More widespread alien tree species do not have larger impacts on regeneration of native tree species in a tropical forest reserve

Kiswaga, Samson Aman Samson; Mbwambo, John Richard; Shirima, Deo D.; Mndolwa, Ahmed S.; Schaffner, Urs; Eschen, René

doi:10.1002/ece3.6256

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Such stands can be highly conspicuous and persistent in the landscape, and so appear to have permanently supplanted any natural ecosystems that would be expected to occupy these sites. However, the long-term impacts of such monocultures can vary among weed species and sites (Pyšek et al 2012;Kiswaga et al 2020). In some cases, woody weeds have transformative, persistent effects on the natural vegetation and ecosystem processes, but in others, successional replacement by native species occurs (McQueen 1993;Richardson et al 1994;Williams 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understory vegetation provides clues to succession in woody weed stands

McAlpine¹,

Lamoureaux²,

Timmins³

2021

NZJE

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Invasive exotic tree and shrub species (woody weeds) form dense, monospecific stands in many areas of New Zealand. At some sites, the weed dies out naturally and is replaced by native species as succession proceeds, but at others the weed persists indefinitely. The ability to distinguish between these different trajectories is critical to effective weed management, but the conditions that determine successional outcomes remain poorly understood. However, clues to the successional trajectory at any given woody weed site can be found in the understory, because understory plants represent the potential future plant community (in the absence of disturbance). Of key relevance is whether the woody weed species is regenerating under its own canopy, because this enables it to replace individuals as they die, and thus persist as succession proceeds. Conversely, if the understory is comprised entirely of native species, there is potential for the natives to take over the community as the weed dies out. This process is often termed "passive restoration", because native vegetation is restored without any active management other than (in some cases) the removal of environmental stressors or degrading processes. The likelihood of a native understory developing is affected by site-specific traits such as the natural (historical) vegetation type, proximity to native seed sources, climate, stand age and the presence of herbivores. We present a framework to help land managers use their observations of understory vegetation to assess likely successional trajectories in woody weed stands.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understory vegetation provides clues to succession in woody weed stands

McAlpine¹,

Lamoureaux²,

Timmins³

2021

NZJE

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Assessing the dynamics of land use and land cover change in semi‐arid savannah: A focus on woody plant encroachment utilising historical satellite data

Malapane,

Dube,

Dalu

2024

Afr J Ecol

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The encroachment of woody plants into grassland and the conversion of grasslands to woodlands is a worldwide phenomenon and has been regarded as a major global problem for decades. The rate of woody plant encroachment (WPE) varies across biomes and can be influenced by land use activities and climate conditions. As a result, the current study assessed the spatial distribution of woody plants and land use and land cover (LULC) change within the Letaba River catchment in the Limpopo province of South Africa's subtropical region. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite data sets were used to map and quantify WPE and other LULC changes in the Letaba River catchment over a 30‐year period (1989–2019). Random forest classifier was used to determine of the rate of change of WPE and LULC within the study area. The results indicated that the Letaba River catchment has undergone a significant change with an increase in woody plant species. The woody plant cover had increased from 36,014 ha in the year 1989 to approximately 561,493 ha by 2019. Meanwhile, grassland has declined by 486,322 ha (33.7%) from 1989 to 2019. The overall classification accuracy (OA) ranged between 91.7% and 95.5%. The study findings will provide critical insights and baseline information about the state of WPE in semi‐arid environments, as well as provide catchment managers with the information they need to take the necessary actions to manage the rapid increase in woody plants. However, fire and herbivory are important factors that influences the WPE, and this might have also played an important role in the findings. The study suggests that WPE is an ongoing process and management strategies are required to mitigate and maintain the intensity of woody plants.

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