scholarly journals Global Invader Impact Network ( GIIN ): toward standardized evaluation of the ecological impacts of invasive plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (14) ◽  
pp. 2878-2889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob N. Barney ◽  
Daniel R. Tekiela ◽  
Maria Noelia Barrios‐Garcia ◽  
Romina D. Dimarco ◽  
Ruth A. Hufbauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Invader Impact

Mapping the socio-ecological impacts of invasive plants in South Africa: Are poorer households with high ecosystem service use most at risk?

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 101075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chevonne Reynolds ◽  
Nic Venter ◽  
Blair W. Cowie ◽  
Danica Marlin ◽  
Samalesu Mayonde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Ecological Impacts

scholarly journals Existing and emerging high impact invasive species are characterized by higher functional responses than natives

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 20130946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhairi E. Alexander ◽  
Jaimie T. A. Dick ◽  
Olaf L. F. Weyl ◽  
Tamara B. Robinson ◽  
David M. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Clarias Gariepinus ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Prey Handling ◽  
Invader Impact

Predicting ecological impacts of invasive species and identifying potentially damaging future invaders are research priorities. Since damage by invaders is characterized by their depletion of resources, comparisons of the ‘functional response’ (FR; resource uptake rate as a function of resource density) of invaders and natives might predict invader impact. We tested this by comparing FRs of the ecologically damaging ‘world's worst’ invasive fish, the largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), with a native equivalent, the Cape kurper ( Sandelia capensis ), and an emerging invader, the sharptooth catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ), with the native river goby ( Glossogobius callidus ), in South Africa, a global invasion hotspot . Using tadpoles ( Hyperolius marmoratus ) as prey, we found that the invaders consumed significantly more than natives. Attack rates at low prey densities within invader/native comparisons reflected similarities in predatory strategies; however, both invasive species displayed significantly higher Type II FRs than the native comparators. This was driven by significantly lower prey handling times by invaders, resulting in significantly higher maximum feeding rates. The higher FRs of these invaders are thus congruent with, and can predict, their impacts on native communities. Comparative FRs may be a rapid and reliable method for predicting ecological impacts of emerging and future invasive species.

scholarly journals Invasion Shadows: The Accumulation and Loss of Ecological Impacts from an Invasive Plant

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Tekiela ◽  
Jacob N. Barney
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Legacy Effects ◽  
Japanese Stiltgrass ◽  
Biodiversity Changes

Ecological impacts from invasive plants that have been identified include reductions in biodiversity, changes in resource cycling, and disruptions of ecosystem function. To mitigate these negative ecological impacts, managers work to remove invasive plants. However, removal does not necessarily immediately lead to a return to the uninvaded ecological state. Similarly, the accumulation rate of ecological impacts following invader establishment is almost entirely unknown for most species, hindering identification of optimal management times. The accumulation and loss (so-called legacy effects) of impacts following invader establishment and removal represent an “invasion shadow.” To begin to understand invasion shadows, we measured the changes in biotic and abiotic ecological impacts during establishment and following removal of the forest understory invader Japanese stiltgrass. We found that when the abiotic metrics were considered, seeded areas became more functionally similar to the invaded landscape and removed areas became more similar to the uninvaded landscape. However, while the plant community did not change in a 3-yr period during a new invasion, following invader removal, it became less similar to both the invaded and uninvaded landscape altogether, suggesting legacies. Surprisingly, all changes occurred almost immediately and persisted following invader establishment and removal. Our results show, at least in a 3-yr period, that ecosystems can respond to changes in invader abundance, and in some cases simply removing the invader could result in long-term changes to the resident plant community.

California Invasive Plant Research Needs Assessment

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona Robison ◽  
Steve Schoenig ◽  
Douglas W. Johnson ◽  
Elizabeth Brusati ◽  
Joseph M. DiTomaso
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Priority Needs

AbstractThis project summarizes the opinion of 52 experts on the future research needs in the area of invasive plants in California. Experts included academics at private and public universities, Cooperative Extension educators, land managers, members of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), employees of restoration companies, and federal, state, and local agency personnel. Surveys were conducted through in-person interviews, written questionnaires, and workshops. The objective was to identify high-priority needs for future research on issues related to invasive plants in California's wildlands. More specifically, the goals were to (1) create a forum for assessing high-priority research needs, (2) guide future research toward these high-priority needs, and (3) facilitate connections and interactions among academic disciplines and between researchers and practitioners by increasing awareness of the range of ongoing research on invasive plants. Priority needs were chosen for 10 broad research topic areas, with specific subtopics addressed within each of these areas. In addition to noting specific research areas, there was a general need expressed for a synthesis of existing scientific information, particularly about the biology and ecology of invasive plants and the ecological impacts, control and management tools, restoration activities, and related social issues surrounding invasive plants. A mutual exchange of information was also considered important among the academic researcher and the field practitioner, as was the development of more effective training programs for land managers.

