Biocomplexity of introduced avian diseases in Hawai`i: threats to biodiversity of native forest ecosystems

Fact Sheet ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany L. Woodworth ◽  
Carter T. Atkinson ◽  
Michael D. Samuel ◽  
Dennis A. LaPointe ◽  
Paul C. Banko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Avian Diseases

scholarly journals Comparing Negative Impacts of Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra and Robinia pseudoacacia on Native Forest Ecosystems

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gentili ◽  
Ferrè ◽  
Cardarelli ◽  
Montagnani ◽  
Bogliani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Quercus Rubra ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
Prunus Serotina ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Negative Impacts

The introduction of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) can modify plant-soil feedback, resulting in an alteration of the abiotic and biotic characteristics of ecosystems. Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra and Robinia pseudoacacia are IAPS of European temperate forests, where they can become dominant and suppress the native biodiversity. Assuming that the establishment of these invasive species may alter native forest ecosystems, this study comparatively assessed their impact on ecosystems. This study further investigated plant communities in 12 forest stands, dominated by the three IAPS and native trees, Quercus robur and Carpinus betulus (three plots per forest type), in Northern Italy, and collected soil samples. The relationships between the invasion of the three IAPS and modifications of humus forms, soil chemical properties, soil biological quality, bacterial activity and plant community structure and diversity (α-, β-, and γ-diversity) were assessed using one-way ANOVA and redundancy analyses (RDA). Our comparative study demonstrated that invaded forests often had unique plant and/or soil properties, relative to native forests, and the degree of dissimilarity depended on the invasive species. Particularly, Q. rubra is related to major negative impacts on soil organic horizons and low/modified levels of microarthropod and plant biodiversity. R. pseudoacacia is associated with an altered base content of soil and, in turn, with positive feedback to the soil biological quality (QBS-ar) and plant diversity, but with a high cover compared with other alien plant species. P. serotina is associated with intermediate impacts and exhibits a plant species assemblage that is more similar to those of native forest stands. Our work suggests impact-based management decisions for the three investigated IAPS, since their effects on the diversity and composition of resident ecosystems are very different.

scholarly journals Influence of fragmentation and disturbance on the potential impact of feral predators on native fauna in Australian forest ecosystems

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. May ◽  
T. W. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Small Prey ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact

The current knowledge is reviewed of the diet and predator–prey relationships of the feral cat (Felis catus), fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) (including wild dogs). The effect of forest fragmentation by roads on the use of native forest ecosystems by these species and the significance of this for native fauna is considered. The cat, fox and dingo are significant predators in Australia that interact with native fauna in various ways, including predation, competition for resources, and transmission of disease. On the basis of current knowledge, it is clear that the nature and impact of predation by the cat, fox and dingo on native fauna are primarily determined by prey availability, although there are exceptions to this rule. Generally, dingoes prey upon large to medium-sized prey species (e.g. wallabies, common wombats, and possums), foxes prey upon medium-sized to small prey (e.g. possums and rats) and consume a significant component of scavenged material and vegetation, while cats also prey upon medium-sized to small prey, but may have a greater proportion of reptiles and birds in their diet. The cat is generally considered to be an opportunistic predator and to have contributed to the demise of a number of mammals. The fox is considered more of a threat to small native mammals and it has been asserted that all species of mammals that fall within the critical weight range (CWR) of 120–5000 g are at risk of local extinction when the fox is present. The severity of the impact of the dingo upon the native fauna is considered to be minimal, at least in comparison with the impact that the cat and fox can have on populations. The dingo is not considered a threat to CWR mammals in undisturbed environments. The fox, feral cat and dingo are all considered to have the ability to selectivity prey upon species and, to some extent, individual sexes and age-classes of a number of larger prey species. Although many of Australia's forested areas are relatively heavily fragmented by roads, there are no published studies specifically investigating the use of roads by feral predators. Information on the distribution and abundance of foxes, cats and dingoes in these ecosystems, their ecology and their impact on native fauna is particularly limited. Further, the extent to which roads influence the distribution and abundance of these species and the consequences of these for native fauna are poorly known. One of the most important research needs is to establish the relative impact that exotic predators may have on native fauna under varying degrees of road construction within native forests. For example, are areas with and without roads in forests used differently by exotic predators and what is the significance of this in terms of the potential impact on fauna? The extent to which feral predators forage away from roads needs further investigation, as does the rates of predation within edges, because this may have several consequences for the design, location and size of retained strips and wildlife corridors as well as restoration programmes. Further observations on regional differences influencing predator–prey interactions are required, as is research on the potential impacts on native fauna resulting from prey selection in forests subjected to various degrees of fragmentation and modification.

scholarly journals Disturbances and biodiversity in forest ecosystems: A temperate zone perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Temperate Zone ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Biodiversity Protection

