Ecological Value of Native Plant Cultivars Versus Wild-Type Native Plants for Promoting Hemipteran Diversity in Suburban Areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 890-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
J C Poythress ◽  
James M Affolter
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Li ◽  
Zhanrui Leng ◽  
Yueming Wu ◽  
Yizhou Du ◽  
Zhicong Dai ◽  
...  

Abstract Global changes have altered the distribution pattern of the plant communities, including invasive species. Anthropogenic contamination may reduce native plant resistance to the invasive species. Thus, the focus of the current review is on the contaminant biogeochemical behavior among native plants, invasive species and the soil within the plant-soil ecosystem to improve our understanding of the interactions between invasive plants and environmental stressors. Our studies together with synthesis of the literature showed that a) the impacts of invasive species on environmental stress were heterogeneous, b) the size of the impact was variable, and c) the influence types were multidirectional even within the same impact type. However, invasive plants showed self-protective mechanisms when exposed to heavy metals (HMs) and provided either positive or negative influence on the bioavailability and toxicity of HMs. On the other hand, HMs may favor plant invasion due to the widespread higher tolerance of invasive plants to HMS together with the “escape behavior” of native plants when exposed to toxic HM pollution. However, there has been no consensus on whether elemental compositions of invasive plants are different from the natives in the polluted regions. A quantitative research comparing plant, litter and soil contaminant contents between native plants and the invaders in a global context is an indispensable research focus in the future.


Author(s):  
M. Celeste Díaz Vélez ◽  
Ana E. Ferreras ◽  
Valeria Paiaro

Abstract Animal dispersers are essential for many non-native plants since they facilitate seed movement and might promote seed germination and seedling establishment, thereby increasing their chances of invasion. This chapter reviews the published literature on seed dispersal of non-native plant species by native and/or non-native animals. The following questions are addressed: (i) Are interactions between non-native plants and their animal dispersers evenly studied worldwide? (ii) Which are the distinctive traits (i.e. geographical origin, life form, dispersal strategy and propagule traits) of non-native plants that are dispersed by animals? (iii) Which are the most studied groups of dispersers of non-native plants around the world? (iv) Does the literature provide evidence for the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis (non-native plant-non-native disperser facilitation)? (v) What is the role of animal dispersers at different stages of the non-native plant regeneration process? Our dataset of 204 articles indicates that geographical distribution of the studies was highly heterogeneous among continents, with the highest number coming from North America and the lowest from Asia and Central America. Most of the non-native plants involved in dispersal studies were woody species from Asia with fleshy fruits dispersed by endozoochory. More than the half of the animal dispersal agents noted were birds, followed by mammals, ants and reptiles. The dominance of bird-dispersal interactions over other animal groups was consistent across geographical regions. Although most of the studies involved only native dispersers, interactions among non-native species were detected, providing support for the existence of invasional meltdown processes. Of the total number of reviewed articles reporting seed removal, 74% evaluated seed dispersal, but only a few studies included seed germination (35.3%), seedling establishment (5.4%) or seed predation (23.5%). Finally, we discuss some research biases and directions for future studies in the area.


1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Abensperg-Traun ◽  
Lyn Atkins ◽  
Richard Hobbs ◽  
Dion Steven

Exotic plants are a major threat to native plant diversity in Australia yet a generic model of the invasion of Australian ecosystems by exotic species is lacking because invasion levels differ with vegetation/soil type and environmental conditions. This study compared relative differences in exotic species invasion (percent cover, spp. richness) and the species richness of herbaceous native plants in two structurally very similar vegetation types, Gimlet Eucalyptus salubris and Wandoo E. capillosa woodlands in the Western Australian wheatbelt. For each woodland type, plant variables were measured for relatively undisturbed woodlands, woodlands with >30 years of livestock grazing history, and woodlands in road-verges. Grazed and road-verge Gimlet and Wandoo woodlands had significantly higher cover of exotic species, and lower species richness of native plants, compared with undisturbed Gimlet and Wandoo. Exotic plant invasion was significantly greater in Gimlet woodlands for both grazed (mean 78% cover) and road-verge sites (mean 42% cover) than in comparable sites in Wandoo woodlands (grazed sites 25% cover, road-verge sites 19% cover). There was no significant difference in the species richness of exotic plants between Wandoo and Gimlet sites for any of the three situations. Mean site richness of native plants was not significantly different between undisturbed Wandoo and undisturbed Gimlet woodlands. Undisturbed woodlands were significantly richer in plant species than grazed and road-verge woodlands for both woodland types. Grazed and road-verge Wandoo sites were significantly richer in plant species than communities in grazed and road-verge Gimlet. The percent cover of exotics was negatively correlated with total (native) plant species richness for both woodland types (Wandoo r = ?0.70, Gimlet r = ?0.87). Of the total native species recorded in undisturbed Gimlet, 83% and 61% were not recorded in grazed and road-verge Gimlet, respectively. This compared with 40% and 33% for grazed and road-verge Wandoo, respectively. Grazed Wandoo and grazed Gimlet sites had significantly fewer native plant species than did road-verge Wandoo and road-verge Gimlet sites. Ecosystem implications of differential invasions by exotic species, and the effects of grazing (disturbance) and other factors influencing susceptibility to exotic plant invasion (landscape, competition and allelopathy) on native species decline are discussed. Exclusion of livestock and adequate methods of control and prevention of further invasions by exotic plants are essential requirements for the conservation of these woodland systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Michael R. Ngugi ◽  
Victor John Neldner

