scholarly journals Assessing Stakeholder Perspectives on Invasive Plants to Inform Risk Analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J. Kapler ◽  
Janette R. Thompson ◽  
Mark P. Widrlechner
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Nature Relatedness ◽  
Risk Assessment Models

AbstractConservation and land management decisions often are based primarily on natural science, but could be more successful if human influences were effectively integrated into decision making. This is especially true for efforts to manage invasive plants, whose arrival is usually the product of deliberate human introduction. Risk-assessment models that predict the probability that a nonnative plant will naturalize or invade are useful tools for managing invasive plants. However, decisions based on such models could affect stakeholders differently. Careful assessment of risk-analysis methodologies should consider the importance of stakeholder participation. We surveyed the perceptions of four stakeholder groups (conservation professionals, master gardeners, professional horticulturists, and woodland landowners) in Iowa about invasive plants, general management approaches, and risk-assessment models. We also examined whether or not a stakeholder's nature relatedness plays a role in shaping his or her responses. Stakeholder perceptions varied less than expected across all four groups. Eighty-seven percent of respondents agreed invasive plants are a problem, and 88.4% agreed that we have a responsibility to manage them to protect natural areas. Support for the use of risk-assessment models also was high, with 78.7% of respondents agreeing that their use has potential to prevent plant invasions. Nature relatedness scores for all groups were correlated with respondent perspectives on invasive plants. Respondents believed biologically significant error rates (errors that might introduce a new invasive plant) should not exceed 5 to 10%. Respondents were more tolerant of horticulturally limiting errors (errors that restrict sale/use of a plant that would not have become invasive), reporting rates of 10 to 20% as acceptable. Researchers developing risk-assessment models might wish to aim for error rates within these bounds. General agreement among these stakeholder groups suggests potential support for future risk-management efforts related to invasive plants.

Molecular ecology of plant-microbial interactions during invasions: progress and challenges.

2020 ◽  
pp. 340-362
Author(s):  
Johannes J. le Roux
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Molecular Ecology ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evolutionary Information ◽  
Molecular Approaches

Abstract Microbes are omnipresent, yet their interactions with invasive plants remain understudied. This is surprising, given the importance of microbes in plant community ecology and their influence on plant performance in new environments. Recent advances in molecular genetic approaches have opened the door to studying this unseen majority in great detail and to understand how they fit into ecological interaction networks. Molecular approaches allow rapid assessments of microbial diversity at reasonable cost while providing both taxonomic and evolutionary information. Here I discuss how these approaches have contributed to a better understanding of plant-microbial interactions in the context of biological invasions. By drawing insights from various case studies, I illustrate how next-generation sequencing (DNA barcoding) has revolutionized the way we understand such interactions. Tight-knit and coevolved mutualist (e.g. mycorrhizal) and antagonist (e.g. pathogen) interactions appear particularly promising to understand the structure and function of invasive plant-microbial interaction networks, the impacts of invasive plants on native networks and the vulnerability of native networks to infiltration by non-native species. I also discuss novel ways in which molecular data can aid the study of invasive plant-microbial interactions, such as incorporating phylogenetic data into network analyses to better understand the role of evolutionary history in network dynamics and how such dynamics respond to plant invasions. DNA barcoding of microbes also presents unique challenges to the study of network ecology, such as uncertainty in the legitimacy and efficiency of interactions. Future research should incorporate overall plant-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) into interaction networks to better understand the role microbes play during plant invasions.

scholarly journals Scanning the horizon for invasive plant threats to Florida, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Kendig ◽  
Susan Canavan ◽  
Patti Anderson ◽  
Stephen Flory ◽  
Lyn Gettys ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Plant Introduction ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Consensus Building ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Horizon Scanning

Early detection and eradication of invasive plants are more cost-effective than managing well-established invasive plant populations and their impacts. However, there is high uncertainty around which taxa are likely to become invasive in a given area. Horizon scanning, which pairs rapid risk assessment with consensus building among experts, can help identify invasion threats. We performed a horizon scan of potential invasive plant threats to Florida, USA—a state with a high influx of introduced species, conditions that are favorable for plant establishment, and a history of negative impacts from invasive plants. We began with a list of 2128 non-native plant species and subspecies that are crop pests or invasive somewhere in the world and used publicly available data to prioritize 100 taxa for rapid risk assessment. We derived overall invasion risk scores by evaluating the likelihood and certainty of each of the 100 taxa arriving, establishing, and having an impact in Florida. Through the rapid risk assessments and a consensus-building discussion, we identified six plant taxa with high overall risk scores ranging from 75 to 100 out of a possible 125. The six taxa are globally distributed, easily transported to new areas, found in regions with climates similar to Florida’s, and can impact native plant communities, human health, or agriculture. We recommend more thorough risk assessments for each of these six species and, if appropriate, policy and management actions to limit invasive plant introduction and establishment in Florida. 

