scholarly journals Ecology and consequences of invasion by non-native (wilding) conifers in New Zealand

2018 ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Duane A Peltzer
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Native Woody Species ◽  
Negative Impacts

Invasion by non-native woody species into largely treeless vegetation such as grasslands and shrublands is widespread, and has prompted both research and management in response. Here I review the current situation of invasions by non-native Pinaceae, better known as ‘wilding conifers’ in New Zealand, and how both research and management are working to better understand and manage these invaders. The success of wildings is explained by a combination of history (e.g., deforestation of previously woody vegetation), biological traits of the species (rapid growth and early reproduction), and propagule pressure (introduction effort). Wildings represent a major land use change affecting about 2 million ha, including many grasslands, rare ecosystems and subalpine habitats. Wilding invasions into grasslands have profound impacts on biological diversity, but also have important ecosystem impacts including legacy effects belowground by altering nutrient cycling and soil biota. Recent expanded efforts are underway to control and co-ordinate management to avoid or mitigate the negative impacts of wilding conifers. The long-term value of managing invasions, and whether additional management interventions are needed to restore grasslands or woody vegetation is in progress, but is urgently needed given recent moves to widely establish new woody vegetation at large scales in New Zealand.

scholarly journals Arbuscular Mycorrhizae of Phormium Tenax in a restored New Zealand wetland across hydrological gradients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alexandra Coles
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizae ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Native Woody Species ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Amf Communities ◽  
Generation Sequencing

<p>New Zealand has lost over 90% of its former wetlands and many that remain are in a degraded state. Restoration projects are often impeded by the failure of native plants to establish back into non-native dominated communities. Phormium tenax is fast growing and acts a nurse plant in wetlands, accelerating the establishment of slower growing native woody species. The roles of below ground organisms are increasingly recognised as affecting plant community dynamics, and this study investigates the diversity of a group of pervasive organisms, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), growing in symbiosis with Phormium tenax. Next generation sequencing was used to create two libraries to determine the sensitivity of coding and non-coding molecular markers when characterising the AMF community associated with Phormium tenax.  AMF communities colonising individual plants were found to be diverse, and varied across restoration stages, but uncorrelated with soil moisture. The composition of of AMF communities changed seasonally and I observed more AMF hyphae and arbuscules in winter.</p>

Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae) in Argentina: a review of its invasion

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romina D. Fernandez ◽  
Sergio J. Ceballos ◽  
Agustina Malizia ◽  
Roxana Aragón
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Species Invasion ◽  
Gleditsia Triacanthos ◽  
Control Production ◽  
Negative Impacts

Gleditsia triacanthos L. is a woody species native to North America that has invaded Uruguay, Spain, Australia, South Africa and several countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In Argentina, it has become one of the most important invasive woody species and has a high potential to continue spreading. In this study, we review different aspects of G. triacanthos invasion in Argentina that include descriptions of invaded ecoregions and environments, intrinsic characteristics of the species, invasion dynamics and impacts. In addition, we discuss mechanisms that potentially explain its success, control strategies and natural barriers to its invasion. We reviewed a total of 91 articles and book chapters, of which 62 were developed in Argentina. Studies reported that the invasion of G. triacanthos in different ecoregions was favoured by intrinsic characteristics of the species, together with the interaction with cattle and disturbances, which cause negative impacts on flora, fauna and ecosystem processes. Disturbances were proposed as the main mechanism to explain this species’ invasion, but other hypotheses such as the release of natural enemies and/or propagule pressure might also be important. Further studies are required, mainly on the impacts on ecosystem processes and on the control, production of organic compounds and mutualistic interactions (with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi).

scholarly journals Browser impacts in Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa: Should we be worried?

