scholarly journals Elaeagnus umbellata thunb. as the potential invasive species in Belgrade region

2008 ◽  
pp. 177-188
Author(s):  
Dragana Skocajic ◽  
Mihailo Grbic ◽  
Jelena Tomicevic ◽  
Danijela Djunisijevic-Bojovic ◽  
Matilda Djukic

It is known that invasive plant species, as the species which most often spread and suppress the native species, form stable populations and become dominant firstly by occupying the sites of urban areas, and later on by continuing their invasion to the neighbouring suburban and rural areas. This paper presents the research of biological and ecological characters of Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb., one of the potential invasive species. The phenological observation of this species yield abundance and periodicity and the biometric analysis of fruits and seeds point to a high quality of its generative reproductive material. The analysis of seed dormancy of this species in our conditions, as the significant factor of the control of potential invasiveness, shows its double dormancy and its elimination requires combined chemical treatments and several months of stratification. The study of mechanisms of autumn olive dormancy breaking (overcoming the reproductive barrier) and seed dispersion (overcoming the dispersion barrier) is very significant for the forecast of further dispersion of this species.

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Page ◽  
Ronald E. Wall ◽  
Stephen J. Darbyshire ◽  
Gerald A. Mulligan

Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) is an invasive alien plant of management concern in southern Canada where it has escaped from horticulture and established and spread in natural, ruderal, and agricultural ecosystems. It poses a threat to natural ecosystems and human health, and is also a weed in agricultural and urban areas. It is a member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae) and is closely related to the native species Heracleum maximum Bartram (cow-parsnip). It is a monocarpic perennial, which generally flowers in its 3rd or 4th year. Large size, leaf shape, dark reddish pigments in patches on stems and petioles, and fruit characteristics readily distinguish H. mantegazzianum from other plants in Canada. It is increasingly common in riparian areas, floodplains, and forest edges in or near urban areas in southwestern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Based on herbarium specimens, H. mantegazzianum was first recorded in Ontario in 1949, British Columbia in 1964, Nova Scotia in 1980, Quebec in 1990, and New Brunswick in 2000. The development of dense stands of H. mantegazzianum can also reduce the richness of native plants. Contact with H. mantegazzianum can cause phytophotodermatitis, a serious skin inflammation caused by UV photo-activation of furanocoumarins present in the sap. Control methods include herbicide application, mechanical cutting, and animal grazing, but strategies to address seed dispersal and re-establishment from dormant seed must also be adopted. Widespread establishment in southern Canada suggests that eradication is unlikely. However, range expansion and rapid population growth can be prevented through strategic management including public education. Key words: Giant hogweed, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Apiaceae, HERMZ, invasive plant, weed biology, furanocoumarins


2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Grice

Most parts of the Australian rangelands are at risk of invasion by one or more species of non-native plants. The severity of current problems varies greatly across the rangelands with more non-native plant species in more intensively settled regions, in climatic zones that have higher and more reliable rainfall, and in wetter and more fertile parts of rangeland landscapes. Although there is quantitative evidence of impacts on either particular taxonomic groups or specific ecological processes in Australian rangelands, a comprehensive picture of responses of rangeland ecosystems to plant invasions is not available. Research has been focused on invasive species that are perceived to have important effects. This is likely to down play the significance of species that have visually less dramatic influences and ignore the possibility that some species could invade and yet have negligible consequences. It is conceivable that most of the overall impact will come from a relatively small proportion of invasive species. Impacts have most commonly been assessed in terms of plant species richness or the abundance of certain groups of vertebrates to the almost complete exclusion of other faunal groups. All scientific studies of the impacts of invasive species in Australian rangelands have focused on the effects of individual invasive species although in many situations native communities are under threat from a complex of interacting weed species. Invasion by non-native species is generally associated with declines in native plant species richness, but faunal responses are more complex and individual invasions may be associated with increase, decrease and no-change scenarios for different faunal groups. Some invasive species may remain minor components of the vegetation that they invade while others completely dominate one stratum or the vegetation overall.


Author(s):  
Jeanine Velez-Gavilán

Abstract Pteris multifida is a herbaceous fern native to temperate and tropical eastern Asia and naturalized on many continents as a result of being widely cultivated. Although it is an urban weed, it is not considered by most countries as an invasive or noxious weed. There is no information available on the species affecting native species or natural habitats. Although one source lists P. multifida as an invasive species in many countries outside of Africa due to it being easily dispersed by spores, there are no references or further information to support this statement. It is reported as an alien invasive species in Germany, but only as occurring in sheltered sites, growing on light-vents in cellars and walls. A species assessment for Florida, USA indicates, P. multifida is neither a weed of natural habitats nor of agriculture. The species has not been listed as an invasive plant in any state or natural areas of the USA. However, P. multifida has been assigned a Tier II Invasive Species status (defined as having moderate negative impacts on wildlife or natural communities in Louisiana), but of limited concern and/or extent in Louisiana. Pteris multifida is recorded in Cuba as potentially invasive being categorized as a species with a tendency to proliferate in some areas and capable of producing vast amounts of diaspores with high dispersal potential. No further details are given about potential invasiveness.


NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Katherine Duchesneau ◽  
Lisa Derickx ◽  
Pedro M. Antunes

Since 2007, more people in the world live in urban than in rural areas. The development of urban areas has encroached into natural forest ecosystems, consequently increasing the ecological importance of parks and fragmented forest remnants. However, a major concern is that urban activities have rendered urban forests susceptible to non-native species incursions, making them central entry sites where non-native plant species can establish and spread. We have little understanding of what urban factors contribute to this process. Here we use data collected by citizen scientists to determine the differential impacts of spatial and urban factors on non-native plant introductions in urban forests. Using a model city, we mapped 18 urban forests within city limits, and identified all the native and non-native plants present at those sites. We then determined the relative contribution of spatial and socioeconomic variables on the richness and composition of native and non-native plant communities. We found that socioeconomic factors rather than spatial factors (e.g., urban forest area) were important modulators of overall or non-native species richness. Non-native species richness in urban forest fragments was primarily affected by residential layout, recent construction events, and nearby roads. This demonstrates that the proliferation of non-native species is inherent to urban activities and we propose that future studies replicate our approach in different cities to broaden our understanding of the spatial and social factors that modulate invasive species movement starting in urban areas.


Author(s):  
P. Dvořák ◽  
J. Müllerová ◽  
T. Bartaloš ◽  
J. Brůna

Invasive species spread rapidly and their eradication is difficult. New methods enabling fast and efficient monitoring are urgently needed for their successful control. Remote sensing can improve early detection of invading plants and make their management more efficient and less expensive. In an ongoing project in the Czech Republic, we aim at developing innovative methods of mapping invasive plant species (semi-automatic detection algorithms) by using purposely designed unmanned aircraft (UAV). We examine possibilities for detection of two tree and two herb invasive species. Our aim is to establish fast, repeatable and efficient computer-assisted method of timely monitoring, reducing the costs of extensive field campaigns. For finding the best detection algorithm we test various classification approaches (object-, pixel-based and hybrid). Thanks to its flexibility and low cost, UAV enables assessing the effect of phenological stage and spatial resolution, and is most suitable for monitoring the efficiency of eradication efforts. However, several challenges exist in UAV application, such as geometrical and radiometric distortions, high amount of data to be processed and legal constrains for the UAV flight missions over urban areas (often highly invaded). The newly proposed UAV approach shall serve invasive species researchers, management practitioners and policy makers.


Author(s):  
Lauren M. Smith-Ramesh

Abstract Allelopathy, or the process by which plants influence the growth and performance of their neighbours through the release of chemicals, may play a key role in mediating the impacts of non-native invasive species on their neighbours. The Novel Weapons Hypothesis purports that non-native invasive species are in part successful because they produce harmful allelochemicals to which resident species are particularly susceptible because residents lack a shared evolutionary history with the invader. While allelopathic non-native invaders may reduce the growth and performance of neighbours through direct phytotoxicity, they may more often exert negative impacts through disruption of biotic interactions among resident species. Allelopathy by non-native plants may disrupt mutualisms between resident plants and microbes, plant-herbivore interactions or existing competitive and facilitative interactions among resident plants. For example, several non-native plants are known to disrupt the mutualism between resident plants and mycorrhizal fungi, reducing resident plant fitness to the benefit of the invader. Allelopathic non-natives may also disrupt interactions among resident plants and their herbivores when allelochemicals also influence herbivore behaviour or fitness. Alternatively, biotic interactions can also be protective for resident species, which may be less susceptible to the impacts of non-native species when their mutualisms are intact. As we advance our understanding of allelopathy and its role in mediating the impacts of invasive plant species, we may gain new insights by viewing invasions within a network context rather than focusing on pairwise interactions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 819-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinmin Lu ◽  
Minyan He ◽  
Saichun Tang ◽  
Yuqing Wu ◽  
Xu Shao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims The strengths of biotic interactions such as herbivory are expected to decrease with increasing latitude for native species. To what extent this applies to invasive species and what the consequences of this variation are for competition among native and invasive species remain unexplored. Here, herbivore impacts on the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides and its competition with the native congener A. sessilis were estimated across latitudes in China. Methods An common garden experiment spanning ten latitudinal degrees was conducted to test how herbivore impacts on A. philoxeroides and A. sessilis, and competition between them change with latitude. In addition, a field survey was conducted from 21°N to 36.8°N to test whether A. philoxeroides invasiveness changes with latitude in nature as a result of variations in herbivory. Key Results In the experiment, A. sessilis cover was significantly higher than A. philoxeroides cover when they competed in the absence of herbivores, but otherwise their cover was comparable at low latitude. However, A. philoxeroides cover was always higher on average than A. sessilis cover at middle latitude. At high latitude, only A. sessilis emerged in the second year. Herbivore abundance decreased with latitude and A. philoxeroides emerged earlier than A. sessilis at middle latitude. In the field survey, the ratio of A. philoxeroides to A. sessilis cover was hump shaped with latitude. Conclusion These results indicate that herbivory may promote A. philoxeroides invasion only at low latitude by altering the outcome of competition in favour of the invader and point to the importance of other factors, such as earlier emergence, in A. philoxeroides invasion at higher latitudes. These results suggest that the key factors promoting plant invasions might change with latitude, highlighting the importance of teasing apart the roles of multiple factors in plant invasions within a biogeographic framework.


