Invasive alien plant species in unmanaged forest reserves, Austria

Abstract

Invasive alien plant species (IAS) are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity and the sustainable functioning of ecosystems and mitigating the threat posed by them is therefore of great importance. This study presents the results of a 15-year investigation into how IAS occur within natural forest reserves (NFR): unmanaged forest ecosystems within Austria, concluding that unmanaged forests are not resistant to plant invasions. The study comprised ground vegetation, regeneration, and stand structure surveys. The presence or absence of IAS in different forest types was assessed and the influencing variables for their presence or absence were determined. In addition, the study analysed whether the abundance of IAS has increased at the site level within the past decade. Significant differences in the probability of IAS presences between forest types (photosociological alliances) were found. The results of the study show that natural riparian and floodplain forests are among the forest types most vulnerable to biological invasions, which is reflected in elevation and soil type being determined as the main factors influencing the spread of IAS in unmanaged forests. The results of this study may be useful for persons responsible for sustainable forest management programmes or for managing forested areas within national parks. They provide a case study on non-intervention forest management policy in order to mitigate the impacts of IAS in protected areas. Forest areas, where IAS begin to spread can be identified, which in turn leads to measures in the early stages of invasion, and to optimise monitoring and control measures for relevant species in Central European forest types.

Urban Rivers as Dispersal Corridors: Which Factors Are Important for the Spread of Alien Woody Species along the Danube?

“…We argue that while several of the alien woody species we have found are known to cause detrimental impacts in habitats of high conservation value [44,47], management should prioritize rural sections of the Danube River. Currently, such management is on-going on a large scale in the Danube National Park [33].…”

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Invasive Alien Plants on Forest Regeneration in European Temperate Forests

“…The spread of IAS driven by disturbances is frequently linked to poor individual performance and reduced species diversity, which lead to irreversible changes in the species composition of understory vegetation ( Sjöman et al, 2016 ; Seidl et al, 2017 ; Navarro et al, 2018 ). For example, a proliferation of shade-tolerant alien plant species such as Impatiens parviflora has been observed at many sites in European temperate broadleaf forests ( Chmura and Sierka, 2007 ; Hejda, 2012 ; Jarčuška et al, 2016 ; Lapin et al, 2019 ). These changes in the species composition of understory may impact the competition between IAS and native species and affect site conditions.…”

Invasive alien plants in Polish national parks—threats to species diversity

“…Results of our studies show that the most invasive and most frequent species in Polish NPs (e.g . : Impatiens parviflora , Lupinus polyphyllus , Padus serotina , Quercus rubra , Reynoutria japonica , Robinia pseudoacacia, Solidago canadensis , S. gigantea ) are the same as the most invasive ones on a country scale (Tokarska-Guzik et al, 2012), but also as very invasive ones in Europe, including protected areas (Monaco & Genovesi, 2014; Lapin et al, 2019). These species are troublesome, from an environmental and conservation point of view, as they can compete and even exclude native species, as well as generate economic losses (Rumlerová et al, 2016; Nentwig et al, 2018; Wagner et al, 2017).…”

“…Currently, the problem of harmful non-native plants that can change habitats in protected areas by destroying the ecosystem structure or modifying natural disturbance regimes, devastating native species, is a global phenomenon (Foxcroft et al, 2013; De Poorter, 2007; Hulme et al, 2014; Monaco & Genovesi, 2014). There is a still increasing body of information containing numbers of non-native plant species in the flora and addressing the impacts of invasive plants on PAs: in Europe (Pyšek, Jarošik & Kučera, 2003; Kleinbauer et al, 2010; Braun, Schindler & Essl, 2016; Dimitrakopoulos et al, 2017; Lapin et al, 2019), Asia (Wu et al, 2009; Hiremath & Sundaram, 2013; Kudo et al, 2014), North (Harrison, Hohn & Ratay, 2002; Rose & Hermanutz, 2004; Allen, Brown & Stohlgren, 2009; Stohlgren, Loope & Makarick, 2013; Abella et al, 2015) and South America (Pauchard & Alaback, 2004; Pivello et al, 2009; Becerra & Simonetti, 2013), Africa (Goodman, 2003; Foxcroft et al, 2013; McConnachie et al, 2015), Australia (Beaumont et al, 2009; Setterfield et al, 2013), and New Zealand (Timmins & Willlams, 1991; West & Thompson, 2013).…”