In the temperate zone windstorms and bark beetle attacks represent the main natural forest disturbances; in steep mountain areas snow avalanches also may “destroy” forest stands completely. In the densely populated and intensively used temperate zone of Europe affected forest stands will be cleared and reforested immediately after such “catastrophes”. Therefore we have only little knowledge about the influence of such natural disturbances on both the stand development and the biodiversity of native forest ecosystems. And we do not have quantitative data on to which degree forest management changes the biodiversity compared to the natural disturbances. Since about two decades several permanent plot studies have been running in European forests affected by such natural disturbances, mainly with focus on plant species. Here we first outline the importance of disturbances for biodiversity in forest ecosystems and then discuss whether it is possible to combine both biodiversity protection and forest management. For that we use four recent case studies carried out in the two oldest national parks in Germany, three of them being long-term observations on permanent plots for up to two decades. Disturbances like wind throw, bark beetle outbreak and snow avalanche strongly influences the tree layer structure, creating micro-habitats for many plant, animal and fungi species, which naturally belong to the forest ecosystem. Such disturbances in future should be included into management schemes in forestry to improve biodiversity. We found evidence that it is really possible to combine timber utilization with biodiversity protection. As long as the management impact is reduced (e.g. single tree harvesting, using natural regeneration), species diversity of several taxonomic groups (in our study: vascular plants, soil living Carabidae, and soil living fungi) may not be different significantly from a pristine forest. Interconnecting resource use with biodiversity protection will be a main task for both foresters and conservationist in the decades to come – and it seems to be a possible option for a sustainable land use in many parts of the world.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/botor.v8i0.5552 Botanica Orientalis – Journal of Plant Science (2011) 8: 1-9

scholarly journals Ailanthus altissima Forests Determine a Shift in Herbaceous Layer Richness: A Paired Comparison with Hardwood Native Forests in Sub-Mediterranean Europe

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1404
Author(s):  
Silvia Montecchiari ◽  
Giulio Tesei ◽  
Marina Allegrezza
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Ailanthus Altissima ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Herbaceous Layer ◽  
Native Forests ◽  
Ecological Parameters

Ailanthus altissima is an invasive alien species (IAS) present throughout Europe and included in the list of alien species of Union concern. In sub-Mediterranean areas of central Italy, there is a lack of knowledge about this invasive species and its interactions with the native forest ecosystems. We aim to find what are the main differences in vegetation structure and floristic diversity between A. altissima forests and native forests through the assessment of the principal ecological parameters that differ between the forest types. We performed 38 phytosociological relevés and sampling of ecological parameters in A. altissima forest communities and neighboring native forests. We analyzed how species richness, diversity, life forms, life strategies, structural characteristics, and ecological parameters changed in A. altissima forests compared with native ones. We found that in A. altissima forests, there is a shift in herbaceous layer richness, with a higher presence of annual ruderal herbs and the absence of herbaceous species linked to the forest environment. The ecological parameters that diverge from the native forests were total nitrogen, total carbon, and C/N ratio. A. altissima forest communities could threaten the biodiversity of the native forest ecosystems in the sub-Mediterranean landscape, favoring ruderal species and inhibiting the presence of typical forest species.

Nonconstituent species in soil seed banks as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in forest fragments

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2300-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luxiang Lin ◽  
Min Cao ◽  
Yongtao He ◽  
Jerry M Baskin ◽  
Carol C Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Southwestern China ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Continuous Forest

Forest fragmentation is prevalent in regions with high human population density, but also with high biological diversity, such as southwestern China. Predicting potential changes in species composition in native forest ecosystems resulting from forest fragmentation is an important approach in assessing forest ecosystems and sustainable management of forests. The term nonconstituent species is proposed for plant species that occur in a natural landscape but are not native to it. We hypothesized that fragmentation of continuous forests significantly increases both the richness and the size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species. To test our hypothesis we compared soil seed banks in three small fragments and one large tract of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. In total, 249 species were identified in all soil samples from the four sites. Nonconstituent species represented 36.4%–61.5% of the total taxa and 33.8%–59.6% of total germinants from soil samples in the three forest fragments, but only 3.7%–7.9% of total taxa and 7.5%–9.4% of total germinants from soil samples in the continuous forest tract. Both richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species were greater under forest fragments than under continuous forest. A majority of nonconstituent species were native weeds and annual herbs with wind-dispersed seeds; most were present in soil seed banks but not in aboveground vegetation. We suggest that nonconstituent species in soil seed banks could be used as an indicator species group for assessing human disturbance. If so, the richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species could play an important role in quantifying disturbance in forests.

scholarly journals Status and Impact of Walnut Twig Beetle in Urban Forest, Orchard, and Native Forest Ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J Seybold ◽  
William E Klingeman ◽  
Stacy M Hishinuma ◽  
Tom W Coleman ◽  
Andrew D Graves
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Walnut Twig Beetle

Bryophytes display allelopathic interactions with tree species in native forest ecosystems

Oikos ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 1272-1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Michel ◽  
David J. Burritt ◽  
William G. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Allelopathic Interactions

scholarly journals Honeybees and Pollen as Indicators of Alien Plant Species in Two Native Forest Ecosystems of an Oceanic Island (La Palma, Canary Islands)

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea de Nascimento ◽  
Juan D. Delgado ◽  
Javier Méndez ◽  
Rüdiger Otto ◽  
Manuel Arteaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Oceanic Island ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
La Palma
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