Exotic vine invasions following cyclone disturbance in Australian Wet Tropics rainforests: A review

Abstract

The Australian Wet Tropics region extends for almost 900 000 ha along the coastline of north‐east Queensland. The rainforests in this region have a rich and unique biodiversity and are World Heritage listed by UNESCO. Disturbance from tropical cyclones is a significant driver of the rainforest dynamics in this area, and when frequent or intense can facilitate the recruitment and expansion of exotic invasive species. Exotic vines are of particular concern for forest conservation as they can be highly competitive with native vegetation and may prevent forest regeneration. This literature review found evidence that fragmented forests, which are very common in the Australian Wet Tropics, are vulnerable to post‐cyclone vine invasion. In particular, although the diversity and abundance of herbaceous vines tend to decline as the canopy closes 2 years post‐cyclone disturbance, woody exotic vines and scramblers may persist for much longer or even increase in numbers. Since forest recovery in these systems is influenced by the severity and recurrence of disturbance, an increase in cyclone intensity under climate change may cause rapid changes in rainforest structure, composition and diversity, and increase exotic vine invasion. Post‐cyclone management of vines appears to require direct intervention, with manual cutting being currently the most effective method. However, there are a number of difficulties to its wide implementation in Australia, and further study on options for control is needed.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

Predictors of tropical cyclone-induced urban tree failure: an international scoping review

“…While the excess weight of woody vines likely reduces the ability of trees to withstand wind damage, Putz (1984) points out that vines can also be a symptom of other problems with a tree rather than the sole cause of failure. Woody vine prevalence, especially of non-native species, tends to increase following disturbance by tropical cyclones (Horvitz et al, 1998), and tends to be greater along forest edges (Camarero, 2019). Consequently, the impact of woody vines on tree stability warrants further investigation in urban settings where fragmentation is common and creates many forest edges.…”

The influence of herbaceous vegetation on the colonization of native and invasive trees: consequences for semiarid forest restoration

“…Conversely, herbaceous vegetation can inhibit tree establishment and seedling growth due to strong competition for water, light, space, and nutrients (Callaway & Walker 1997; Davis et al 1998; Maestre et al 2003; Vandenberghe et al 2006; Gomez‐Aparicio 2009; Maestre et al 2009). Herbaceous vegetation can also inhibit tree colonization through direct interference by producing allelopathic compounds, or when climbers strangle the plants they use as a support for growth (Scholes & Archer 1997; Gurevitch et al 2009; Cummings et al 2012; Camarero 2019). The herbaceous vegetation layer serves as a filter where regeneration of forests can only occur when plant species can germinate, survive, and grow underneath this vegetation layer (Gilliam 2014).…”

Species Richness Interacts with Drought to Affect Litter Decomposition via its Effect on Litter Nitrogen Concentration

“…Exotic plant invasions occur more frequently in regions where precipitation is high and thus species diversity is high (i.e. subtropics and tropics; Pysek et al 2017;Panda and Behera 2018;Camarero 2019), but less frequently in regions where drought is intensive and thus species diversity is low (i.e. arid and semi-arid areas; Pysek et al 2017;Tripathi et al 2019).…”