a fast growing tree species without any special requirements with relation to growth and it gives fast results concerning timber and firewood. Private lots are usually very small and fragmented. There is a growing need for timber, therefore the trees are grown extensively, from stumps and roots. Other woody species still do not pose a serious threat in economical or biological sense. The impact of herbaceous plants differs in various areas. The most problematic issues for the forestersare thick layers of unwanted specieswhich grow in young forest stands or in forests in the phase of restorationwhere these unwanted speciesinvasively compete with autochthonous species. In biological sense, invasive species pose a constant threat not only to domestic vegetation and biodiversity, but also to human health. We should also mention apiculture, a very important and well developed activity on Kalnik. Above mentioned species are very important and interesting for apiculture as a type of rich bee pasturage. Apiculture in this area depends on acacia pasturage and it is one of very important reasons for growing acacia tree. Other tree species are also valuable for bee pasturage, especially late in autumn when there is no other bee pasturage available and they are mostly species which blossom in autumn and represent a valuable source of pollen (Japanese Knotweed, Prickly cucumber and European goldenrod). Generally speaking, the biggest responsibility for possible consequences of invasive plant species to the vegetation of Kalnik lies on foresters who have to recognize and monitor the appearance of invasive species, especially in state forest lands where they grow and directly influence their composition and state.


Author(s):  
Keenan Randall ◽  
Ty Greene ◽  
Melissa Lee ◽  
Carlyn McNabb

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an invasive plant species that has affected agriculture and wildlife across Canada. The weed is not native to Canada; however in municipalities like Kingston and the surrounding area, it has caused tangible problems. We will strive to engage a government partner (City of Kingston), community organization (ON Invasive Species Awareness Program), and a local resident throughout the completion of our research and regarding the viability of solutions proposed. First, we will examine the origins of the plant in Canada, emphasizing the reproductive characteristics that make the purple loosestrife a powerfully invasive species. Next, we will analyze the impact of the purple loosestrife from three perspectives: (1) the impact on native plant communities; (2) the impact on native animal communities; (3) the impact on human life. We will then evaluate current bio management controls, as utilized by other governments, such as the introduction of another foreign species as a control agent. Specifically, we will examine the potential control systems using the following criteria: (1) ability to control the invasive species; (2) feasibility and cost; and (3) direct and indirect negative impacts. Finally, we will propose a comprehensive strategy for each organization moving forward, allowing for increased community collaboration and, ideally, the elimination and/or control of the invasive species.


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