Alien invasive plants in Belgian limestone quarries

Description of the subject. Vegetation of high conservation value can establish in quarries, during or after exploitation. Alien plants could hamper this process and cause additional rehabilitation costs. However, the situation of plant invasion in quarries is largely unknown. Objectives. We aimed to assess alien plant invasion in active and abandoned quarries, and to identify the most invaded quarry sectors. Method. We surveyed 6,692 plots in 31 quarries in Belgium and recorded occurrence, density and cover of the 65 listed alien invasive plants in Belgium. Results. Fourteen species were recorded and 25 quarries contained at least one species. The two most occurring species, Buddleja davidii Franch. and Senecio inaequidens DC., were more widespread in quarries in activity. All sectors of the quarries were affected by alien plant invasion. Conclusions. Alien plant invasion in limestone quarries is highly variable, but significant. Considering the ecological potential of quarry sites, this issue should be better tackled.

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Major environmental factors and traits of invasive alien plants determine their spatial distribution: a case study in Korea

Journal of Ecology and Environment ◽

10.1186/s41610-021-00196-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Minwoo Oh ◽

Yoonjeong Heo ◽

Eun Ju Lee ◽

Hyohyemi Lee

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Alien Species ◽

Plant Species ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Summer Temperature ◽

Alien Plant Species ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Cold Spots

Abstract Background As trade increases, the influx of various alien species and their spread to new regions are prevalent, making them a general problem globally. Anthropogenic activities and climate change have led to alien species becoming distributed beyond their native range. As a result, alien species can be easily found anywhere, with the density of individuals varying across locations. The prevalent distribution of alien species adversely affects invaded ecosystems; thus, strategic management plans must be established to control them effectively. To this end, this study evaluated hotspots and cold-spots in the degree of distribution of invasive alien plant species, and major environmental factors related to hot spots were identified. We analyzed 10,287 distribution points of 126 species of alien plant species collected through a national survey of alien species using the hierarchical model of species communities (HMSC) framework. Results The explanatory and fourfold cross-validation predictive power of the model were 0.91 and 0.75 as area under the curve (AUC) values, respectively. Hotspots of invasive plants were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Daegu metropolitan city, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, southwest shore, and Jeju Island. Hotspots were generally found where the highest maximum summer temperature, winter precipitation, and road density were observed. In contrast, seasonality in temperature, annual temperature range, precipitation during summer, and distance to rivers and the sea were negatively correlated to hotspots. The model showed that functional traits accounted for 55% of the variance explained by environmental factors. Species with a higher specific leaf area were found where temperature seasonality was low. Taller species were associated with a larger annual temperature range. Heavier seed mass was associated with a maximum summer temperature > 29 °C. Conclusions This study showed that hotspots contained 2.1 times more alien plants on average than cold-spots. Hotspots of invasive plants tended to appear under less stressful climate conditions, such as low fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. In addition, disturbance by anthropogenic factors and water flow positively affected hotspots. These results were consistent with previous reports on the ruderal and competitive strategies of invasive plants, not the stress-tolerant strategy. Our results supported that the functional traits of alien plants are closely related to the ecological strategies of plants by shaping the response of species to various environmental filters. Therefore, to control alien plants effectively, the occurrence of disturbed sites where alien plants can grow in large quantities should be minimized, and the waterfront of rivers must be managed.

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To the study of alien species in the flora of Khakassia

Proceedings of the VII International Scientific Conference, dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the P.N. Krylov Herbarium of Tomsk State University and the 170th anniversary of P.N. Krylov ◽

10.17223/978-5-94621-927-3-2020-49 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

A.L. Ebel ◽

◽

S.A. Sheremetova ◽

I.A. Khrustaleva ◽

T.O. Strelnikova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plants ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Field Studies ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Black Book ◽

Alien Plant Species ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Scientific Network ◽

Alien Flora ◽

The Republic

As a result of the field studies, analysis of publications and herbarium materials, it has been established that by now the alien flora of the Republic of Khakassia includes about 140 species of vascular plants. Of this number, more than 30 species are invasive plants included in the “Black Book of Flora of Siberia” (2016). In recent years, there has been both a fairly rapid replenishment of the flora with alien plants and a noticeable dispersal of a number of invasive species across the territory of Khakassia. For the purpose of monitoring alien plant species, we use the capabilities of the international scientific network iNaturalist.org.

