scholarly journals Complex Undisturbed Riparian Zones Are Resistant to Colonisation by Invasive Alien Plant Species

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Zelnik ◽  
Valentina Mavrič Klenovšek ◽  
Alenka Gaberščik

We investigated the presence and abundance of invasive alien plant species (IAS) in the riparian zones of rivers in relation to different environmental parameters. We surveyed the spatial and human-influenced characteristics of the riparian zones, river channels, and land use along seven Slovenian rivers. We further monitored the presence and abundance of IAS with different natural properties and different human impacts to define the characteristics of non-infected and heavily infected reaches. Special attention was given to different life forms of IAS. The presence and abundance of IAS positively correlated with distance from river source, current velocity, and water depth, and negatively correlated with altitude, naturalness of the land use, width and completeness of the riparian zone, height and structure of its vegetation, and condition of the riverbed and banks. Annuals prevailed among IAS at 48%, with 37% herbaceous perennials and 15% woody species. The vine Echinocystis lobata was the most abundant IAS, which was found in 179 out of the 414 river reaches analysed, followed by the annual Impatiens glandulifera and the herbaceous perennial Solidago gigantea. E. lobata was spread over the native riparian vegetation and was affected by the natural gradients of the rivers in terms of altitude and distance from the river’s source. Reaches without IAS significantly differed from reaches colonised with IAS in the width of riparian zone, vegetation height and structure, land-use next to the river, and distance from the source. As IAS in riparian zones affect riparian and aquatic communities, there is the need for management practices to maintain and establish complex riparian zones that are resistant to IAS colonisation.

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2987
Author(s):  
Igor Zelnik ◽  
Tjaša Muc

Hydromorphological alterations influence a wide range of environmental conditions as well as riparian vegetation and the structure of the macroinvertebrate community. We studied relationships between the structure and diversity of the macroinvertebrate community and hydromorphological and other environmental conditions in the river Gradaščica (central Slovenia). The Gradaščica river is a pre-Alpine torrential river that has been morphologically altered by humans. A selection of abiotic factors was measured, the ecomorphological status of the river was assessed, vegetation in the riparian zone was surveyed and benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled. Correlations between diversity and the structure of the macroinvertebrate community, environmental parameters and occurrence of invasive alien plant species in the riparian zone were identified. The significance of the influence of environmental parameters on the structure of the macroinvertebrate community was examined. We found that hydromorphological alterations in the river have had a significant influence on the diversity and composition of the macroinvertebrate community because of changes of flow velocity and the spread of invasive alien plant species that has followed those changes. Factors that also significantly influence the composition of macroinvertebrate community are distance from the source and conductivity. Our findings suggest minimization of further human hydromorphological changes of watercourses could prevent the loss of biodiversity of riverine ecosystems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 129 ◽  
pp. 107919
Author(s):  
Wenqin Tu ◽  
Qinli Xiong ◽  
Xiaoping Qiu ◽  
Yongmei Zhang

Author(s):  
H.O.W. Peiris ◽  
S. Chakraverty ◽  
S.S.N. Perera ◽  
S.M.W. Ranwala

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 498-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Kempel ◽  
Patrick Nater ◽  
Markus Fischer ◽  
Mark Kleunen

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 6945-6969 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. van Oorschot ◽  
M. G. Kleinhans ◽  
G. W. Geerling ◽  
G. Egger ◽  
R. S. E. W. Leuven ◽  
...  

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