scholarly journals Introduction and Spread of the Invasive Alien Species Ageratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6152
Author(s):  
Eunyoung Kim ◽  
Jaeyong Choi ◽  
Wonkyong Song

Invasive alien species (IAS) not only displace nearby indigenous plants and lead to habitat simplification but also cause severe economic damage by invading arable lands. IAS invasion processes involve external forces such as species characteristics, IAS assemblage traits, environmental conditions, and inter-species interactions. In this study, we analyzed the invasion processes associated with the introduction and spread of Ageratina altissima, a representative invasive plant species in South Korea. We investigated 197 vegetation quadrats (2 × 20 m) in regions bordering 47 forests in southern Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A total of 23 environmental variables were considered, which encompassed vegetation, topography, land use, and landscape ecology indices. The model was divided into an edge and an interior model and analyzed using logistic regression and a decision tree (DT) model. The occurrence of Ageratina altissima was confirmed in 61 sites out of a total of 197. According to our analysis, Ageratina altissima easily invaded forest edges with low density. The likelihood of its occurrence increased with lower elevation and gentler slope. In contrast, the spread of Ageratina altissima in the forest interior, especially based on seed spread and permeability, was favored by a lower elevation and gentler slopes. The analysis of Ageratina altissima settlement processes in forest edges coupled with the DT model demonstrated that land characteristics, such as the proximity to urbanized areas and the number of shrub and tree species, play a pivotal role in IAS settlement. In the forest interior, Ageratina altissima did not occur in 68 of the 71 sites where the soil drainage was under 2.5%, and it was confirmed that the tree canopy area had a significant impact on forest spread. Based on these results, it can be assumed that Ageratina altissima has spread in South Korean forests in much the same way as other naturalized species. Therefore, vegetation management strategies for naturalized species should be developed in parallel with land use management policy in regions surrounding forest edges to successfully manage and control Ageratina altissima invasion.

2015 ◽  
pp. 84-95
Author(s):  
András Bozsik

Citrus flatid planthopper, a native insect to North America had for a long time a scarce economic importance there. However, being polyphagous made little damage on citrus trees and some ornamentals. In 1979 it was introduced to Italy where it established and spread quickly. It is now an invasive alien species continually spreading in South and Central Europe causing considerable damage in fruit crops and various ornamentals. Present study shows the results of a series of observations carried out from 2011 to 2015 at a number of habitats in north of Hungary. The pest could be found at each habitat but the hedge, the tree row, the gardens and the orchard/vineyard were the most infested. Frequency and population density of Metcalfa pruinosa were considerable on Asteraceae, Cannabaceae, Fabaceae, Juglandaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae and Sapindaceae. Typical vegetation could be functionally classified as ornamental plants, trees/shrubs, fruit plants, weeds and feral plants. Feral plants – some of them also invasive alien species – were found at each habitat. Plant species native to America were among them the most populated. As the hedgerows were neglected, and most gardens, orchards and vineyards abandoned, these are excellent conditions for the quick and long-lasting establishment of the pest as well as they may be reservoirs to infest cultivated fruit crops and ornamentals. The hedgerow was situated along a railway line. The length of similar hedges can be merely in Pest county several hundred km, which means M. pruinosa has plenty of opportunity for spreading along the railway and infest agricultural and ornamental cultures. On the surveyed alfalfa and maize fields, accidentally very few nymphs and adults were observed. Although, the population density of M. pruinosa was considerable on many hostplants, economic damage or yield losses could not be detected. Economic or significant damage was observed only on roses, raspberries and stinging nettle. This later is cultivated in Germany and Finland. The applied horticultural oil was efficient.


NeoBiota ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W.E. Dickey ◽  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Michael Rea ◽  
Ciaran Laverty ◽  
Kate Crane ◽  
...  

