scholarly journals Impact of Invasive Tree Species on Natural Regeneration Species Composition, Diversity, and Density

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin K. Dyderski ◽  
Andrzej M. Jagodziński

Invasive tree species decrease ecosystem resilience with negative impacts on natural regeneration. The influence of alien tree species on ecosystems is unevenly recognized and does not always account for different habitat specificity. We assessed the impacts of the three most frequent invasive tree species in European forests: Prunus serotina Ehrh., Quercus rubra L., and Robinia pseudoacacia L. on natural regeneration diversity, species composition, and density. We hypothesized that invaded forest types, in comparison with non-invaded, will differ in terms of species composition, will have lower taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of natural regeneration, and will have lower densities of native tree species. We used a set of 189 study plots (200 m2) in a systematic design, established in various forest types in Wielkopolski National Park (West Poland). We analyzed impacts of forest type, accounting for soil C:N ratio, soil pH, and light availability on natural regeneration (woody species up to 0.5 m height) species composition, diversity, and density. We found an overlap of species composition among invaded and non-invaded forests and low impacts of invasive species on taxonomic diversity and functional richness. We found no impacts on phylogenetic diversity and other functional diversity components. In contrast, we found that the natural regeneration of forest-forming tree species reached lower densities in invaded than non-invaded forest types. However, sub-canopy and shrub species reached higher densities in invaded than non-invaded forest types. We confirmed that invasive tree species affect natural regeneration by decreasing the regeneration density of native tree species (in eight of nine tree species studied), species composition homogenization, and supporting natural regeneration of sub-canopy and shrub species. Therefore, the restoration of invaded forests requires eradication of invasive tree species to decrease propagule pressure and to stop decreases in the abundance of native tree species’ natural regeneration.

Author(s):  
MR Haider ◽  
S Alam ◽  
M Mohiuddin

Natural regeneration status of native tree species in three natural forests of Moulvibazar, Sylhet Forest Division, Bangladesh was assessed through stratified random sampling method. A total of 70 tree species belonging to 31 families was recorded. Moraceae has the maximum number of species (8 species). Myrtaceae has 6 species and Rubiaceae has 5 species while both Euphorbiaceae and Meliaceae have 4 species each. The families Anacardiaceae, Bignoniaceae, Combretaceae, Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Sterculiaceae, Verbenaceae have 3 species each, while Clausiaceae, Mimosaceae and Ternstroemiaceae has 2 species each, and the rest 16 families (viz. Apocynaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Araliaceae, Arecaceae, Bombacaceae, Burseraceae, Caesalpinaceae, Dilleniaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Lythraceae, Myrsinaceae, Polygalaceae, Rutaceae, Tiliaceae, Thymelaeaceae) comprise one species each. Artocarpus chama represents maximum seedlings production per hectare (2,528), followed by Syzygium firmum (1825), Ficus racemosa (1425), Syzygium fruticosum (1033) and Holigarna caustica (917). Biological diversity indices were also calculated which ensure a promising regeneration status of Moulvibazar Natural forests. The percentage distribution of seedlings was maximum (78.12%) for 0-50 cm height range for all species. The numbers of seedling reduced proportionately with height growth indicating the reduction recruitment of seedlings in Moulvibazar natural forests. Artocarpas chama showed maximum (1.97 %) seedling recruitment. Natural regeneration potential is useful for developing the management plans for effective functioning of Moulvibazar natural forests, Sylhet, Bangladesh.J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2017, 3(2): 1-10


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1479-1499
Author(s):  
Peter Kriegel ◽  
Dragan Matevski ◽  
Andreas Schuldt

AbstractPlanting non-native tree species, like Douglas fir in temperate European forest systems, is encouraged to mitigate effects of climate change. However, Douglas fir monocultures often revealed negative effects on forest biota, while effects of mixtures with native tree species on forest ecosystems are less well understood. We investigated effects of three tree species (Douglas fir, Norway spruce, native European beech), on ground beetles in temperate forests of Germany. Beetles were sampled in monocultures of each tree species and broadleaf-conifer mixtures with pitfall traps, and environmental variables were assessed around each trap. We used linear mixed models in a two-step procedure to disentangle effects of environment and tree species identity on ground beetle abundance, species richness, functional diversity and species assemblage structure. Contradictory to our expectations, ground beetle abundance and functional diversity was highest in pure Douglas fir stands, while tree mixtures showed intermediate values between pure coniferous and pure beech stands. The main drivers of these patterns were only partially dependent on tree species identity, which highlights the importance of structural features in forest stands. However, our study revealed distinct shifts in assemblage structure between pure beech and pure Douglas fir stands, which were only partially eased through mixture planting. Our findings suggest that effects of planting non-native trees on associated biodiversity can be actively modified by promoting beneficial forest structures. Nevertheless, integrating non-native tree species, even in mixtures with native trees, will invariably alter assemblage structures of associated biota, which can compromise conservation efforts targeted at typical species composition.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Ónodi ◽  
Tibor Csörgő

