Conservation conundrum: Endangered species persists on noxious weed

Elliott, Christine; Gillett, Conrad P. D. T.; Parsons, Elliott W.; Rubinoff, Daniel

doi:10.1111/btp.13003

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…N. breviflorum, the one species for which we observed no recruits, also produces seeds that were bird-dispersed in the past. In addition, its pollinator, a moth, is endangered [52]. We note that all five of the species with high regeneration in our study are insect-pollinated and wind-dispersed.…”

Section: Bottlenecks In Natural Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 66%

A Hawaiian Tropical Dry Forest Regenerates: Natural Regeneration of Endangered Species under Biocultural Restoration

et al. 2022

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Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are among the most at-risk ecosystems globally. In Hawai‘i, more than 45% of TDF species are threatened or endangered. Despite decades of active TDF restoration, there remains limited information on the potential for long-term success, since there are few studies of natural regeneration. We assess natural regeneration of endangered plants at Ka‘ūpūlehu dryland forest, a Hawaiian biocultural restoration initiative. Drawing on 6 annual censuses we (1) assess rates and patterns of natural regeneration across species and as a function of rainfall and (2) identify bottlenecks. Our surveys document natural recruits of 11 of the 12 endangered species first outplanted 15–20 years ago. Higher annual rainfall increased the number of new recruits per year and growth, but decreased survival of larger recruits. The total number of natural recruits increased three-fold over the study period and varied across species. For nearly half of the species, we documented a second generation of recruits. Successes appear to be a function of time, including a changing microclimate and adaptive management practices. Remaining bottlenecks include lack of seed dispersal, and seed predation and herbivory by introduced species. The success at Ka‘ūpūlehu highlights the potential for TDF restoration and the value of a biocultural approach.

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Section: Bottlenecks In Natural Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 66%

A Hawaiian Tropical Dry Forest Regenerates: Natural Regeneration of Endangered Species under Biocultural Restoration

et al. 2022

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“…Invasive plants are often managed within natural ecosystems to improve the quality of habitat for native species biodiversity (Pearson et al, 2016; Pimentel et al, 2005). Managing these invasive plants can have positive ecosystem outcomes for floral (Oliver et al, 2019) and faunal communities (Schlesinger et al, 2020); however, in the absence or paucity of native ecological equivalents, invasive plants can provide important resources, such that broad‐scale control of these species may negatively influence wildlife populations (Elliott et al, 2021). Restoration through revegetation or passive recruitment may take years, even decades or longer, to provide the required vegetation structure or floristic components for species to utilise (Bennett et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, there has been a growing recognition that established weeds may provide habitat for a variety of native and even threatened species, including invertebrates, frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals (Cornelis, 2021; Elliott et al, 2021; Ewers, 2008; Ranyard et al, 2018). Vegetation structure can be a critical feature of natural landscapes for wildlife.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weed managers are often conscious of the detrimental impacts that weed control could have on wildlife, yet few explicitly adopted adaptive management strategies to avoid negative outcomes (Carlos et al, 2014). An enhanced appreciation of the use of weeds by wildlife might inform strategies to minimise impacts on wildlife while still controlling weeds (Elliott et al, 2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Invasive African boneseed and a native shrub support similar faunal assemblages in a heavily infested landscape

et al. 2023

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Invasive weeds may provide habitat for wildlife in altered landscapes. We compare fauna within three types of sites in You Yangs Regional Park in central Victoria, Australia, that is, sites with an invasive shrub understory (African boneseed, Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera (DC.) T. Norl.), native shrub understory (snowy mintbush Prostanthera nivea), and sites without an understory (open sites).Sites with an understory dominated by boneseed provided habitat for avian species and an introduced small mammal, comparable with sites with mintbush as the understory. Species-specific models of common species suggest vegetation structure, rather than composition, drove this effect. Open sites differed in terms of avifaunal assemblage, and the abundance of three common native birds and one common invasive small mammal. Boneseed additionally showed phenological differences in fruiting and flowering and differences in flowering abundance when compared with mintbush, comparably offering resources to wildlife. Transitioning vegetation communities to more natural states should consider wildlife already depending on weeds, a dependency likely driven by a paucity of alternative native vegetation.

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