Author(s):  
Susan Kalisz ◽  
Stephanie N. Kivlin ◽  
Lalasia Bialic-Murphy

Abstract Invasive species utilize a wide array of trait strategies to establish in novel ecosystems. Among these traits is the capacity to produce allelopathic compounds that can directly inhibit neighboring native plants or indirectly suppress native plants via disruption of beneficial belowground microbial mutualisms, or altered soil resources. Despite the well-known prevalence of allelopathy among plant taxa, the pervasiveness of allelopathy among invasive plants is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the majority of the 524 invasive plant species in our database produce allelochemicals with the potential to negatively affect native plant performance. Moreover, allelopathy is widespread across the plant phylogeny, suggesting that allelopathy could have a large impact on native species across the globe. Allelopathic impacts of invasive species are often thought to be present in only a few plant clades (e.g., Brassicaceae). Yet our analysis shows that allelopathy is present in 72% of the 113 plant families surveyed, suggesting that this ubiquitous mechanism of invasion deserves more attention as invasion rates increase across the globe.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Capotorto

It is generally assumed that increased plant biodiversity will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the pollutant removal processes in wetlands constructed for stormwater management and will provide ancillary benefits for wildlife and the general public. However, the development of a diverse plant community may be jeopardized by colonization by invasive species. This study reports on a detailed assessment of the changes in plant species composition in a wetland complex constructed for stormwater management in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The research presented focuses on the relationship between the presence of invasive species, the lack of development of native species diversity, and the environmental factors that may be associated with the presence and distribution of invasive plants. Today, vegetation diversity of the wetland remains extremely poor and there has been significant establishment of invasive species, especially Typha angustifolia. Despite the complexity of the site, there are few environmental determinants for plant growth.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Jasińska ◽  
Andrzej Brzeg ◽  
Maria Wojterska

AbstractStudies of the flora of villages in a connection with the surrounding landscape are rare and mostly limited to the built-up area and its general location in a geographical region. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the diversity patterns of flora against the background of local landscape units in the rural areas and to analyse them in the context of village transformation. The study comprised 30 villages of medieval origin representing the oval-shape type, with differently preserved structure of built-up area and cultivated fields, located in the Lubuskie Lakeland. The terrain within a buffer zone of 200 m in width, located outside of the built-up area, was divided into spatial complexes. In each of these complexes, floristic lists were compiled. The structure of surrounding landscape within the buffer zone of 1 km in width, measuring from the village centroid, was analysed using ArcGIS.The recorded flora comprised 767 taxa of spontaneously occurring vascular plants. Extremely rare and common species were the most numerous. Native species distinctly prevailed over alien in all types of spatial complexes and the majority of them occurred in the habitats transformed by man. There were noted altogether 244 species of anthropophytes.The index of anthropophytization of flora (WAnt) showed that both types of built-up areas (transformed and non-transformed) reached the highest values, slightly higher than fields and central green. Index of flora modernization (WM) showed the same pattern. Only water bodies were strikingly different from other complexes in respect to both indices (WAnt - significantly lower values, while WM - much higher). Differences in the floristic composition of transformed and non-transformed villages were not significant at the level of whole village. The villages were still harbouring rare species from the group of relics of former cultivation and archaeophytes, but observations conducted since 2007 confirmed that they have been decreasing in number. The percentage of groups of species with different affinity toward urban areas have shown that in the studied rural areas, the share of urbanophilic species is still very low as compared to the dominant group of urbanoneutral and moderately urbanophobic species.


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