scholarly journals Meta-analysis of the impact of plant invasions on soil microbial communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nardi Torres ◽  
Ileana Herrera ◽  
Laurie Fajardo ◽  
Ramiro O. Bustamante
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Bacterial Diversity ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Soil Microbial Community ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Soil Biota ◽  
Soil Microbial

Abstract Background One of the ecological impacts of exotic plant invasions may be alteration of the soil microbial community, which may cause changes to the diversity, richness and function of these communities. In order to explore to what extent invasive plants affect the soil microbial community, we performed a meta-analysis based on 46 scientific articles to document the effect of invasive plants on species richness and diversity of bacteria and fungi. We conducted our study across a range of invaded ecosystems including native communities, and evaluated biomass, richness and diversity. We use a random effects model to determine the increase or decrease in the values of the response variables in the presence of invasive plants. Results The results indicated that the response variable that changed with the invasion of plants was the diversity of bacteria. Bacterial diversity in the soil increases with the presence of invasive plants, specifically herbaceous plants producing allelopathic substances growing in forest ecosystems of temperate zones. Conclusions We provide evidence that invasive plants affect the soil biota differentially; however, it is important to consider more variables such as the N and C cycles, since these processes are mediated by soil biota and litter, and chemical compounds released by plants influence them. Changes in bacterial diversity have consequences for the nutrient cycle, enzymatic activity, mineralization rates and soil carbon and nitrogen content.

scholarly journals Not All Roads Lead to Rome: A Meta-analysis of Invasive Plant Impact Methodology

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Tekiela ◽  
Jacob N. Barney
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Removal Time ◽  
Study Methodology

The negative effects of invasive plant species on native ecosystems, which can be large and long-lasting, are the primary justifications for their research and management. Tremendous effort is focused on quantifying the ecological impacts of invasive plants, though two different methods are primarily used: observational (compare invaded and uninvaded) and removals (compare invaded and invader removal). However, it is unknown whether these methods, which differ in their assumptions and execution, yield similar results, which could affect our ability to draw broad conclusions within and across studies. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis on 174 studies that described 547 impacts of 72 invasive plants to test the effect of study method, invader cover, and removal period on the direction and magnitude of impact. Overall, by only considering impact magnitude and not direction, both observational and removal methods yielded similar results—invasive plants are changing most aspects of the ecosystem—and the variation among species and study systems was dramatically reduced compared with traditional, directionally focused studies. This is contrary to a similar analysis that did not control for directionality of impacts, which found overall differences in impact depended on methodology. However, even when the effects of study ecosystem, invader life-form, and impact type were accounted for, significant differences occurred between removal and observational studies. Particularly vulnerable systems appear to be those that would be more greatly disturbed by the removal of the target species, such as tree species or invasive plants in riparian areas. Additionally, impact magnitude increased with invader cover and removal time. We confirm that invasive plants impact the systems they invade in a nonuniform manner; however, we suggest some study conditions may be more sensitive to study methodology. Careful consideration should be given as to which methodology is used in the context of the study system.

Pioneers of Allelopathy: XVI. Shaolin Peng

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-20
Author(s):  
Shaolin Peng
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
South China ◽  
Restoration Ecology ◽  
Young Scientist ◽  
Alien Plants ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Academic Degree

Shaolin Peng contributed immensely to restoration ecology research in last 40- years and has published 700 papers. He has made innovative and theoretical breakthroughs in vegetation restoration, ecological restoration of invaded ecosystems, interaction between ecological restoration and global change, etc. One of his key achievements is vegetation restoration in subtropical South China. He has developed new models of vegetation in natural succession, replacement and fluctuation, advanced theory and proved that extremely degraded tropical forests can be restored. He established that allelopathy is one of the driving forces of forest succession and did related studies on systematic sampling and analysis of several forest communities from south to north in China. He has done outstanding research on invasive plants and examined the Novel Weapon Hypothesis (allelopathic inhibition) of invasive alien plants in South China and determined the various aspects of invasive mechanism of alien plants (molecular mechanism of elevated temperature and CO effects in allelopathy of invasive plants). He put forward the ‘Allelopathic resistance hypothesis (native plants resistance to invasive plants)’ and ‘ecological control theory’. In recognition of his contributions to <i>Allelopathy</i> field, he was awarded the <i>Outstanding Achievement Award</i> by the International Allelopathy Foundation. He also did in-depth studies on ecological impacts of invasive plants, specifically focusing on plant-soil feedback and plant-AMF symbiosis. Besides, Peng has mentored 68 Ph.D. and 38 M.Sc graduates, and was recognized as Prominent Teacher by Sun Yat-sen University. He has been the Vice President, Ecological Society of China, Vice Chairman, Nature Conservation and Eco-Environment Teaching Steering Committee, Ministry of Education, Member, Academic Degree Commission of State Council, Awarded ‘Top Ten Outstanding Youth in China’, Young Scientist Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Outstanding Scientific and Technical Worker of China.

