Impacts of an invasive plant are fundamentally altered by a co-occurring forest disturbance

Abstract Non-native invasive plant species are a major cause of ecosystem degradation and impairment of ecosystem service benefits in the United States. Forested riparian areas provide many ecosystem service benefits and are vital to maintaining water quality of streams and rivers. These systems are also vulnerable to natural disturbances and invasion by non-native plants. We assessed whether planting native trees on disturbed riparian sites may increase biotic resistance to invasive plant establishment in central Vermont in the northeastern United States. The density (stems/m2) of invasive stems was higher in non-planted sites (x̄=4.1 stems/m2) compared to planted sites (x̄=1.3 stems/m2). More than 90% of the invasive plants were Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica). There were no significant differences in total stem density of native vegetation between planted and non-planted sites. Other measured response variables such as native tree regeneration, species diversity, soil properties and soil function showed no significant differences or trends in the paired riparian study sites. The results of this case study indicate that tree planting in disturbed riparian forest areas may assist conservation efforts by minimizing the risk of invasive plant colonization.

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Electrophotography toner adhesion on agro-industrial residue and invasive plant papers

Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/01694243.2021.1894694 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Igor Karlovits ◽

Gregor Lavrič ◽

Urška Kavčič ◽

Vladimir Zorić

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plant ◽

Industrial Residue

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Dominant Fungal Epiphytes Promote Growth of the Invasive Plant Ipomoea cairica Through Hormone Interactions

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation ◽

10.1007/s00344-021-10375-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hua Xu ◽

Ping Chang ◽

Shaoshan Li ◽

Jianguo Lu ◽

Xuejun Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plant ◽

Hormone Interactions

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Improved Glucose Recovery from Sicyos angulatus by NaOH Pretreatment and Application to Bioethanol Production

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9020245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 245

Author(s):

Hyung-Eun An ◽

Kang Hyun Lee ◽

Ye Won Jang ◽

Chang-Bae Kim ◽

Hah Young Yoo

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Food Resource ◽

Raw Material ◽

Control Group ◽

Bioethanol Production ◽

Naoh Pretreatment ◽

Glucose Recovery ◽

Harmful Species

As greenhouse gases and environmental pollution become serious, the demand for alternative energy such as bioethanol has rapidly increased, and a large supply of biomass is required for bioenergy production. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant on the planet and a large part of it, the second-generation biomass, has the advantage of not being a food resource. In this study, Sicyos angulatus, known as an invasive plant (harmful) species, was used as a raw material for bioethanol production. In order to improve enzymatic hydrolysis, S. angulatus was pretreated with different NaOH concentration at 121 °C for 10 min. The optimal NaOH concentration for the pretreatment was determined to be 2% (w/w), and the glucan content (GC) and enzymatic digestibility (ED) were 46.7% and 55.3%, respectively. Through NaOH pretreatment, the GC and ED of S. angulatus were improved by 2.4-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively, compared to the control (untreated S. angulatus). The hydrolysates from S. angulatus were applied to a medium for bioethanol fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae K35. Finally, the maximum ethanol production was found to be 41.3 g based on 1000 g S. angulatus, which was 2.4-fold improved than the control group.

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Invasion landscapes as social‐ecological systems: Role of social factors in invasive plant species control

People and Nature ◽

10.1002/pan3.10217 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Johanna Yletyinen ◽

George L. W. Perry ◽

Olivia R. Burge ◽

Norman W. H. Mason ◽

Philip Stahlmann‐Brown

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Social Factors ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

Invasive Plant Species ◽

Social Ecological Systems ◽

Social Ecological

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A 1232 bp upstream sequence of glutamine synthetase 1b from Eichhornia crassipes is a root-preferential promoter sequence

BMC Plant Biology ◽

10.1186/s12870-021-02832-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yanshan Zhong ◽

Xiaodan Lu ◽

Zhiwei Deng ◽

Ziqing Lu ◽

Minghui Fu

Keyword(s):

Glutamine Synthetase ◽

Eichhornia Crassipes ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Promoter Sequence ◽

Regulatory Mechanisms ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Regulation Mechanism ◽

Upstream Sequence ◽

Specific Expression ◽

N Metabolism

Abstract Background Glutamine synthetase (GS) acts as a key enzyme in plant nitrogen (N) metabolism. It is important to understand the regulation of GS expression in plant. Promoters can initiate the transcription of its downstream gene. Eichhornia crassipes is a most prominent aquatic invasive plant, which has negative effects on environment and economic development. It also can be used in the bioremediation of pollutants present in water and the production of feeding and energy fuel. So identification and characterization of GS promoter in E. crassipes can help to elucidate its regulation mechanism of GS expression and further to control its N metabolism. Results A 1232 bp genomic fragment upstream of EcGS1b sequence from E. crassipes (EcGS1b-P) has been cloned, analyzed and functionally characterized. TSSP-TCM software and PlantCARE analysis showed a TATA-box core element, a CAAT-box, root specific expression element, light regulation elements including chs-CMA1a, Box I, and Sp1 and other cis-acting elements in the sequence. Three 5′-deletion fragments of EcGS1b upstream sequence with 400 bp, 600 bp and 900 bp length and the 1232 bp fragment were used to drive the expression of β-glucuronidase (GUS) in tobacco. The quantitative test revealed that GUS activity decreased with the decreasing of the promoter length, which indicated that there were no negative regulated elements in the EcGS1-P. The GUS expressions of EcGS1b-P in roots were significantly higher than those in leaves and stems, indicating EcGS1b-P to be a root-preferential promoter. Real-time Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of EcGS1b gene also showed higher expression in the roots of E.crassipes than in stems and leaves. Conclusions EcGS1b-P is a root-preferential promoter sequence. It can specifically drive the transcription of its downstream gene in root. This study will help to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of EcGS1b tissue-specific expression and further study its other regulatory mechanisms in order to utilize E.crassipes in remediation of eutrophic water and control its overgrowth from the point of nutrient metabolism.

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Invasive Plant Species Distribution Is Structured by Soil and Habitat Type in the City Landscape

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10040773 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 773

Author(s):

Ilona Szumańska ◽

Sandra Lubińska-Mielińska ◽

Dariusz Kamiński ◽

Lucjan Rutkowski ◽

Andrzej Nienartowicz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Distribution Pattern ◽

Species Distribution ◽

Human Activities ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Permanent Plots ◽

Human Land Use ◽

And Migration ◽

Migration Pathways ◽

The City

Invasive alien species (IAS) is a global problem that largely relates to human activities and human settlements. To prevent the further spread of IAS, we first need to know their pattern of distribution, to determine which constitutes the greatest threat, and understand which habitats and migration pathways they prefer. Our research aimed to identify the main vectors and distribution pattern of IAS of plants in the city environment. We checked the relations between species distribution and such environmental factors as urban soil type and habitat type. We applied data on IAS occurrence (collected in the period 1973–2015) in 515 permanent plots with dimensions of 0.5 × 0.5 km and analyzed by direct ordination methods. In total, we recorded 66 IAS. We found a 27% variance in the IAS distribution pattern, which can be explained by statistically significant soil and habitat types. The most important for species distribution were: river and alluvial soils, forests and related rusty soils, and places of intensive human activities, including areas of urbisols and industriosols. Our results provide details that can inform local efforts for the management and control of invasive species, and they provide evidence of the different associations between natural patterns and human land use.

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