Invasive alien species (IAS) cause myriad negative impacts, such as ecosystem disruption, human, animal and plant health issues, economic damage and species extinctions. There are many sources of emerging and future IAS, such as the poorly regulated international pet trade. However, we lack methodologies to predict the likely ecological impacts and invasion risks of such IAS which have little or no informative invasion history. This study develops the Relative Impact Potential (RIP) metric, a new measure of ecological impact that incorporates per capita functional responses (FRs) and proxies for numerical responses (NRs) associated with emerging invaders. Further, as propagule pressure is a determinant of invasion risk, we combine the new measure of Pet Propagule Pressure (PPP) with RIP to arrive at a second novel metric, Relative Invasion Risk (RIR). We present methods to calculate these metrics and to display the outputs on intuitive bi- and triplots. We apply RIP/RIR to assess the potential ecological impacts and invasion risks of four commonly traded pet turtles that represent emerging IAS: Trachemysscriptascripta, the yellow-bellied slider; T.s.troostii, the Cumberland slider; Sternotherusodoratus, the common musk turtle; and Kinosternonsubrubrum, the Eastern mud turtle. The high maximum feeding rate and high attack rate of T.s.scripta, combined with its numerical response proxies of lifespan and fecundity, gave it the highest impact potential. It was also the second most readily available according to our UK surveys, indicating a high invasion risk. Despite having the lowest maximum feeding rate and attack rate, S.odoratus has a high invasion risk due to high availability and we highlight this species as requiring monitoring. The RIP/RIR metrics offer two universally applicable methods to assess potential impacts and risks associated with emerging and future invaders in the pet trade and other sources of future IAS. These metrics highlight T.s.scripta as having high impact and invasion risk, corroborating its position on the EU list of 49 IAS of Union Concern. This suggests our methodology and metrics have great potential to direct future IAS policy decisions and management. This, however, relies on collation and generation of new data on alien species functional responses, numerical responses and their proxies, and imaginative measures of propagule pressure.


1969 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-47
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Smith ◽  
Dawn R. Bazely ◽  
Norman D. Yan

Invasive alien species (IAS) cause major environmental and economic damage worldwide, and also threaten human food security and health. The impacts of IAS are expected to rise with continued globalization, land use modification, and climate change. Developing effective strategies to deal with IAS requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, in which scientists work co-operatively with social scientists and policy-makers. Higher education can contribute to this process by training professionals to balance the ecological, economic, and social dimensions of the IAS problem. We examined the extent of such training in Canada by reviewing undergraduate and graduate university curricula at all 94 member institutions of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada for IAS content. We found that degree and diploma programs focusing on IAS issues are lacking at Canadian post-secondary institutions. Furthermore, few courses are devoted solely to IAS, and those that are typically adopt an ecological perspective. We argue that the absence of interdisciplinary university curricula on IAS in Canada negatively affects our ability to respond to this growing global challenge. We present several international educational programs on IAS as case studies on how to better integrate training on invasive species into university curricula in Canada.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Hun Son ◽  
A-Ram Jo ◽  
Dong Eon Kim

Abstract Background Some of the introduced alien species introduced settle, multiply, and spread to become invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten biodiversity. To prevent this, Korea and other countries legally designate and manage alien species that pose a risk to the environment. Moreover, 2160 alien species have been introduced in South Korea, of which 1826 animals and 334 plants are designated. The inflow of IAS can have negative effects such as ecosystem disturbance, habitat destruction, economic damage, and health damage to humans. To prevent damage caused by the inflow of IAS in advance, species that could potentially pose a risk to the environment if introduced in South Korea were designated as alert alien species (AAS). Results The designation criteria were in accordance with the “Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity” and the “Regulations on the Ecological Risk Assessment of AAS and IAS” by the National Institute of Ecology. The analysis result of risk and damage cases indicated that mammals affect predation, competition, human economic activity, virus infection, and parasite infection. Birds have been demonstrated to affect predation, competition, human economic activity, and health. It was indicated that plants intrude on the ecosystem by competing with native species with their high-population density and capacity to multiply and cause allergic inducement. Interestingly, 300 species, including 25 mammals, 7 birds, 84 fishes, 28 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 1 insect, 32 spiders, 1 mollusk, 1 arthropod, and 99 plants, are included in the list of AAS. Conclusions AAS designation plays a role in preventing the reduction of biodiversity by IAS in South Korea and preserving native species. Moreover, it is determined to provide considerable economic benefits by preventing socio-economic losses and ecological damage.


