Using forest management to control invasive alien species: helping implement the new European regulation on invasive alien species

Sitzia, Tommaso; Campagnaro, Thomas; Kowarik, Ingo; Trentanovi, Giovanni

doi:10.1007/s10530-015-0999-8

Cited by 69 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Specifically, our results reinforce the argument that alien tree species introduced in the course of adaptive forest management as new timber sources to mitigate global warming should undergo a thorough risk assessment (Bolte et al, 2009). An integrated approach that includes stakeholders in science, horticulture and forestry (Sitzia, Campagnaro, Kowarik, & Trentanovi, 2016) and adheres to a Code of Conduct (Brundu & Richardson, 2016) could strengthen a Europe-wide regulation of invasive phanerophytes. Last but not least, our study indicates that differences in the levels of invasion across habitats should be taken into account when planning and implementing monitoring and management actions in protected areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alien plant invasions in European woodlands

Wagner

Chytrý

Jíménez-Alfaro

et al. 2017

Diversity and Distributions

127

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regions; 1970-2015 time period), we analysed the species pool and frequency of alien vascular plants with respect to geographic origin and life-forms, and the levels of invasion across the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) woodland habitats. Results:We found a total of 386 alien plant species (comprising 7% of all recorded vascular plants). Aliens originating from outside of and from within Europe were almost equally represented in the species pool (192 vs. 181 species) but relative frequency was skewed towards the former group (77% vs. 22%) due, to some extent, to the frequent occurrence of Impatiens parviflora (21% frequency among alien plants).Phanerophytes were the most species-rich life-form (148 species) and had the highest representation in terms of relative frequency (39%) among aliens in the dataset. Apart from Europe (181 species), North America was the most important source of alien plants (109 species). At the local scale, temperate and boreal softwood riparian woodland (5%) and mire and mountain coniferous woodland (<1%) had the highest and lowest mean relative alien species richness (percentage of alien species per plot), respectively. Main conclusions:Our results indicate that European woodlands are prone to alien plant invasions especially when exposed to disturbance, fragmentation, alien propagule pressure and high soil nutrient levels. Given the persistence of these factors in the landscape, competitive alien plant species with a broad niche, including alien trees and shrubs, are likely to persist and spread further into European woodlands. K E Y W O R D SEUNIS, exotic, forest, invasive plants, life-form, neophyte, non-native, origin, tree | INTRODUCTIONGlobalization has triggered a massive spread of plant species to areas outside their native distribution ranges (van Kleunen et al., 2015).Some alien species persist only temporarily as casuals in the new area, while others can overcome local abiotic and reproductive barriers to establish self-sustaining populations (Richardson et al., 2000). Some naturalized aliens become invasive, that is they can spread in large numbers and across considerable distances (Richardson et al., 2000) or can have detrimental environmental and socio-economic impacts Woodlands cover a third of Europe's terrestrial area (Forest Europe, 2015; note that we use "woodland" as a synonym of "forest" in our article). In the past, they were logged and transformed to cropland andother open landscape types on a massive scale (Behre, 1988). Today, most European woodlands are composed of stands where the mean tree age is only 60 years (Vilén et al., 2012). Woodlands-and stands with old trees in particular-are generally thought to be resistant to alien plant invasions given the specific abiotic conditions in their herb layer, such as a dense canopy cover and a thick litter layer (Rejmánek, 2015). However, an increasing number of studies has questioned this assumption (e.g., Essl, Mang, & Moser, 2012;Kohli, Jose, Pal Singh, & Batish, 2009;Martin, Canham, & Marks, 2009;Re...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alien plant invasions in European woodlands

Wagner

Chytrý

Jíménez-Alfaro

et al. 2017

Diversity and Distributions

127

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“…The framework developed here can be expanded to support Azorean forestry management, and could be replicated in other island systems and forest regions, not only in projects addressing the ecology of particular forest species, but also when handling research questions related with the prediction of plant invader success and expansion (e.g., monitoring and risk assessment; [89,163,164]), the detection of areas potentially suited for restoration projects (e.g., potential distribution of rare species; [165]), modeling based on remote sense data [166,167], and modeling of the potential effect of climate change [168].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species Distribution Modeling: Comparison of Fixed and Mixed Effects Models Using INLA

Silva

Azevedo

Elias

et al. 2017

IJGI

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Abstract:Invasive alien species are among the most important, least controlled, and least reversible of human impacts on the world's ecosystems, with negative consequences affecting biodiversity and socioeconomic systems. Species distribution models have become a fundamental tool in assessing the potential spread of invasive species in face of their native counterparts. In this study we compared two different modeling techniques: (i) fixed effects models accounting for the effect of ecogeographical variables (EGVs); and (ii) mixed effects models including also a Gaussian random field (GRF) to model spatial correlation (Matérn covariance function). To estimate the potential distribution of Pittosporum undulatum and Morella faya (respectively, invasive and native trees), we used geo-referenced data of their distribution in Pico and São Miguel islands (Azores) and topographic, climatic and land use EGVs. Fixed effects models run with maximum likelihood or the INLA (Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation) approach provided very similar results, even when reducing the size of the presences data set. The addition of the GRF increased model adjustment (lower Deviance Information Criterion), particularly for the less abundant tree, M. faya. However, the random field parameters were clearly affected by sample size and species distribution pattern. A high degree of spatial autocorrelation was found and should be taken into account when modeling species distribution.

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“…Extending this window will allow more definitive assessment of impacts and we plan to monitor our plots for several more years. Only widely replicated, long-term studies of invasive plant impact and control can inform development of best management practices required by land managers and, increasingly, by government, e.g., [34]. Future research on buckthorn should also quantify the costs of control methods.…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-logging Treatment of Invasive Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.) Promotes Regeneration of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)

Lee

Eisenhaure

Gaudreau

2016

Forests

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Non-native glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.) is invasive in forests of the northeastern USA but little is known of its effects on tree regeneration. We tested whether killing buckthorn stems before logging reduces its post-logging abundance and increases the density and height of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) seedlings. Three 0.4 ha plots were clearcut, three were thinned, and three were left as controls. Each plot had previously been divided into three subplots that received different buckthorn treatments during the two years before logging. Buckthorn treatments were (1) stems cut at base five times; (2) stems cut once then heat killed four times; (3) untreated control. Three years post-logging, buckthorn density and stem height were unaffected by logging but equally reduced by the two buckthorn treatments. Buckthorn reduction increased density and height of pine seedlings, and seedling height also increased with logging. In the fifth year post-logging, pine height growth and biomass were greater in clearcut than in thinned treatments, greater in areas of buckthorn removal and, within treated subplots, greater in areas with low buckthorn density than in thickets of recovering buckthorn. Thus, although buckthorn inhibited regenerating pine, pre-logging destruction of buckthorn stems reduced such competition for at least four years.

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Using forest management to control invasive alien species: helping implement the new European regulation on invasive alien species

Cited by 69 publications

References 44 publications

Alien plant invasions in European woodlands

Alien plant invasions in European woodlands

Species Distribution Modeling: Comparison of Fixed and Mixed Effects Models Using INLA

Pre-logging Treatment of Invasive Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.) Promotes Regeneration of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)

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