scholarly journals Ecosystem Changes in Shola Forest-Grassland Mosaic of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sasmitha ◽  
A. Muhammad Iqshanullah ◽  
R. Arunachalam
Keyword(s):  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Tropical Montane Forests ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Gradual Disappearance ◽  
Growing Economy ◽  
Timber Plantations ◽  
Invasive Tree Species ◽  
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Ecosystem Changes

The Shola grasslands are tropical montane forests found in the high altitudes of Western Ghats separated by rolling grasslands. These unique ecosystems act as the home for many of the floral and faunal endemic species and also serve as the water reservoir for the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The grassland let the rainwater to flow through the sholas into the stream and provide water to the region throughout the year. The region once covered with tropical montane forest and grassland was transformed into a land of plantation over the centuries. As the grasslands are easy to clear off, tea estates, coffee estates and timber plantations were established by the British and later by the Indian forest department to satisfy the various need of the growing economy. Majority of this region are being replaced by the invasive tree species and agricultural plantations. This led to the loss of major proportion of the shola forest and grassland. Many developmental works have been carried out in the region and these developmental activities results in the gradual disappearance of the ecosystem. These ecosystem need to be conserved and hence, identifying the knowledge gap and application of current state of knowledge is necessary.

scholarly journals Elucidating the native sources of an invasive tree species, Acacia pycnantha, reveals unexpected native range diversity and structure

2013 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 895-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joice Ndlovu ◽  
David M. Richardson ◽  
John R. U. Wilson ◽  
Martin O'Leary ◽  
Johannes J. Le Roux
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species

Leaf litter of invasive Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) negatively affects hatching success of an aquatic breeding anuran, the Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 991-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.K. Adams ◽  
D. Saenz
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Stages Of Development ◽  
Triadica Sebifera ◽  
Chinese Tallow ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an aggressive invasive tree species that can be abundant in parts of its non-native range. This tree species has the capability of producing monocultures, by outcompeting native trees, which can be in or near wetlands that are utilized by breeding amphibians. Existing research suggests that leaf litter from invasive Chinese tallow reduces survival in larval anurans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on anuran eggs. We exposed eggs of the Southern Leopard Frog ( Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1886)) at various stages of development to different concentrations of Chinese tallow leaf litter to determine survival. Eggs in the earliest stages of development that we exposed to tallow leaf litter died, regardless of concentration; however, some more-developed eggs exposed to tallow leaf litter did hatch. We determined that the greater the concentration of tallow leaf litter, the lower the dissolved oxygen and pH levels we observed. We suggest that changes in these water-quality parameters are the cause of the observed mortality of anuran eggs in our experiments. Eggs exposed to water containing tallow leaf litter with dissolved oxygen <1.59 mg/L and a pH <5.29 did not survive to hatching.

scholarly journals Shola tree regeneration is lower under Lantana camara L. thickets in the upper Nilgiris plateau, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 14562-14568
Author(s):  
Muneer Ul Islam Najar ◽  
Jean-Philippe Puyravaud ◽  
Priya Davidar
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Lantana Camara ◽  
Regeneration Potential ◽  
Invasive Shrub ◽  
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Different Levels

Lantana camara is a dominant invasive shrub in many protected areas of India including the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).  We conducted a study to assess the regeneration potential of endemic native (shola) trees under different levels of Lantana infestation in the upper plateau of NBR.  A total of 61 plots in a total area of 0.73ha were sampled, out of which 0.57ha was in Lantana dominated sites and 0.16ha in undisturbed shola forests.  The plots were classified as per the level of Lantana infestation (intensive, moderate, and low infestation). We found that regeneration of shola trees, including endemics decreased with increasing intensity of Lantana invasion.  No regeneration occurred in the intensively infested plots whereas regeneration was high in undisturbed shola forests.  

scholarly journals Highly invasive tree species are more dependent on mutualisms

Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Moyano ◽  
Mariano A. Rodriguez‐Cabal ◽  
Martin A. Nuñez
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species

scholarly journals Three Invasive Tree Species Change Soil Chemistry in Guam Forests

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Marler
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species ◽  
Forms Of Carbon

Research Highlights: Established stands of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv., and Vitex parviflora Juss. modified soils in Guam’s limestone forests, reducing storage pools of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Background and Objectives: Invasive plants may engineer negative changes in ecosystem properties. This study was conducted to determine changes in soil chemistry following infestations of three problematic tree species on Guam. Materials and Methods: Minerals, metals, and mineralization dynamics were measured in invaded sites and paired sites with biodiverse native tree cover. Results: Most soil properties were significantly changed by long-term infestations of the invasive tree species. The soils within invaded sites exhibited total carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus that were less than native sites. In contrast, the carbon/nitrogen ratio increased for every species-site combination. The other chemical properties were idiosyncratic among the sites and species. Conclusions: Mitigation and restoration activities that include the removal of these trees from project sites may require many years for the below-ground ecosystems to return to their native state. These three invasive trees decrease the ability of Guam soils to sequester recalcitrant forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

First report of triploidy inAilanthus altissima, an invasive tree species

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-472
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Kurokochi ◽  
Hiroshi Uchiyama ◽  
Mikio Hasegawa ◽  
Yoko Saito ◽  
Yuji Ide
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
First Report ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species

Potential for Nonnative Endozoochorous Seed Dispersal by White-Tailed Deer in a Southeastern Maritime Forest

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren S. Pile ◽  
Geofeng Geoff Wang ◽  
Robert Polomski ◽  
Greg Yarrow ◽  
Claire M. Stuyck
Keyword(s):  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Triadica Sebifera ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Maritime Forest ◽  
Invasive Tree Species

AbstractNonnative invasive plants (NNIP) have far-reaching effects on native ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the role of generalist seed dispersers in spreading NNIP across the landscape is important to the conservation of native ecosystems and to the management of NNIP. We studied white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as a seed disperser in a mixed maritime pine (Pinus spp.) forests on Parris Island, SC, with particular interest in the dispersal of Chinese tallowtree [Triadica sebifera (L.) Small], a highly invasive tree species in the southeastern United States, which is a management concern on Parris Island, SC. We collected deer scat pellet groups along transects in two forest types: those that had recently been treated with silvicultural timber harvest (thinned) and those that have not been so treated (unthinned). Using two pellet-treatment methods, directly planting or rinsing and sorting, we determined that, out of 25 species grown under greenhouse conditions, 28% (n = 7) were nonnative, small-seeded, herbaceous species. However, T. sebifera was not identified in either of the two treatment methods. Recent forest thinning significantly affected the number of species determined in deer pellet groups (F = 8.37; df = 1; P < 0.01), with more native plant species identified in unthinned (x̄ = 25 ± 11) than in thinned (x̄ = 3 ± 10) forest stands (F = 5.33; df = 1; P = 0.02). Our results indicate that white-tailed deer are actively dispersing nonnative seeds but not those of T. sebifera or other woody NNIP.

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