NeoBiota ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 103-126
Author(s):  
James W.E. Dickey ◽  
Ross N. Cuthbert ◽  
Michael Rea ◽  
Ciaran Laverty ◽  
Kate Crane ◽  
...  

Invasive alien species (IAS) cause myriad negative impacts, such as ecosystem disruption, human, animal and plant health issues, economic damage and species extinctions. There are many sources of emerging and future IAS, such as the poorly regulated international pet trade. However, we lack methodologies to predict the likely ecological impacts and invasion risks of such IAS which have little or no informative invasion history. This study develops the Relative Impact Potential (RIP) metric, a new measure of ecological impact that incorporates per capita functional responses (FRs) and proxies for numerical responses (NRs) associated with emerging invaders. Further, as propagule pressure is a determinant of invasion risk, we combine the new measure of Pet Propagule Pressure (PPP) with RIP to arrive at a second novel metric, Relative Invasion Risk (RIR). We present methods to calculate these metrics and to display the outputs on intuitive bi- and triplots. We apply RIP/RIR to assess the potential ecological impacts and invasion risks of four commonly traded pet turtles that represent emerging IAS: Trachemysscriptascripta, the yellow-bellied slider; T.s.troostii, the Cumberland slider; Sternotherusodoratus, the common musk turtle; and Kinosternonsubrubrum, the Eastern mud turtle. The high maximum feeding rate and high attack rate of T.s.scripta, combined with its numerical response proxies of lifespan and fecundity, gave it the highest impact potential. It was also the second most readily available according to our UK surveys, indicating a high invasion risk. Despite having the lowest maximum feeding rate and attack rate, S.odoratus has a high invasion risk due to high availability and we highlight this species as requiring monitoring. The RIP/RIR metrics offer two universally applicable methods to assess potential impacts and risks associated with emerging and future invaders in the pet trade and other sources of future IAS. These metrics highlight T.s.scripta as having high impact and invasion risk, corroborating its position on the EU list of 49 IAS of Union Concern. This suggests our methodology and metrics have great potential to direct future IAS policy decisions and management. This, however, relies on collation and generation of new data on alien species functional responses, numerical responses and their proxies, and imaginative measures of propagule pressure.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
L. N. Sharma ◽  
B. Adhikari ◽  
M. F. Watson ◽  
B. B. Shrestha ◽  
E. Paudel ◽  
...  

Abstract Invasive alien species are a major threat to global biodiversity due to the tremendous ecological and economic damage they cause in forestry, agriculture, wetlands, and pastoral resources. Understanding the spatial pattern of invasive alien species and disentangling the biophysical drivers of invasion at the forest stand level is essential for managing forest ecosystems and the wider landscape. However, forest-level and species-specific information on Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) abundance and their spatial extent are largely lacking. In this context, we analysed the cover of one of the world’s worst invasive plants, Chromolaena odorata, in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in central Nepal. Vegetation was sampled in four community forests using 0.01 ha square quadrats, covering the forest edge to the interior. C. odorata cover, floral richness, tree density, forest canopy cover, shrub cover, tree basal area, and disturbances were measured in each plot. We also explored forest and IAPS management practices in community forests. C. odorata cover was negatively correlated with forest canopy cover, distance to the road, angle of slope, and shrub cover. Tree canopy cover had the largest effect on C. odorata cover. No pattern of C. odorata cover was seen along native species richness gradients. In conclusion, forest canopy cover is the overriding biotic covariate suppressing C. odorata cover in Sal forests.


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