scholarly journals An invasive plant rapidly increased the similarity of soil fungal pathogen communities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiling Wang ◽  
Xuefei Tang ◽  
Xiaoqiu Sun ◽  
Bingbing Jia ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Alternanthera Philoxeroides ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Soil Microbial

Abstract Background and Aims Plant invasions can change soil microbial communities and affect subsequent invasions directly or indirectly via foliar herbivory. It has been proposed that invaders promote uniform biotic communities that displace diverse, spatially variable communities (the biotic homogenization hypothesis), but this has not been experimentally tested for soil microbial communities, so the underlying mechanisms and dynamics are unclear. Here, we compared density-dependent impacts of the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides and its native congener A. sessilis on soil fungal communities, and their feedback effects on plants and a foliar beetle. Methods We conducted a plant–soil feedback (PSF) experiment and a laboratory bioassay to examine PSFs associated with the native and invasive plants and a beetle feeding on them. We also characterized the soil fungal community using high-throughput sequencing. Key Results We found locally differentiated soil fungal pathogen assemblages associated with high densities of the native plant A. sessilis but little variation in those associated with the invasive congener A. philoxeroides, regardless of plant density. In contrast, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal assemblages associated with high densities of the invasive plant were more variable. Soil biota decreased plant shoot mass but their effect was weak for the invasive plant growing in native plant-conditioned soils. PSFs increased the larval biomass of a beetle reared on leaves of the native plant only. Moreover, PSFs on plant shoot and root mass and beetle mass were predicted by different pathogen taxa in a plant species-specific manner. Conclusion Our results suggest that plant invasions can rapidly increase the similarity of soil pathogen assemblages even at low plant densities, leading to taxonomically and functionally homogeneous soil communities that may limit negative soil effects on invasive plants.

scholarly journals Invasive Plants with Native Lookalikes: How Mistaken Identities Can Lead to More Significant Plant Invasions and Delay Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
S. Christopher Marble ◽  
Stephen H. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Population Expansion ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
Delayed Response ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Invasive Plant Management

Plant invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity, agricultural production, and land value throughout the world. Due to Florida’s unique climate, population expansion, expansive coastline, and number of seaports, the state is especially vulnerable to non-native plant naturalization and spread. Invasive plant management programs were shown to have higher success rates with fewer resources when invasives were managed soon after non-native plants were observed. However, some newly emerging invasive plants may go undetected due to their resemblance with native species or other invasive plants. The objective of this review is to highlight a few key invasive plants in Florida that have native lookalikes. While morphological differences are discussed, the primary goal is to discuss management implications of misidentification and delayed response times, as well as the need for plant identification guides that include information on how to distinguish problematic invasive plants from similar native species.

Molecular ecology of plant-microbial interactions during invasions: progress and challenges.

2020 ◽  
pp. 340-362
Author(s):  
Johannes J. Le Roux ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Molecular Ecology ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evolutionary Information ◽  
Molecular Approaches

Microbes are omnipresent, yet their interactions with invasive plants remain understudied. This is surprising, given the importance of microbes in plant community ecology and their influence on plant performance in new environments. Recent advances in molecular genetic approaches have opened the door to studying this unseen majority in great detail and to understand how they fit into ecological interaction networks. Molecular approaches allow rapid assessments of microbial diversity at reasonable cost while providing both taxonomic and evolutionary information. Here I discuss how these approaches have contributed to a better understanding of plant-microbial interactions in the context of biological invasions. By drawing insights from various case studies, I illustrate how next-generation sequencing (DNA barcoding) has revolutionized the way we understand such interactions. Tight-knit and coevolved mutualist (e.g. mycorrhizal) and antagonist (e.g. pathogen) interactions appear particularly promising to understand the structure and function of invasive plant-microbial interaction networks, the impacts of invasive plants on native networks and the vulnerability of native networks to infiltration by non-native species. I also discuss novel ways in which molecular data can aid the study of invasive plant-microbial interactions, such as incorporating phylogenetic data into network analyses to better understand the role of evolutionary history in network dynamics and how such dynamics respond to plant invasions. DNA barcoding of microbes also presents unique challenges to the study of network ecology, such as uncertainty in the legitimacy and efficiency of interactions. Future research should incorporate overall plant-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) into interaction networks to better understand the role microbes play during plant invasions.

