Diversity of the Grass Layer of Urbanized Communities Dominated by Invasive Acer negundo

2021

Preprint

We assessed the link between canopy cover degree and ground vegetation diversity under alien ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo) and other (native or alien) tree species. We investigated urban and suburban forests in the large city of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Forests were evaluated on two spatial scales. Through an inter-habitat comparison we recorded canopy cover and plant diversity among 13 sample plots of 20 × 20 m where A. negundo dominated and 13 plots where other tree species dominated. In an intra-habitat comparison, we recorded canopy cover and ground vegetation diversity among 800 sample plots measuring 1 m2 in the extended urbanised forest, which featured abundant alien (308 plots) and native trees (492 plots). We observed decreased diversity among vascular ground plant species by 40% (inter-habitat) and 20% (intra-habitat) in areas dominated by A. negundo compared to areas dominated by native tree and shrub species. An abundance of A. negundo was accompanied by increased canopy cover. We found a negative relationship between canopy cover and the number of understory herbaceous species. Thus, the interception of light and the restriction of its amount for other species is a main factor supporting the negative influence of A. negundo on native plant communities.

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

High Canopy Cover of Invasive Acer Negundo L. Affects Ground Vegetation Diversity

2021

Preprint

“…This result confirms the generally accepted idea that alien plants produce a negative impact on the diversity of native communities. Our earlier inter-habitat comparison showed a decrease in alpha diversity influenced by A. negundo of about 40% 10 . However, unlike the conclusions reached through inter-habitat comparison 7 , 9 , 10 , 36 , 48 , 49 , the 20% decrease in the diversity of ground cover in our intra-habitat comparison can be linked with the traits of the alien plants rather than with the traits of the habitats they invade.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In communities dominated by A . negundo , the diversity of native plants decreases 7 , 9 , 10 . Invasion of the European Acer platanoides L. 11 and the Far Eastern Acer ginnala Maxim produce a similarly negative effect on the diversity of native plant communities in North America 12 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In most studies of the ecological features of alien plants, a pairwise comparison of sample plots selected for the presence/absence or dominance/non-dominance of invasive plants located in extended communities and habitats perform 9 , 10 , 36 , 48 , 49 . However, while using such an experimental design, it is difficult to prove that the established characteristics of the invasive communities are due to the influence of alien plants and not to the original properties of the habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

High canopy cover of invasive Acer negundo L. affects ground vegetation taxonomic richness

2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

We assessed the link between canopy cover degree and ground vegetation taxonomic richness under alien ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo) and other (native or alien) tree species. We investigated urban and suburban forests in the large city of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Forests were evaluated on two spatial scales. Through an inter-habitat comparison we recorded canopy cover and plant taxonomic richness among 13 sample plots of 20 × 20 m where A. negundo dominated and 13 plots where other tree species dominated. In an intra-habitat comparison, we recorded canopy cover and ground vegetation taxonomic richness among 800 sample plots measuring 1 m2 in the extended urbanised forest, which featured abundant alien (308 plots) and native trees (492 plots). We observed decreased taxonomic richness among vascular ground plant species by 40% (inter-habitat) and 20% (intra-habitat) in areas dominated by A. negundo compared to areas dominated by native tree and shrub species. An abundance of A. negundo was accompanied by increased canopy cover. We found a negative relationship between canopy cover and the number of understory herbaceous species. Thus, the interception of light and the restriction of its amount for other species is a main factor supporting the negative influence of A. negundo on native plant communities.

“…A. negundo actively renews itself in the urbanised forests of the Middle Urals (Veselkin and Korzhinevskaya 2018; ), but the invasion of ash-leaved maple is dangerous for some types of plant communities (Emelyanov and Frolova 2011;Saccone et al 2013). In communities dominated by A. negundo, the diversity of native plants decreases (Emelyanov and Frolova 2011;Kostina et al 2016;Veselkin and Dubrovin 2019). Invasion of the European Acer platanoides L. (Reinhart et al 2005) and the Far Eastern Acer ginnala Maxim produce a similarly negative effect on the diversity of native plant communities in North America (Schuster and Reich 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Canopy Cover of Invasive Acer Negundo L. Affects Ground Vegetation Diversity

2021

Preprint

We assessed the link between canopy cover degree and ground vegetation diversity under alien the ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo) and other (native or alien) tree species. We investigated urban and suburban forests in the large city of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Forests were evaluated on two spatial scales. Through an inter-habitat comparison completed over three years, we recorded canopy cover and plant diversity among 13 sample plots of 20 × 20 m where A . negundo dominated and 13 plots where other tree species dominated. In an intra-habitat comparison, we recorded canopy cover and ground vegetation diversity among 800 sample plots measuring 1 m2 in the extended urbanised forest, which featured abundant alien (308 plots) and native trees (492 plots). We observed decreased diversity among vascular ground plant species by 40% (inter-habitat) and 20% (intra-habitat) in areas dominated by the A. negundo compared to areas dominated by native tree and shrub species. An abundance of A . negundo was accompanied by increased canopy cover. We found a negative relationship between canopy cover and the number of understory herbaceous species. Thus, the interception of light and the restriction of its amount for other species is a main factor supporting the negative influence of A . negundo on native plant communities.