scholarly journals Breaking Bad: Native Aquatic Plants Gone Rogue and the Invasive Species That Inspire Them

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-566
Author(s):  
Lyn A. Gettys
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Aquatic Plants ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Aquatic Plant ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Breaking Bad ◽  
Professional Interest ◽  
American Society

Conventional wisdom suggests that native aquatic plants have evolved to fill a specific ecological niche, and that their growth is regulated by environmental conditions or the presence of natural enemies that limit the distribution or abundance of the species. However, it is becoming obvious that native species are not always well-behaved and can develop populations that quickly reach nuisance levels that require management to avoid negative ecological impacts. This work summarizes information presented at the American Society for Horticultural Science Invasive Plants Research Professional Interest Group Workshops in 2017 and 2018, and it highlights the phenomenon of species that are considered both native and invasive in the aquatic ecosystems of Florida. These “natives gone rogue” are compared with the introduced species they mimic, and the consequences of excessive aquatic plant growth, regardless of the origin of the species, are described.

Identifying high-impact invasive plants likely to shift into Northern New England with climate change

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
William Coville ◽  
Bridget J. Griffin ◽  
Bethany A. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Invasive Species ◽  
New England ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Or Economics ◽  
Northern New England ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Invasive plants are expanding their ranges due to climate change, creating new challenges for invasive species management. Early detection and rapid response could address some nascent invasions, but limited resources make it impossible to monitor for every range shifting species. Here, we aimed to create a more focused watch list by evaluating the impacts of 87 plant species projected to shift into Northern New England (the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and/or Vermont). We used the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) protocol to evaluate all ecological impacts reported in the scientific literature, scoring ecological impacts from 1 (minimal concern) to 4 (major) depending on the level of reported impact. For each species, we also recorded any reported impacts on socioeconomic systems (agriculture, human health, or economics) as ‘present’. We found 24 range-shifting species with impacts on ecological communities, of which 22 have reported impacts in ecosystems common to northern New England. Almost all of these species also had impacts on socioeconomic systems and were available for purchase at ornamental plant retailers or online. Thus, these species can be considered high risk to northern New England with climate change based on their large negative impacts and potential to arrive quickly with deliberate human introduction. Our study demonstrates the use of impact assessments for creating targeted priority lists for invasive species monitoring and management.

High predatory efficiency and abundance drive expected ecological impacts of a marine invasive fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM DeRoy ◽  
R Scott ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
HJ MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Red Grouper ◽  
Per Capita

The ecological impacts of invasive species are highly variable and mediated by many factors, including both habitat and population abundance. Lionfish Pterois volitans are an invasive marine species which have high reported detrimental effects on prey populations, but whose effects relative to native predators are currently unknown for the recently colonized eastern Gulf of Mexico. We used functional response (FR) methodology to assess the ecological impact of lionfish relative to 2 functionally similar native species (red grouper Epinephelus morio and graysby grouper Cephalopholis cruentata) foraging in a heterogeneous environment. We then combined the per capita impact of each species with their field abundance to obtain a Relative Impact Potential (RIP). RIP assesses the broader ecological impact of invasive relative to native predators, the magnitude of which predicts community-level negative effects of invasive species. Lionfish FR and overall consumption rate was intermediate to that of red grouper (higher) and graysby grouper (lower). However, lionfish had the highest capture efficiency of all species, which was invariant of habitat. Much higher field abundance of lionfish resulted in high RIPs relative to both grouper species, demonstrating that the ecological impact of lionfish in this region will be driven mainly by high abundance and high predator efficiency rather than per capita effect. Our comparative study is the first empirical assessment of lionfish per capita impact and RIP in this region and is one of few such studies to quantify the FR of a marine predator.

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