Exploring Patterns of Exotic Earthworm Distribution in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York, USA

Suárez, Esteban; Tierney, Geraldine L.; Fahey, Timothy J.; Fahey, Robert T.

doi:10.1007/s10980-005-1785-2

Cited by 39 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The increasing probability of finding the Dendrobaena assemblage (usually plots with Dendrobaena only) as distance to the nearest road increases (Fig. In a finer-scale study where most sample points were ,1000 m from a road, roads were not a significant predictor of earthworm invasion while agricultural clearings and wet soils were (Sua´rez et al 2006). The association with roads has also been found for many plant invasions (e.g., Tyser and Worley 1992, Parendes and Jones 2000, Watkins et al 2003.…”

Section: Earthworm Invasion and Propagule Pressurementioning

confidence: 88%

Regional Extent of an Ecosystem Engineer: Earthworm Invasion in Northern Hardwood Forests

Holdsworth

Frelich

Reich

2007

Ecological Applications

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The invasion of exotic earthworms into northern temperate and boreal forests previously devoid of earthworms is an important driver of ecosystem change. Earthworm invasion can cause significant changes in soil structure and communities, nutrient cycles, and the diversity and abundance of herbaceous plants. However, the regional extent and patterns of this invasion are poorly known. We conducted a regional survey in the Chippewa and Chequamegon National Forests, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, U.S.A., respectively, to measure the extent and patterns of earthworm invasion and their relationship to potential earthworm introduction sites. We sampled earthworms, soils, and vegetation in 20 mature, sugar maple-dominated forest stands in each national forest and analyzed the relationship between the presence of five earthworm taxonomic groups, habitat variables, and distance to the nearest potential introduction site. Earthworm invasion was extensive but incomplete in the two national forests. Four of the six earthworm taxonomic groups occurred in 55-95% of transects; however 20% of all transects were invaded by only one taxonomic group that has relatively minor ecological effects. Earthworm taxonomic groups exhibited a similar sequence of invasion found in other studies: Dendrobaena > Aporrectodea = Lumbricus juveniles > L. rubellus > L. terrestris. Distance to the nearest road was the best predictor of earthworm invasion in Wisconsin while distance to the nearest cabin was the best predictor in Minnesota. These data allow us to make preliminary assessments of landscape patterns of earthworm invasion. As an example, we estimate that 82% of upland mesic hardwood stands in the Wisconsin region are likely invaded by most taxonomic groups while only 3% are unlikely to be invaded at present. Distance to roads and cabins provides a coarse-scale predictor of earthworm invasion to focus stand-level assessments that will help forest managers better understand current and potential forest conditions and identify uninvaded areas that could serve as important refugia for plant species threatened by earthworm invasion.

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Section: Earthworm Invasion and Propagule Pressurementioning

confidence: 88%

Regional Extent of an Ecosystem Engineer: Earthworm Invasion in Northern Hardwood Forests

Holdsworth

Frelich

Reich

2007

Ecological Applications

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“…In addition, spread may have been limited in the Stoscheck et al (2012) study by the presence of an elevational gradient, because transects were situated along a slope with the plots in front of the leading edge located at the upper end (Suárez et al 2006a). Previous research in this region (central New York) indicates earthworm occurrence is negatively associated with increasing slope (Suárez et al 2006b). Additional examination of spread rates in other forest types is needed, but our results suggest that model projections of the future spread and areal extent of earthworms in North American forests may have substantially underestimated the area likely to be invaded in the next 50-100 years because they assumed local spread rates of 5-10 m/year (Gundale et al 2005;Cameron and Bayne 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Spatial patterns and spread of exotic earthworms at local scales

Cameron

Bayne

2015

Can. J. Zool.

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Given the substantial impacts of non-native species on invaded systems, an understanding of the rates and spatial patterns of invasive spread is critical. Spread may vary across spatial scales, with dispersal of invasive species occurring both via diffusive spread at local sites and long-distance jump dispersal at larger scales. Research on earthworm invasions in North American forests has focused on patterns of spread across landscapes, with less examination of spread at local sites. We sampled the exotic earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny, 1826) on 500 m × 500 m grids at three sites in the boreal forest of northeastern Alberta in 2006 and again in 2012-2013 to examine distributional changes over time. Earthworms spread farther from roads (the presumed site of initial introduction) over time, and spatial patterns at our sites suggest transport by vehicles and waterways are key vectors of dispersal at the local level. Spread was estimated to be occurring at a rate of at least 17.9 m/year. Our study indicates that both diffusive spread and jump dispersal of earthworms can be important at local scales and that local diffusive spread may be substantially higher than previously estimated.Résumé : Étant donné les impacts considérables des espèces non indigènes sur les systèmes envahis, la compréhension des taux et de la distribution spatiale de la dissémination envahissante est d'une importance critique. La dissémination peut varier selon l'échelle spatiale, la dispersion d'espèces envahissantes s'effectuant tant par dissémination par diffusion à l'échelle locale que par dispersion par grands sauts à des échelles plus grandes. La recherche sur les invasions de lombrics dans les forêts nordaméricaines s'est axée sur les motifs de dissémination à l'échelle des paysages, s'intéressant moins à la dissémination locale. Nous avons échantillonné du lombric exotique Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny, 1826) sur des grilles de 500 m × 500 m en trois sites dans la forêt boréale du nord-est de l'Alberta en 2006, puis en 2012-2013, afin d'examiner les variations de leur répartition dans le temps. La dissémination des lombrics s'éloignait des routes (sites présumés de l'introduction initiale) avec le temps, les motifs de répartition spatiale dans les sites étudiés donnant à penser que les véhicules et les cours d'eau constituent des vecteurs clés de la dispersion à l'échelle locale. Il a été estimé que la dissémination s'effectuait à un taux d'au moins 17,9 m/an. Notre étude indique que tant la dissémination par diffusion que la dispersion par sauts des lombrics peuvent être importantes à des échelles locales et que la dissémination locale par diffusion peut être sensiblement plus importante que ce que laissaient croire les estimations passées. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…characteristic of riverine habitats (Reynolds, 1977), was most abundant in the For-5 m plots at site 1, which was the wettest habitat in the study. Whalen and Costa (2003) found that earthworm populations in Quebec forest sites were positively correlated with soil moisture (r % 0.51), and Suarez et al (2006) found that poorly drained forest soil in New York had higher earthworm populations than better drained soils. Since riparian soils (5 m) are closer to the water table and consequently tend to be moister than upland soils, we assume that these soils provide habitat for abundant and diverse earthworm communities, with greater numbers of earthworms that prefer high soil moisture.…”

Section: Environmental Gradients Associated With Earthworm Species Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural management and flooding shape habitats for non-native earthworms in southern Quebec, Canada

Kernecker

Whalen

Bradley

2015

Applied Soil Ecology

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Exploring Patterns of Exotic Earthworm Distribution in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York, USA

Cited by 39 publications

References 33 publications

Regional Extent of an Ecosystem Engineer: Earthworm Invasion in Northern Hardwood Forests

Regional Extent of an Ecosystem Engineer: Earthworm Invasion in Northern Hardwood Forests

Spatial patterns and spread of exotic earthworms at local scales

Agricultural management and flooding shape habitats for non-native earthworms in southern Quebec, Canada

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