Naturalised non-native plants that become invasive pose a significant threat to the conservation of biodiversity in protected areas (areas dedicated and managed for long-term conservation of nature), economic productivity of agricultural businesses, and societal impacts including community, culture infrastructure and health. Quantifying the spread, potential dominance and invasion threat of these species is fundamental to effective eradication and development of threat mitigation policy. But this is often hampered by the lack of comprehensive data. This study used existing ecological survey data from 2548 sites and 64 758 Herbarium specimen records to document the status and abundance of non-native plants in two case study bioregions, Cape York Peninsula (CYP) and the Desert Uplands (DEU) in Queensland covering a total area of 186 697 km2. There were 406 non-native species in the CYP, 186 (45.6%) of which are known environmental weeds and 159 non-natives in DEU, of which 69 (43.5%) are environmental weeds. Inside the protected areas, there were 98 species of environmental weeds in CYP, 27 of which are listed as weeds of State significance (Weeds of National Significance (WONS), Queensland declared and non-declared pest plants categories). In DEU, there were 18 environmental weeds inside protected areas and none of them was listed as a weed of State significance. Non-native species that recorded foliage cover dominance in the ecological site data are generally recognised as environmental weeds in Queensland. The threat of weeds from outside of protected areas was serious, with 41 weeds of State significance found in CYP, five of which are WONS, and 25 weeds of State significance found in DEU, 10 of which are WONS.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 576
Author(s):  
Wang ◽  
Awaya ◽  
Zhu ◽  
Motooka ◽  
Nelson ◽  
...  

Non-native plant species have become serious pests in Hawaii’s delicate island ecosystems. It is necessary to control invasive plants. The herbicides hexazinone and tebuthiuron were evaluated for defoliation efficacy to control several major invasive plants and for non-target effects on native plants at Site I in a rainforest at 1200 m elevation and Site II in a mesic area at 640 m elevation on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The invasive weed species in the sites included daisy fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus DC.), faya tree (Myrica faya Ait.), strawberry guava (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine), banana passion fruit (Passiflora mollissima Bailey), vaseygrass (Paspalum urvillei Steud.), and highbush blackberry (Rubus argutus Link. 1822). Native plants included ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich.), naupaka (Scaevola cerasifolia Labill.), pilo (Hedyotis mannii), hona (Urera glabra (Hook. & Arn.)), aalii (Dodonaea viscosa Jacq.), and amau (Sadleria sp.). The results showed that broadcast applications of hexazinone granules and tebuthiuron pellets were effective on some of those invasive species. Herbicidal tolerance varied among the native species. For example, D. viscosa showed high tolerance to hexazinone. S. cerasifolia was susceptible to hexazinone, but not to tebuthiuron. The inconsistent defoliation of Sadleria sp. occurred among different applications rates of the two herbicides. M. polymorpha, particularly when it was small, could tolerate hexazinone and tebuthiuron. U. glabra was severely injured by the two herbicides. H. mannii was moderately tolerant to hexazinone, but fairly sensitive to tebuthiuron. The invasive loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was highly tolerant to hexazinone, but was very sensitive to tebuthiuron. M. faya was very sensitive to hexazinone, but very tolerant to tebuthiuron. P. cattleyanum was sensitive to both herbicides. Six and nine months after hexazinone and tebuthiuron treatment, respectively, native plants were transplanted into the Sites to observe injury from residual herbicides. Approximately less than 10% mortality was observed for the out-planted native species three months after planting (MAP), indicating that the native species showed less injury in the early period of transplant. The mortality of the three endangered species Kauai hau kuahiwi (Hibiscadelphis distans), Kauai delissea (Delissea rhytidosperma H.Mann) and kawawaenohu (Alsinidendron lynchnoides), however, increased as the MAP increased. Overall, broadcast treatments of hexazinone and tebuthiuron at rates higher than 1 kg active ingredient per hectare would be problematic. The dissipation half-life values of hexazinone and tebuthiuron in the 1-15 cm layer of soils at the two sites were approximately 7 days and greater than 180 days, respectively.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathali Mahado de Lima ◽  
James Charlesworth ◽  
Jana Stewart ◽  
Miriam Muñoz-Rojas