AbstractThis study was carried out in Hungary, in an old, unmanaged, riparian poplar-willow forest, where two invasive tree species, the green ash and the boxelder maple are presented and reproduce more effectively therefore are more abundant than the native species in the study area. There are also invasive hybrid wild grapes to be found. These invasive plants cause widespread problems in floodplain forests in Central Europe. We studied Great-spotted and Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers. We investigated the following questions: Which tree species are preferred by the foraging birds? How are the foraging birds distributed spatially between the microhabitats? Are there any differences in terms of foraging niche utilization between the two studied species? We gathered our data through weekly standard observations throughout two whole years. Based on our findings we could determine that both species preferred the less abundant native trees rather than the invasive ash and maple trees, though Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers preferred hybrid wild grapes the most. Great-spotted Woodpeckers preferred the middle heights of the trees, they also moved mainly on trunks. Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers used the thinnest branches in the canopy. Based on our results we predict that the decrease of the native tree species may create a suboptimal habitat compared to the current situation. As the studied species are the major cavity excavators, the above mentioned changes will probably have significant effects on numerous cavity dependent species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin K. Dyderski ◽  
Andrzej M. Jagodziński

AbstractBryophytes comprise an important element of temperate forest biodiversity and functioning. Although numerous studies reported impacts of alien tree species on understorey vegetation, few focused on impacts on bryophytes. Here we checked whether three invasive tree species in Europe (Prunus serotina Ehrh., Quercus rubra L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L.) influence terricolous bryophyte communities, alpha and beta diversity, and cover. We used a set of 186 study plots in western Poland with data on the cover of bryophytes species, as well as light availability, soil C:N ratio and pH. We found that light availability was the main driver of bryophyte species richness, cover and composition. Poor Pinus sylvestris L. forests invaded by P. serotina hosted more species and higher species richness than non-invaded P. sylvestris forests, while forests invaded by Q. rubra and R. pseudoacacia hosted fewer species than native forest types. Low differences among forest types studied resulted from small pools of species and the presence of generalist species. Fagus sylvatica L. forest, Q. rubra and R. pseudoacacia forests hosted the smallest number of species, while the most species rich stands were poor P. sylvestris forest invaded by P. serotina and non-invaded P. sylvestris forests. We concluded that light limitation by invasive species might be more important than dominant tree species identity in limiting terricolous bryophyte species richness and abundance. This requires further studies, accounting for varied abundances of invasive tree species. Therefore, the conservation of sites with high terricolous bryophyte biodiversity needs to be focused on canopy cover.


2013 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 895-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joice Ndlovu ◽  
David M. Richardson ◽  
John R. U. Wilson ◽  
Martin O'Leary ◽  
Johannes J. Le Roux

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 991-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.K. Adams ◽  
D. Saenz

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an aggressive invasive tree species that can be abundant in parts of its non-native range. This tree species has the capability of producing monocultures, by outcompeting native trees, which can be in or near wetlands that are utilized by breeding amphibians. Existing research suggests that leaf litter from invasive Chinese tallow reduces survival in larval anurans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on anuran eggs. We exposed eggs of the Southern Leopard Frog ( Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1886)) at various stages of development to different concentrations of Chinese tallow leaf litter to determine survival. Eggs in the earliest stages of development that we exposed to tallow leaf litter died, regardless of concentration; however, some more-developed eggs exposed to tallow leaf litter did hatch. We determined that the greater the concentration of tallow leaf litter, the lower the dissolved oxygen and pH levels we observed. We suggest that changes in these water-quality parameters are the cause of the observed mortality of anuran eggs in our experiments. Eggs exposed to water containing tallow leaf litter with dissolved oxygen <1.59 mg/L and a pH <5.29 did not survive to hatching.


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