Progress in invasive plants research

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Henderson ◽  
Terence P. Dawson ◽  
Robert J. Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Landscape Characteristics

This paper identifies the historical precedents and recent advances in descriptive and analytical aspects of invasive plant ecology. The paper takes a global perspective that focuses primarily on natural and semi-natural systems. The dynamics of plant invasions depend on the unique combination of species and recipient environments in light of short-lived, but highly influential, stochastic events. Spreading from the original point of establishment can be virtually instantaneous or follow a prolonged timelag. Range extension proceeds according to a variety of patterns dependent on the interplay between dispersal modes and landscape characteristics. The impacts of plant invasions are all-encompassing: biodiversity loss, economic impacts and aesthetic impacts occasioned by the loss of traditional cultural or natural landscapes. From the conservation perspective, costs are incalculable, but undoubtedly high. The impacts of invasive plants on natural ecosystems occur across all levels of biotic organization and, in the worst case, result in global extinctions and modification of fundamental ecosystem properties that make restoration practically impossible. Plant invasions occur across all habitat types and have spawned complementary theories, which are briefly presented within particular contexts.

scholarly journals A screening system to predict wildfire risk of invasive plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Faccenda ◽  
Curtis C. Daehler
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Screening System ◽  
Wildfire Risk

AbstractGlobally, invasive plant-fueled wildfires have tremendous environmental, economical, and societal impacts, and the frequencies of wildfires and plant invasions are on an upward trend globally. Identifying which plant species tend to increase the frequency or severity of wildfire is important to help manage their impacts. We developed a screening system to identify introduced plant species that are likely to increase wildfire risk, using the Hawaiian Islands to test the system and illustrate how the system can be applied to inform management decisions. Expert-based fire risk scores derived from field experiences with 49 invasive species in Hawai′i were used to train a machine learning model that predicts expert fire risk scores from among 21 plant traits obtained from literature and databases. The model revealed that just four variables can identify species categorized as higher fire risk by experts with 90% accuracy, while low risk species were identified with 79% accuracy. We then used the predictive model to screen > 140 recently naturalized plants in Hawai′i to illustrate how the screening tool can be applied. The screening tool identified a managebly small set of species (6% of naturalizations in the last ~ 10 years) that are likely to pose a high fire risk and can be targeted for eradication or containment to reduce future wildfire risks. Because the screening system uses general plant traits that are likely relevant to fire risk in drylands around the world, it can likely be applied with minimal modification to other regions where invasive plants pose potential fire risks.

Structured risk Assessment: Aggression and Safety in Ambulatory Emergency Service

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S149-S150
Author(s):  
M. Arts ◽  
P. Sanderse-Besselink ◽  
H. Terburg ◽  
R. Van De Sande
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Emergency Service ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Emergency Psychiatry ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Risk Assessment Models ◽  
Outpatient Practice

IntroductionDiscussing the threat of aggression is not always at the forefront in ambulatory care providers. A structured risk analysis model for ambulatory emergency psychiatry is currently not available, while aggression does occur regularly.Objectives and aimsThe aim of this study is to evaluate the added value of a risk analysis model and implement the best available model in emergency outpatient practice.MethodsThe study design is a mixed method model. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered by nurses and psychiatrists. A benchmark study took place at an outpatient emergency service in South Netherlands. A literature search was performed using PubMed and CINAHL for the period 2000–2014.ResultsFrom this research, we found a discrepancy between the perception and the actual occurred aggression. Care workers often do not discuss aggression related issues, however, case studies show that aggression does occur frequently. In literature studies we have found several risk assessment models, most of which are used within the inpatient psychiatry.ConclusionTo avert aggression incidents and prevent recurrence, it is important to maintain a solid risk analysis model. Introducing a checklist risk crisis service (CRC) can promote a critical reflection on the threat of aggression and bring awareness on the theme of aggression. Implementation of a CRC in daily practice can be of great value.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document