Spatial patterns of presence, abundance, and richness of invasive woody plants in relation to urbanization in a tropical island setting

Lowry, Brenda J.; Lowry, John H.; Jarvis, Karl J.; Keppel, Gunnar; Thaman, Randy; Boehmer, Hans Juergen

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126516

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…2019; Liu et al . 2012). Additionally, in most studies, total abundance is perhaps the most common metric reported for faunal studies, but this information is not always indicative of the most important trends in faunal responses to invasive plant species (Coyle et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biological invasions have been recognised as the largest threat to Pacific terrestrial biodiversity (D'Antonio and Dudley 1995;Meyer 2014;Reaser et al 2007) and are exacerbated by interactions with a number of other global change components including urban development, over-exploitation, agricultural intensification and climate change (Boehmer 2011;Russell & Blackburn 2017;Lowry et al 2020). Insular ecosystems are known to be more vulnerable to biological invasion than continental land masses, mainly because of their high endemism, low functional diversity and lack of natural competitors and predators that may control exotic populations as a result of their geographical isolation (Kueffer et al 2010;Keppel et al 2014;D'Antonio & Dudley 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

et al. 2021

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In island ecosystems, biological invasions are one of the major threats to native biodiversity and to ecosystem functioning. Invasive ornamental plants such as the alien palm tree Pinanga coronata in the Fiji islands can form mono-dominant stands in rainforests and displace native species. Using a functional trait-based approach, we investigated the impact of P. coronata on both above and belowground communities (i.e. plants and Collembola). Within a rainforest reserve on Fiji´s principal island, we sampled a total of 10 invaded and non-invaded plots and recorded five functional traits for plants and six for Collembola. We found that invasion by P. coronata led to a strong and significant decrease of native plants and Collembola taxonomic diversity. Ingress of P. coronata also induced a decrease in the functional diversity of plant communities and to a lesser extent of Collembola communities. P. coronata invasion led to a decrease of leaf carbon-nitrogen ratio (LCN), Leaf nitrogen content (LN), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) of plant communities, suggesting a change in litter properties compared to non-invaded communities. Plots with P. coronata were associated with large Collembola living at the soil surface with more trichobothria and pseudocelli, which are used as defence mechanisms. Using trait-matching, we also found that the strength of plant-soil relationships was higher (i.e. more stable) in non-invaded plots than in P. coronata-invaded plots. Lastly this study suggests that the main mechanism through which P. coronata alters soil communities is a change in plant properties rather than a change in the abiotic environment. Our trait-based approach underlines the negative impact of this alien palm invasion on native rainforest plant and soil fauna in Fiji, and the urgent need for on-the-ground action to conserve terrestrial island biodiversity in Fiji´s rainforests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

et al. 2021

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“…The usefulness of some invasive species often promotes their distribution and, despite knowledge of invasive status, residents often deliberately cultivate them. In Fijian urban areas and elsewhere on the island, Psidium guajava (fruit), Mikania micrantha (medicinal), and Spathodea campanulata (fencing posts) are deliberately planted for their benefits (Lowry et al 2020).…”

Section: Biological Invasionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Landscape History on the Urban Environment: Past Landscapes, Present Patterns

2021

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Urban environments around the world are the result of their evolutionary and geographic history, and more contemporary influences of the social, cultural, economic, political and technical systems that shaped their construction. In this chapter, we discuss urban filters as the overarching framework within which specific aspects pertaining to the history of the landscape will be discussed. Legacy effects are discussed under the subthemes of urban form and development history, biodiversity, biological invasions, soils, urban freshwater bodies, natural disasters, the effects of war on urban environments, and extinction debts. Lastly, the collective effects of changing urban environments over time manifests in citizens through desensitisation, termed generational amnesia or the extinction of experience, which has important consequences for residents' perceptions towards urban biodiversity. In trying to disseminate patterns and processes in urban areas of the Global South, this overview revealed that more urban ecology research is required to begin untangling the effects of urbanisation and bioclimatic regions from the drivers that are much more context specific. Growing the number of studies conducted in the Global South is critical to ensure that there is an evidence base that is representative of the full range of conditions for cities around the world.

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“…In-depth studies of A. melanoxylon in forests should look at volume estimates and annual biomass increment 17,18 . Information on the influence of acacia species is determined by the type of species invading, habitat conditions, types of trees invaded as well as the environmental conditions [19][20][21][22] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Invasive Acacia melanoxylon on the Forest Stand Volumes and Annual Increment of Commercial Tree Species in Two Humid Forests (Nabkoi and Timboroa Forests, Kenya)

Okoth,

Kiptoo,

Kiyiapi

et al. 2024

Res. J. For

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Spatial patterns of presence, abundance, and richness of invasive woody plants in relation to urbanization in a tropical island setting

Cited by 14 publications

References 49 publications

A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

The Effect of Landscape History on the Urban Environment: Past Landscapes, Present Patterns

Influence of Invasive Acacia melanoxylon on the Forest Stand Volumes and Annual Increment of Commercial Tree Species in Two Humid Forests (Nabkoi and Timboroa Forests, Kenya)

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