Landscape structure and climate affect plant invasion in subtropical grasslands

Guido, Anaclara; Vélez‐Martin, Eduardo; Overbeck, Gerhard E.; Pillar, Valério D.

doi:10.1111/avsc.12263

Cited by 55 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(79 reference statements)

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“…Exotic species establishment and spread may then additionally account for taxonomic homogenization. A recent study using data from the same sampling network in Rio Grande do Sul showed that the four most problematic alien species invading natural grasslands respond positively to decreasing Campos cover in the surrounding landscape (Guido, Vélez‐Martin, Overbeck, & Pillar, ). This makes a case that observed taxonomic homogenization may in part be due to a few highly resilient exotic species replacing multiple rare, specialist species—in our study 24 species were identified as exotic (classification according to Rolim, de Ferreira, Schneider, and Overbeck, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local biodiversity erosion in south Brazilian grasslands under moderate levels of landscape habitat loss

Staude

Vélez‐Martin

Andrade

et al. 2018

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, exerting negative effects on the ecological viability of natural vegetation remnants. The south Brazilian grasslands belong to one of the largest temperate grassland regions in the world, but have lost 50% of their natural extent in the past 35 years. To date, there is no empirical evidence for the effects of habitat loss on these grasslands' biological diversity, undermining their conservation. Using data from a large‐scale biodiversity survey, we asked if local plant communities respond to levels of habitat loss representative of the entire region (≤50%). Vegetation in grassland remnants was sampled in 24 landscapes at three localities each, using nine plots per locality. To investigate whether species losses were a consequence of stochastic or nonrandom local extinctions and whether plant communities became more homogenized, we evaluated species richness, beta‐diversity components (spatial turnover and nestedness), and phylogenetic diversity, in respect to landscape change. In part of the landscapes, arthropods were sampled to investigate if loss of plant diversity had a cascading effect on other trophic levels. We evaluated generic richness of ants, an omnivore group with high levels of plant associations, in respect to a plant community's phylogenetic diversity. Local plant communities in landscapes with less grassland cover had fewer species, less spatial turnover, increased nestedness and lower phylogenetic diversity. Our results suggest that the observed species loss can be linked to taxonomic homogenization and is nonrandom, decreasing evolutionary diversity within the community. Furthermore, ant richness declined by 50% in plant communities with the lowest phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that effects of habitat loss propagate to higher trophic levels. Policy implications. We conclude that the biological diversity of south Brazilian grasslands, at the producer and consumer level, is at risk under the current rate of land‐use conversion, even at habitat losses below 50%. To avoid substantial biodiversity loss, conservation and more restrictive policies for conversion of native grasslands to different land uses in South Brazil are urgently needed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local biodiversity erosion in south Brazilian grasslands under moderate levels of landscape habitat loss

Staude

Vélez‐Martin

Andrade

et al. 2018

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…In southern Brazil's grasslands, the C 4 grass Eragrostis plana Nees (Poaceae; commonly named as ‘capim annoni’ or ‘love grass’) is currently the most problematic invasive species in the region (Medeiros & Focht ; Guido et al . ). Furthermore, E. plana is considered an invasive species with high potential of expansion in other regions of South America, including Uruguay and the Mesopotamia region in northeastern Argentina (Barbosa et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Invasive plant removal: assessing community impact and recovery from invasion

Guido

Pillar

2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary Invasive species spread on natural ecosystems is one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss. To disentangle the invasive plant impact on communities it is essential to combine experimental and observation approaches, which enable the correct interpretations of results and lead to the right decisions for management. We examined the invasion of southern Brazil's grasslands by Eragrostis plana, which is currently the most problematic invasive species in the region. By means of an experiment on invaded communities complemented by observation of non‐invaded communities, we assessed E. plana impact on vegetation, evaluated community response to its removal and discussed the effectiveness of removal methods. Fifty permanent 1 × 1 m plots were located on natural grassland that was partially invaded by E. plana. Removal was done annually from 2012 to 2015 and consisted of five treatments (n = 10): (i) clipping above‐ground biomass on one occasion; (ii) clipping above‐ground biomass periodically; (iii) herbicide and (iv) hand‐pulling, plus (v) control treatment with no‐removal. In addition, 10 plots located in an adjacent non‐invaded area were monitored. All removal treatments reduced E. plana cover across years, but were not enough to eradicate it. Our results revealed not only differences between invaded and non‐invaded communities, but also an effect of E. plana removal on resident species richness and total cover. At the local scale, we demonstrated the impact of E. plana invasion on grassland vegetation, suggesting a reduction in resident species richness and total cover. Invasive species removal changed communities differently from invaded ones, but not resembling non‐invaded references, suggesting that community recovery may need more time for reestablishment or that some restoration strategies are required. Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrated the impact on vegetation of the most important invasive species in southern Brazil's natural grasslands. We highlighted the advantages of combining observations of non‐invaded communities and experimental studies on invaded communities, with and without invasive removal, to help infer causal relationships in ecological invasion research.

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“…In the remaining grasslands, invasive species are a major problem, although few quantitative studies exist (e.g. Dresseno, Guido, Balogianni, & Overbeck, ; Guido, Vélez‐Martin, Overbeck, & Pillar, ). Among the most problematic species are the tropical African C 4 grasses Eragrostis plana , U. decumbens and Melinis minutiflora (Brand, ; Guido et al., ; SEMA, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling the invader Urochloa decumbens: Subsidies for ecological restoration in subtropical Campos grassland

Thomas

Schüler

Boavista

et al. 2018

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions:Restoration of grassy biomes is currently of large importance, and controlling invasive grasses is often key to restoring these ecosystems in the tropics and subtropics. We combined different ecological restoration techniques to evaluate potential to control the invasive grass Urochloa decumbens and restore plant species composition. Specific questions were: (a) are herbicide application and topsoil removal efficient to control U. decumbens cover and allow native species establishment; and (b) are hay transfer and sowing native grass species efficient to reintroduce native species and increase their cover? Location: Campos grasslands, southern Brazil. Methods: We combined the follow restoration techniques: (a) herbicide application or topsoil removal to control the invasive species, and (b) hay transfer or sowing of native grasses to reintroduce native species. We assessed and compared native plant species richness, vegetation cover, native species cover, U. decumbens cover and other exotic species cover in 2016 and 2017.Results: Herbicide application reduced invasive species cover more than topsoil removal, even though both were effective. The decrease of U. decumbens cover led to an increase in native species cover and native species richness. Hay transfer and sowing native grasses did not produce satisfactory results for native species reintroduction. Native species richness and U. decumbens cover increased from 2016 to 2017. Conclusion:Herbicide application was a better option to control U. decumbens and to allow recovery of native species. However, use of herbicides in restoration is controversial, and more detailed studies on impacts are necessary. Environmental filters appear to be a major cause for failure of hay transfer and seeding species. Recovery of the native plant community is a great challenge in invaded subtropical grasslands, and additional management actions and time are necessary to increase the establishment of native species.

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Landscape structure and climate affect plant invasion in subtropical grasslands

Cited by 55 publications

References 51 publications

Local biodiversity erosion in south Brazilian grasslands under moderate levels of landscape habitat loss

Local biodiversity erosion in south Brazilian grasslands under moderate levels of landscape habitat loss

Invasive plant removal: assessing community impact and recovery from invasion

Controlling the invader Urochloa decumbens: Subsidies for ecological restoration in subtropical Campos grassland

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