The Role of Roads and Trails for Facilitating Mountain Plant Invasions

Barros, Agustina; Haider, Sylvia; Alexander, Jake M.; Alvarez, María Alisa; Aschero, Valeria; Daehler, Curtis C.; Peyre, Gwendolyn; Backes, Amanda Ratier; Arévalo, J. R.; Cavieres, Lohengrin A.; Dar, Pervaiz Ahmad; Fuentes‐Lillo, Eduardo; Liedtke, Rebecca; McDougall, Keith L.; Milbau, Ann; Morgan, John; Naylor, Bridgett J.; Núñez, Martín A.; Pauchard, Aníbal; Rashid, Irfan; Reshi, Zafar A.; Rew, Lisa J.; Sandoya, Verónica; Seipel, Timothy; Vorstenbosch, Tom; Vítková, Michaela; Walsh, N. G.; Wedegärtner, Ronja E. M.; Zong, Shengwei; Lembrechts, Jonas J.

doi:10.1079/9781800620544.0003

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

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“…Non-native plant species along mountain roads have been seen to be in the process of expanding upwards across multiple regions (Barros et al, 2023;McDougall et al, 2018), both by following climate change but also often simply as recent introductions filling their potential range (Iseli et al, 2023). However, contrary to our expectations we did not observe an upward trend in the distribution of most non-native plant species along the mountain roads of the northern Scandes over the years with the notable exceptions of Ranunculus repens L. and Plantago major L. (Table S5.1).…”

Section: Case Study Of the Northern Scandesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant-mycorrhizal interactions and their role in plant invasions in mountains

Clavel

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Section: Case Study Of the Northern Scandesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant-mycorrhizal interactions and their role in plant invasions in mountains

Clavel

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Ecological features facilitating spread of alien plants along Mediterranean mountain roads

Santoianni,

Innangi,

Varricchione

et al. 2024

Biol Invasions

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Invasive alien species represent a major threat to global biodiversity and the sustenance of ecosystems. Globally, mountain ecosystems have shown a degree of resistance to invasive species due to their distinctive ecological features. However, in recent times, the construction of linear infrastructure, such as roads, might weaken this resistance, especially in the Mediterranean basin region. Roads, by acting as efficient corridors, facilitate the dispersal of alien species along elevation gradients in mountains. Here, we investigated how the ecological features and road-associated disturbance in native plant communities affected both the occurrence and cover of alien plant species in Central Apennines (Italy). We implemented the MIREN road survey in three mountain transects conducting vegetation sampling in plots located both adjacent to and distant from the roads at intervals of ~ 100 m in elevation. We then used community-weighted means of Ecological Indicator Values for Europe together with Disturbance Indicator Values applied to plant species of native communities as predictors of alien species occurrence and cover in a machine-learning classification and regression framework. Our analyses showed that alien species’ occurrence was greater in proximity to the road where high soil disturbance occurred and in warm- and light-adapted native communities. On the other hand, alien species cover was more strongly related to moderate grazing pressure and the occurrence of nitrophilic plant communities. These findings provide a baseline for the current status of alien plant species in this Mediterranean mountain region, offering an ecological perspective to address the challenges associated with their management under global change.

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High resistance to non-native plant invasion exhibited in a maritime alpine environment

Kirkpatrick,

Alvarez,

Bridle

et al. 2024

Biol Invasions

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Most alpine ecosystems are subject to non-native species invasion as climate warms and human disturbance increases. Therefore, it is important to identify the main barriers and facilitators of alpine plant invasions. While there is much research in continental alpine areas, there is limited research in maritime environments, which have distinctive biological, edaphic and geomorphologic features due to the scarcity of snow in winter. Here, we examine the contribution of anthropogenic and biotic factors on non-native plant invasions in the alpine areas of lutruwita (Tasmania), Australia. Specifically, we test whether disturbances associated with roads and livestock grazing facilitate non-native plant invasion and if biotic resistance from native plants and wild grazing animals inhibits such invasion. We used floristic data from: a statewide database; data from long-term grazing exclosures, and data from paired quadrats on roadsides and natural vegetation. Our results showed that non-native plants were associated with roadside disturbance and livestock grazing, with the latter having a legacy effect of 50 years. The persistent effect of stock grazing was evident in the exclusion experiment monitored over 30 years, where non-native plants occurred sporadically in time and space. In contrast, we found that the presence of wild grazing mammals, complete vegetation cover and high native richness, restricted non-native plants, emphasizing the importance of biotic resistance in controlling non-native plant invasions. These results indicate that livestock removal and road closure could be effective in reversing non-native plant invasion in this and other areas with wild vertebrate herbivores and high plant cover.

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The Role of Roads and Trails for Facilitating Mountain Plant Invasions

Cited by 3 publications

References 36 publications

Plant-mycorrhizal interactions and their role in plant invasions in mountains

Plant-mycorrhizal interactions and their role in plant invasions in mountains

Ecological features facilitating spread of alien plants along Mediterranean mountain roads

High resistance to non-native plant invasion exhibited in a maritime alpine environment

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