Minimizing Risks of Invasive Alien Plant Species in Tropical Production Forest Management

Abstract

Timber production is the most pervasive human impact on tropical forests, but studies of logging impacts have largely focused on timber species and vertebrates. This review focuses on the risk from invasive alien plant species, which has been frequently neglected in production forest management in the tropics. Our literature search resulted in 114 publications with relevant information, including books, book chapters, reports and papers. Examples of both invasions by aliens into tropical production forests and plantation forests as sources of invasions are presented. We discuss species traits and processes affecting spread and invasion, and silvicultural practices that favor invasions. We also highlight potential impacts of invasive plant species and discuss options for managing them in production forests. We suggest that future forestry practices need to reduce the risks of plant invasions by conducting surveillance for invasive species; minimizing canopy opening during harvesting; encouraging rapid canopy closure in plantations; minimizing the width of access roads; and ensuring that vehicles and other equipment are not transporting seeds of invasive species. Potential invasive species should not be planted within dispersal range of production forests. In invasive species management, forewarned is forearmed.

Logging, exotic plant invasions, and native plant reassembly in a lowland tropical rain forest

“…Exotic plants with dispersal mechanisms other than zoochory, which spread primarily via logging equipment or by wind, were relatively rare. Despite the lack of a detectable road configuration effect, roads may nonetheless be important in the incipient invasion of exotic plants into our study landscape, as roadsides present important habitat for exotic plants but were only marginally covered by our stratified random sampling design (Padmanaba & Corlett ).…”

“…). This system will be most effective where additional biosecurity control measures help to minimize the spread of invasive species by logging equipment throughout the landscape (Padmanaba & Corlett ). The success of such measures that directly focus on logging practices will strongly depend on efficient surveillance schemes that monitor and manage plant invasions throughout the landscape.…”

Prolific fruit output by the invasive tree Bellucia pentamera Naudin (Melastomataceae) is enhanced by selective logging disturbance

“…There is evidence that selective logging has the potential to indirectly alter the structure and composition of forests (Slik et al 2002, Rutten et al 2015. Although relatively little has been determined about reproductive responses of invasive tree species to selective logging disturbance in tropical rain forests, population level responses to gaps created by timber harvesting have been documented (Padmanaba & Corlett 2014). Therefore, additional work quantifying the relative proportion of B. pentamera in the seed rain and seed bank would be valuable to determine whether the responses in fruit output may carry through and pose a significant threat to the biodiversity of this forest.…”

Tree Diversity and Community Composition of the Tutong White Sands, Brunei Darussalam: A Rare Tropical Heath Forest Ecosystem

“…The Tutong White Sands area is currently under threat from land-use changes for road development and forest fires. Continued habitat fragmentation of the Tutong White Sands will also likely raise the risk of increased invasion by exotic Acacias, which are fast becoming a problem in coastal areas of Brunei Darussalam [16,[70][71][72] and within tropical Southeast Asia [73][74][75]. Thus, we strongly recommend that the Tutong White Sands area be acknowledged as an ecosystem with high conservation value and thus protected for its unique biodiversity and economic value.…”