<p>The depletion and degradation of native plant communities is a major threat to the long-term health and functionality of many ecosystems worldwide. Some of the current challenges in mine rehabilitation programs are poor recruitment and establishment of native plants. Indigenous soil bacteria, including cyanobacteria from soil biocrusts, have shown promise as bio-fertilizers as they may promote germination and enhance seedling growth of native plants in reconstructed soil profiles. In this research, we assessed the potential of bioinoculants composed by locally sourced soil bacteria from the rhizosphere and cyanobacteria from biocrusts, to promote germination and growth of native arid plants from Western Australia and New South Wales (Australia). Individual cyanobacteria species (e.g. Leptolyngbya sp, Nostoc sp. and Microcoleus sp), a cyanobacteria mix of these three species, and enrichments of soil bacteria from the rhizosphere were considered as inoculum for seed bio-priming. Overall, our results showed that lower concentrations of cyanobacteria inoculants (1 g l<sup>-1</sup>) are more effective for promoting seedling growth than highly concentrated inoculum (5 g l<sup>-1</sup>). The effects of the cyanobacterial/bacterial inoculants were specific to each plant species. However, biopriming seeds with soil bacteria and the cyanobacteria mix resulted in three times larger roots in hummock grasses (e.g. Triodia epactia) compared to the control treatment. We also identified the bio-active components or metabolites produced by targeted cyanobacteria species through GC/MS analyses. Our results showed that some of the cyanobacterial inoculants produced substances chemically like plant hormones such as auxins, i.e. indole-3-acetic acid. The positive effects of the native soil bacteria and cyanobacteria inoculants on native plants could be related to their ability of promoting nutrient bioavailability, improving stress resistance, protection against other microbes, and production of substances that may act as hormones. The findings of this research can allow selecting the most effective bio-active inoculants for application in seed-based land rehabilitation programs.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Yujing Yang ◽  
Changxiao Li ◽  
Xilu Ni ◽  
Wenchao Ma ◽  
...  

Various industrial activities contribute heavy metals to terrestrial ecosystems. In order to evaluate the soil quality of industrial areas and to identify the potential phytoremediator from the native plant species, we collected 45 surface soil samples and 21 plant species in a typical industrial area of northwestern China. The results showed that the average values of the Cd, Cr, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the soils were 36.91, 1.67, 7.20, 1.38, 1.27, and 6.66 times, respectively, compared with the corresponding background values. The average single factor pollution index for heavy metals decreased in the order of Cd > As > Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb. The study area was seriously polluted by Cd and As, slightly polluted by Zn, and had relatively little contamination by Cr, Pb, and Cu. In terms of the average Nemerow synthetic pollution index in every sampling site, 97.78% of the samples were seriously polluted and 2.22% of the samples were moderately polluted, which indicated that almost all of the samples in the industrial area were seriously polluted. The results of the biomass, heavy metal concentrations, bioconcentration factors (BCF), and translocation factors (TF) for the native plants showed that Achnatherum splendens for metal Cr presented a phytostabilization potential, Artemisia scoparia and Echinochloa crusgalli for metal Cu and Halogeton arachnoideus for metal Zn presented a phytoextraction potential, and all of the studied plants were limited as phytoremediators for Cd or Pb contaminated soil.


2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1794) ◽  
pp. 20141841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian S. Pearse ◽  
Andrew L. Hipp

There is often an inverse relationship between the diversity of a plant community and the invasibility of that community by non-native plants. Native herbivores that colonize novel plants may contribute to diversity–invasibility relationships by limiting the relative success of non-native plants. Here, we show that, in large collections of non-native oak trees at sites across the USA, non-native oaks introduced to regions with greater oak species richness accumulated greater leaf damage than in regions with low oak richness. Underlying this trend was the ability of herbivores to exploit non-native plants that were close relatives to their native host. In diverse oak communities, non-native trees were on average more closely related to native trees and received greater leaf damage than those in depauperate oak communities. Because insect herbivores colonize non-native plants that are similar to their native hosts, in communities with greater native plant diversity, non-natives experience greater herbivory.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senilolia H. Tuiwawa ◽  
Gunnar Keppel

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) plantations cover a considerable area on the south-eastern parts of Viti Levu, Fiji. The understorey of these plantations often comprise a diverse, but undocumented, assemblage of native plant species. This study investigates the diversity, composition and regeneration potential of native plant species in the Wainiveiota mahogany plantation 40?50 years after establishment. Ten 10 m x 10 m plots were alternately placed at 10 m intervals perpendicular to a 200 m line transect. A total of 491 individual plants with dbh ≥ 1 cm, comprising 69 species, 51 genera and 34 families, were sampled. In addition to the exotic mahogany, there were 68 native (39 endemic, 24 indigenous and 5 identified to genus only) species recorded. Girronniera celtidifolia Gaud., Dillenia biflora (A.Gray) Martelli ex Dur. & Jacks and Barringtonia edulis Seem. had the highest recruitment and Endospermum macrophyllum (Muell.Arg.) Pax & Hoffm. was the dominant native species. Syzygium Gaertn. (Myrtaceae) was the most diverse genus and Myrtaceae the most diverse family. With 98% of the sapling recruitment consisting of native species, there is potential for re-establishment of a lowland rainforest dominated by native species over time.


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