Koedoe ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Corli Coetsee ◽  
Benjamin J. Wigley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
National Park ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Rocky Outcrops ◽  
The Impact

This study explores the impact of browsers on vegetation types within the Mapungubwe National Park and specifically whether rocky outcrops or ridges in the park serve as refugia from browsers, particularly elephants. We sampled 80 transects at 20 sites and recorded 1740 plants comprising 65 species. We found that a high proportion (> 80%) of the woody vegetation sampled indicated browser utilisation. Although certain woody species (e.g. Albizia harveyi, Boscia albitrunca, Lannea schweinfurthii) appeared to be preferred by browsers, browsing levels were relatively high among all woody species. High levels of browsing by herbivores other than elephants suggest that they have a significant impact on the park’s vegetation. We did not find that rocky ridges acted as refugia to browsers, but instead found that vegetation in rocky ridges was more severely impacted by browsers than vegetation in flat areas, despite vegetation being more accessible in flat areas. If elephant numbers continue to increase at the current rate (e.g. elephant numbers doubled between 2007 and 2010), we predict that some of the heavily utilised species will become locally rare over time.Conservation implications: High levels of browsing by both elephant and smaller herbivores contribute to significant impacts on vegetation away from rivers in Mapungubwe National Park. Without management interventions that address both types of impact, structural and species diversity are bound to decrease over the short to medium term.

scholarly journals Status and Properties of Soils under Some Woody Species of Degraded Glacis in Northern Burkina Faso

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-22
Author(s):  
Abel Kadéba ◽  
Salifou Traoré ◽  
Soungalo Soulama ◽  
Marco Schmidt ◽  
Adjima Thiombiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Native Woody Species ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Sahelian Zone

Land degradation is a threat to biodiversity and has negative impacts on agricultural communities by aggravating food insecurity. The objective of this study was to examine the responses of native woody species and soil variables to different levels of glacis degradation in the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. Field investigations were performed according to the degradation gradient outlined in the Braun-Blanquet method. Soil samples were collected and analyzed in the laboratory. The results indicate that the diversity and diametric structure of woody species are functions of the glacis degradation stage. A total of eight (08) woody species were recorded on the glacis (7 species in non-degraded glacis, 7 species in moderately-degraded glacis and only 1 species in degraded glacis). Acacia raddiana is the only local woody species present in all three glacis degradation stages. It is recommended to rehabilitate degraded glacis in the Sahel in response to desertification. The high levels of sand, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) characterize the non-degraded and moderately-degraded glacis, whereas the high levels of silt, clay, bulk density, pH-H20 and pH-Kcl indicate degraded glacis. This study can inform the future rehabilitation and management of Sahelian glacis.

scholarly journals Arbuscular Mycorrhizae of Phormium Tenax in a restored New Zealand wetland across hydrological gradients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alexandra Coles
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizae ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Native Woody Species ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Amf Communities ◽  
Generation Sequencing

<p>New Zealand has lost over 90% of its former wetlands and many that remain are in a degraded state. Restoration projects are often impeded by the failure of native plants to establish back into non-native dominated communities. Phormium tenax is fast growing and acts a nurse plant in wetlands, accelerating the establishment of slower growing native woody species. The roles of below ground organisms are increasingly recognised as affecting plant community dynamics, and this study investigates the diversity of a group of pervasive organisms, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), growing in symbiosis with Phormium tenax. Next generation sequencing was used to create two libraries to determine the sensitivity of coding and non-coding molecular markers when characterising the AMF community associated with Phormium tenax.  AMF communities colonising individual plants were found to be diverse, and varied across restoration stages, but uncorrelated with soil moisture. The composition of of AMF communities changed seasonally and I observed more AMF hyphae and arbuscules in winter.</p>

Fungi and diseases — natural components of healthy forestsThis article is one of a collection of papers based on a presentation from the Stem and Shoot Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: the Values of Biological Diversity session of the XXII International Union of Forestry Research Organization World Congress meeting held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 2005.

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Ostry ◽  
G. Laflamme
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Land Owners ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Many ◽  
Native Fungi

Forest health is described and perceived in different ways by the general public, land owners, managers, politicians, and scientists, depending on their values and objectives. Native tree pathogens and diseases are often associated with negative impacts even though damage is limited or not widespread. Too often, the concepts of tree health and forest health are used interchangeably and are not related to scale. Similar to fire, occurrences of disease outbreaks focus on the negative effects. However, native pathogens often exist in equilibrium with natural forest communities so their critical ecological roles are not easily discernible. Examined holistically, native fungi and diseases, dead and dying trees, and the many complex ecological interactions among them provide valuable benefits that ultimately contribute to sustainable, healthy forest ecosystems.

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