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Improving the prevention of alien plant invasion in the EPPO region: the need to focus on highly invasive plants with (still) limited distribution - examples from Israel

EPPO Bulletin ◽

10.1111/epp.12290 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 341-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. M. Dufour-Dror

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plants ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Limited Distribution

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Invasive alien plants in Polish national parks—threats to species diversity

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.8034 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e8034 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anna Bomanowska ◽

Wojciech Adamowski ◽

Izabella Kirpluk ◽

Anna Otręba ◽

Agnieszka Rewicz

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Plant Species ◽

National Parks ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

National Park ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Alien Plant Species ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Reynoutria Japonica ◽

Invasive Alien Plant

Due to the relevance of protected areas to the conservation of native biota, the magnitude of invasions and threats posed by alien plants are currently important issues for the preservation of these areas. The paper summarises data on invasive alien plant species presence in the most valuable protected areas in Poland, i.e. national parks (NPs). We investigated the distribution of invasive alien plant species and management attempts concerning those species. We analysed data obtained from 23 national parks originating from published and unpublished sources. Invasive plants were present in all protected areas analysed, from two to 42 species in a particular national park, and 68 in total. The most widely distributed species were: Impatiens parviflora (present in 19 NPs), I. glandulifera (17), Solidago gigantea (17), Reynoutria japonica (17), and Robinia pseudoacacia (16). The conducted analyses showed that the number of invasive species decreased with the higher altitude (asl) of the national park. The most often managed species were Impatiens glandulifera (being removed in seven NPs), I. parviflora (six), Padus serotina (four) and Quercus rubra (four). In the majority of NPs, control activities are limited to small areas and singular species, thus having an incidental character. Only in five objects (Białowieża NP, Biebrza NP, Kampinos NP, Tuchola NP, Wigry NP), management has been focused on several species. We conclude that a lack of comprehensive management of invasive plant species in the majority of national parks currently limits the effectiveness of IAS (invasive alien species) eradication. Exchange of expertise among protected areas, documenting best practice examples, synthesising lessons learnt in IAS management, as well as the development of minimum standards for invasive plants surveillance and management are pivotal.

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Effects of Environmental Factors and Alien Plant Invasion on Native Floral Diversity in Mt. Manunggal, Cebu Island, Philippines

Current World Environment ◽

10.12944/cwe.13.3.12 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 390-402

Author(s):

JAKE JOSHUA CHI GARCES ◽

MARY JOYCE LAPA FLORES

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽

The Philippines ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Native Plant ◽

Plant Abundance ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Floral Diversity

The status of native floral diversity in Mt. Manunggal, Cebu Island, the Philippines in relation to environmental factors and alien plant invasion has not been recorded and published. To assess factors influencing native plant communities in Mt. Manunggal, a vegetation survey of native and alien plants, as well as selected environmental variables at two sites (Site 1- invaded plot; Site 2- adjacent uninvaded plot) were measured, and anthropogenic disturbances observed using a t-test, regression analysis, and Pearson correlation. For each site, selected environmental parameters, as well as native and alien plant abundance and diversity, were determined last October-November, 2016. There was also a characterization of sites with respect to anthropogenic disturbances. Altitude (t= -14.11, p=0.000), soil temperature (t=2.68, p=0.014), and light intensity (t = -2.61; p=0.016) significantly differed between study sites due to the complex topography and geology of Mt. Manunggal, the variation in floral cover, and degree of anthropogenic activities. Among all environmental factors at both sites, altitude was highly positively correlated to alien plant abundance (r=0.709;p=0.000) at Site 1 while native plant abundance at Site 2 was negatively correlated with soil pH (r=-0.579;p=0.003).There was an apparent domination of alien plants in terms of species richness and abundance at both sites and this could have significantly affected native plant abundance. The strong correlation of environmental parameters to alien plant invasion could favor the continued dominance of alien plant species, resulting in a further decrease of native species.

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Community Attributes Predict the Relationship between Habitat Invasibility and Land Use Types in an Agricultural and Forest Landscape

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10100867 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 867 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zhou ◽

Su ◽

Zhong ◽

Xie ◽

Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Plant Invasion ◽

Canopy Openness ◽

Stem Density ◽

Total Abundance ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Mikania Micrantha ◽

