Evidence of damage from exotic invasive earthworm activity was highly correlated to sugar maple dieback in the Upper Great Lakes region

Bal, Tara L.; Storer, Andrew J.; Jürgensen, Martin F.

doi:10.1007/s10530-017-1523-0

Cited by 28 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 59 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Direct disturbance effects include dieback of canopy sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) trees (Bal et al . ) and increasing mortality in the standing crop of herbaceous plants and tree seedlings, which occur when earthworms consume the organic horizon in which these plants are rooted (Hale et al . ).…”

Section: Macrocascade Effects Of Earthworm Invasions Of Concern To Somentioning

confidence: 99%

Side‐swiped: ecological cascades emanating from earthworm invasions

Frelich

Blossey

Cameron

et al. 2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Non‐native, invasive earthworms are altering soils throughout the world. Ecological cascades emanating from these invasions stem from rapid consumption of leaf litter by earthworms. This occurs at a midpoint in the trophic pyramid, unlike the more familiar bottom‐up or top‐down cascades. These cascades cause fundamental changes (“microcascade effects”) in soil morphology, bulk density, and nutrient leaching, and a shift to warmer, drier soil surfaces with a loss of leaf litter. In North American temperate and boreal forests, microcascade effects can affect carbon sequestration, disturbance regimes, soil and water quality, forest productivity, plant communities, and wildlife habitat, and can facilitate other invasive species. These broader‐scale changes (“macrocascade effects”) are of greater concern to society. Interactions among these fundamental changes and broader‐scale effects create “cascade complexes” that interact with climate change and other environmental processes. The diversity of cascade effects, combined with the vast area invaded by earthworms, leads to regionally important changes in ecological functioning.

show abstract

Section: Macrocascade Effects Of Earthworm Invasions Of Concern To Somentioning

confidence: 99%

Side‐swiped: ecological cascades emanating from earthworm invasions

Frelich

Blossey

Cameron

et al. 2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The ecological impact of earthworms on the soils of the Forillon sugar maple forest is unknown, other than the evident transformation of the solum observed during the course of this study. Damage of sugar maple crowns has been reported recently in temperate forests of Wisconsin and Michigan, and could be attributable to earthworm activity (Bal et al 2018). Worms modify edaphic (physical and chemical) conditions considerably by mixing organic material with mineral soil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worms modify edaphic (physical and chemical) conditions considerably by mixing organic material with mineral soil. Their action affects plant growth by consuming roots and rootlets, a process that has been documented in sugar maple (Bal et al 2018). Destruction of the surficial organic horizon and resulting exposure of the mineral soil (horizon Ah) probably constitute important factors that can affect the potential for regeneration and D r a f t 20 growth of a number of understory plants (Drouin et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) at its northeastern range limit: a fire-resilient tree species

Payette

Frégeau

Couillard

et al. 2018

Botany

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Botany D r a f t 2 Abstract: The long-standing hypothesis that sugar maple (Acer saccharum) communities are maintained at equilibrium by present climate and small-scale disturbances is questioned as empirical evidence is accumulating about the ability of the species to withstand several stand-scale disturbances. The fire history of a sugar maple site at the northeastern range limit of the species (Gaspé Peninsula, eastern Canada) was documented to test the hypothesis that this forest type is resilient to fire disturbance. The fire history was reconstructed using radiocarbon-dated soil macrocharcoals. Two main fire periods were recorded during the Holocene. The oldest period occurred between 9055 and 8265 cal. years BP, and was characterized by the presence of conifers, including spruce. After 6900 years of fire-free activities, the second period covered the last 1335 years, and was characterized by the presence of sugar maple in the charcoal assemblage. The dominance of sugar maple after more than 1000 years of recurrent fires underlines the species resilience to frequent site disturbances. The soil of the forest stand was heavily disturbed by earthworms. However, the dense seedling and sapling bank of sugar maple suggests that earthworms do not affect negatively the regeneration and survival of the species.

show abstract

“…It has the ability to extract water from deep to surface soils, which can benefit other tree species. Concerns about sugar maple decline with crown dieback, reduced growth rate, increased mortality and failed regeneration across much of its range (Bishop et al 2015) have triggered many studies searching for causes (Houston 1999;Horsley et al 2000;Hufkens et al 2012;Halman et al 2013;Bishop et al 2015;Bal et al 2017). Multiple factors likely contribute, including insect defoliation, summer drought, warmer winters, and anthropogenic acidic inputs in the last decades.…”

Section: Distributions Of Maple Species and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple factors likely contribute, including insect defoliation, summer drought, warmer winters, and anthropogenic acidic inputs in the last decades. These have likely combined to make sugar maple less healthy and vulnerable to root diseases, nonnative earthworms, or suppression by other local tree species that are more tolerable to stressors (Houston 1999;Long et al 2009;Hufkens et al 2012;Halman et al 2013;Bishop et al 2015;Bal et al 2017).…”

Section: Distributions Of Maple Species and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest biodiversity, relationships to structural and functional attributes, and stability in New England forests

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes (BEF) has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although many hypotheses have been developed to interpret global gradients of biodiversity, there has not been complete agreement on mechanisms controlling biodiversity patterns and distributions. Differences may be due to limited observation data and inconsistencies of spatial scales in analysis. Methods: In this study, we take advantage of USDA Forest Service forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data for exploring regional forest biodiversity and BEF in New England forests. The FIA data provide detailed information of sampled plots and trees for the region, including 6000 FIA plots and more than 33,000 individual trees. Biodiversity models were used to analyze the data. Results: Tree species diversity increases from the north to the south at a rate about 2-3 species per latitudinal degree. Tree species diversity is better predicted by tree height than forest age or biomass. Very different distribution patterns of two common maple species, sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red maple (Acer rubrum), highlight the vulnerability of sugar maple and its potential replacement by red maple on New England landscapes. Red maple generally already outperforms sugar maple, and will likely and continuously benefit from a changing climate in New England. Conclusions: We conclude that forest structure (height) and resources (biomass) are more likely foundational characteristics supporting biodiversity rather than biodiversity determining forest productivity and/or biomass. The potential replacement of red maple for sugar maple in the New England areas could affect biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystem functioning because sugar maple plays important ecological roles distinct from red maple that are beneficial to other tree species in northern hardwood forests. Such a change may not affect forest resilience in terms of forest productivity and biomass as these are similar in red maple and sugar maple, however, it would almost certainly alter forest structure across the landscape.

show abstract

Evidence of damage from exotic invasive earthworm activity was highly correlated to sugar maple dieback in the Upper Great Lakes region

Cited by 28 publications

References 59 publications

Side‐swiped: ecological cascades emanating from earthworm invasions

Side‐swiped: ecological cascades emanating from earthworm invasions

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) at its northeastern range limit: a fire-resilient tree species

Forest biodiversity, relationships to structural and functional attributes, and stability in New England forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About