Habitat Invasibility ◽

Land Use Types

Finding ecosystem or community level indicators for habitat invasibility may provide natural resource managers with environmentally friendly measures to control alien plant invasion; yet, ecosystem invasibility remains understudied. Here, we investigated alien plant invasion into various ecosystems representing different land use types in a subtropical peri-urban area of south China. Four invasive alien species were found from five out of the six ecosystems. Lower plant diversity in both the overstory and understory was consistently associated with more severe alien plant invasion to the ecosystems. The highest total abundance and plot occurrence of the invasive plants were found in the agroforestry ecosystem representing the highest disturbance. At plot scale, an increase in invasion severity was associated with a significant decrease in overstory stem density, species richness, and diversity, but with a significant increase in overstory plant dominance. The understory community attributes in response to the increase in invasion severity followed similar patterns, except that the stem density increased with invasion severity. Higher canopy openness and thus lower leaf area index and greater understory radiation were associated with higher invasion severity of invasive plants to the understory habitat. For predicting total abundance of the invasive species, the most important variable is land use type, while for the abundance of Lantana camara and Mikania micrantha, the most important predictor variable is overstory Berger–Parker index and canopy openness, respectively. Canopy structure and understory gap light regimes were among the most important factors determining the abundance of the worst invasive plant Mikania micrantha. Our results demonstrate that land use types with varying disturbance regimes determine the spatial heterogeneity in plant diversity and community structure, which predicts alien plant invasion and habitat invasibility; and that the severity of alien plant invasion in turn is a good indicator of habitat disturbance across the ecosystems.

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Species composition of alien invasive plants in Heilongjiang Province

Biodiversity Science ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1003.2012.04154 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 231-234

Author(s):

Zheng Baojiang ◽

Pan Lei

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Heilongjiang Province ◽

Alien Invasive Plants

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Does the invasion of Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra in parkland influence the diversity of birds?

Biologia ◽

10.1515/biolog-2017-0022 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emilia Grzędzicka ◽

Katarzyna Kowalik ◽

Barbara Bacler-Żbikowska

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Bird Species ◽

Coal Industry ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Forest Birds ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Red Oak ◽

Northern Red Oak ◽

Alien Plant Species ◽

Alien Plant

AbstractInvasive plants are non-native, but in most cases naturalised, species that have successfully spread outside of their native range. Aliens invaded all habitats, are competing with native plants, thus, after the direct destruction of habitats, invasions are recognised as the second largest danger for biodiversity. Northern Red Oak is one of the most common invasive tree species dispersed primarily by birds, but new studies have shown that it is also spread continuously in a forest stand. The main aim of our research was to check how strong is the invasion of Northern Red Oak in Silesia Park, where it was introduced together with other alien plant species, and how this invasion interacts with bird diversity. Silesia Park was created 65 years ago on the surface largely ravaged by coal industry. Because many studies indicate birds as vectors of alien plants invasion, we examined the bird fauna in a described area, looking for species that can contribute to spreading oaks. Research showed the diversity of 50 bird species. Surface with a presence of Northern Red Oak was characterised by greater participation of alien plant species than the patch of natural forest, which existed there long before the park creation. The greatest bird diversity was found in the most natural part of Silesia Park, and the lowest in the area of invasion, especially in the case of species classified as “forest birds”. The presence of alien plants increased number of “non-forest” birds, mostly synanthropic species. We also found that Northern Red Oak spreads by spontaneous seed dispersal.

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Managing Alien Plants for Biodiversity Outcomes—the Need for Triage

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-09-042.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Paul O. Downey ◽

Moira C. Williams ◽

Leonie K. Whiffen ◽

Bruce A. Auld ◽

Mark A. Hamilton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Native Species ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Plant Management ◽

Policy Reforms ◽

Management Decisions ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Triage System

AbstractRecognition that alien plants pose a significant threat to biodiversity has not always translated into effective management strategies, policy reforms, and systems to establish priorities. Thus, many alien plant management decisions for the protection of biodiversity occur with limited knowledge of what needs to be protected (other than biodiversity in a generalized sense) or the urgency of actions. To rectify this, we have developed a triage system that enables alien plant management decisions to be made based on (1) the urgency of control relative to the degree of threat posed to biodiversity, compared with (2) the likelihood of achieving a successful conservation outcome as a result of alien plant control. This triage system is underpinned by a two-step approach, which identifies the biodiversity at risk and assesses sites to determine priorities for control. This triage system was initially developed to manage the threat posed by bitou bush to native species in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It has subsequently been improved with the national assessment of lantana in Australia, and the adaptation from a single to multiple alien plant species approach on a regional scale. This triage system identifies nine levels of priority for alien plant management aimed at biodiversity conservation, ranging from immediate, targeted action to limited or no action. The development of this approach has enabled long-term management priorities to be set for widespread alien plants that are unlikely to be eradicated. It also enables control to occur in a coordinated manner for biodiversity conservation at a landscape scale, rather than as a series of individual unconnected short-term actions.

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