ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0582-5960
Current Organisations
University of Melbourne
,
King's College London
,
Australian National University
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Ecology | Invasive Species Ecology | Community Ecology | Ecological Applications | Environmental Management | Conservation and Biodiversity | Freshwater Ecology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Sparseland, Permanent Grassland and Arid Zone Environments | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Sparseland, Permanent Grassland and Arid Zone Environments | Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas in Sparseland, Permanent Grassland and Arid Zone Environments | Rehabilitation of Degraded Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments | Rehabilitation of Degraded Forest and Woodlands Environments | Forest and Woodlands Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
Related Links
Publications
The National Early Warning Score and its subcomponents recorded within ±24 h of emergency medical admission are poor predictors of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury
Publisher: Royal College of Physicians
Date: 02-2018
Interplay of limiting factors explains context dependence in plant invasions
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 02-08-2022
A Long-Term Experimental Case Study of the Ecological Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Invasive Plant Management in Achieving Conservation Goals: Bitou Bush Control in Booderee National Park in
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-06-2015
Effects of fire regime on plant species richness and composition differ among forest, woodland and heath vegetation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-11-2017
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12345
Land use alters soil propagule banks of wetlands down the soil-depth profile
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/MF18438
Measuring competitive impact: Joint‐species modelling of invaded plant communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-10-2019
Traits linked with species invasiveness and community invasibility vary with time, stage and indicator of invasion in a long‐term grassland experiment
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-02-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13220
Abstract: Much uncertainty remains about traits linked with successful invasion - the establishment and spread of non-resident species into existing communities. Using a 20-year experiment, where 50 non-resident (but mostly native) grassland plant species were sown into savannah plots, we ask how traits linked with invasion depend on invasion stage (establishment, spread), indicator of invasion success (occupancy, relative abundance), time, environmental conditions, propagule rain, and traits of invaders and invaded communities. Trait data for 164 taxa showed that invader occupancy was primarily associated with traits of invaders, traits of recipient communities, and invader-community interactions. Invader abundance was more strongly associated with community traits (e.g. proportion legume) and trait differences between invaders and the most similar resident species. Annuals and invaders with high-specific leaf area were only successful early in stand development, whereas invaders with conservative carbon capture strategies persisted long-term. Our results indicate that invasion is context-dependent and long-term experiments are required to comprehensively understand invasions.
Quaternary climate change explains global patterns of tree beta-diversity
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 17-11-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.14.382846
Abstract: Both historical and contemporary environmental conditions determine present bio ersity patterns, but their relative importance is not well understood. One way to disentangle their relative effects is to assess how different dimensions of beta- ersity relate to past climatic changes, i.e., taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional compositional dissimilarity, and their components generated by replacement of species, lineages and traits (turnover) and richness changes (nestedness). Here, we quantify global patterns of each of these aspects of beta- ersity among neighboring sites for angiosperm trees using the most extensive global database of tree species-distributions (43,635 species). We found that temperature change since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was the major influence on both turnover and nestedness components of beta- ersity, with a negative correlation to turnover and a positive correlation to nestedness. Moreover, phylogenetic and functional nestedness was higher than expected from taxonomic beta- ersity in regions that experienced large temperature changes since the LGM. This pattern reflects relatively greater losses of phylogenetic and functional ersity in species-poor assemblages, possibly caused by phylogenetically and functionally selective species extinction and recolonization during glacial-interglacial oscillations. Our results send a strong warning that rapid anthropogenic climate change is likely to result in a long-lasting phylogenetic and functional compositional simplification, potentially impairing forest ecosystem functioning.
Herbivory and functional traits suggest that enemy release is not an important mechanism driving invasion success of brown seaweeds
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-09-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10530-022-02894-4
Abstract: Invasive species are a global threat to bio ersity and there is a pressing need to better understand why some species become invasive outside of their native range, and others do not. One explanation for invasive species success is their release from concurrent natural enemies upon introduction to the non-native range. The so-called enemy release hypothesis (ERH) has conflicting support, depending upon the ecosystem and species investigated. To date, most studies testing the generality of the ERH have focused on terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we tested whether enemy release might contribute to the success of the invasive non-native brown seaweeds Undaria pinnatifida and Sargassum muticum in the United Kingdom. We conducted choice and no choice experiments to determine herbivore preference on these invaders relative to six functionally-similar native species. We also measured and compared species traits associated with defence against herbivory (carbon to nitrogen ratio, polyphenolic concentration, tensile strength, and compensatory growth). There were no differences in the biomass consumed between invasive and native species for either choice or no choice tests. The carbon to nitrogen ratio (a measure of nutritional quality) was significantly lower for S. muticum compared to the three native fucoid species, but measures of the other three defence traits were similar or even greater for invasive species compared with native species. Taken together, it is unlikely that the ERH applies to invasive seaweeds in the northeast Atlantic, suggesting that other factors may contribute to the success of invasive species in this system.
Traits influence detection of exotic plant species in tropical forests
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 22-08-2018
Invasive shrub re-establishment following management has contrasting effects on biodiversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-03-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-40654-Y
Abstract: Effective control of an invasive species is frequently used to infer positive outcomes for the broader ecosystem. In many situations, whether the removal of an invasive plant is of net benefit to bio ersity is poorly assessed. We undertook a 10-year study on the effects of invasive shrub management (bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata ) on native flora and fauna in a eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia. Bitou bush eradication is a management priority, yet the optimal control regime (combination of herbicide spray and fire) is difficult to implement, meaning managed sites have complex management histories that vary in effectiveness of control. Here we test the long-term response of common bio ersity indicators (species richness, abundance and ersity of native plants, birds, herpetofauna and small mammals) to both the management, and the post-management status of bitou bush (% cover). While average bitou bush cover decreased with management, bitou bush consistently occurred at around half of our managed sites despite control efforts. The relationship between bio ersity and bitou bush cover following management differed from positive, neutral or negative among species groups and indicators. Native plant cover was lower under higher levels of bitou bush cover, but the abundance of birds and small mammals were positively related to bitou bush cover. Evidence suggests that the successful control of an invader may not necessarily result in beneficial outcomes for all components of bio ersity.
Precise mono-Cu+ ion doping enhanced electrogenerated chemiluminescence from Cd-In-S supertetrahedral chalcogenide nanoclusters for dopamine detection
Publisher: No publisher found
DOI: 10.1039/C8NR05046E}
The results of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments are realistic
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-08-2019
DOI: 10.1101/725812
Testing Darwin’s naturalization conundrum based on taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of vascular plants
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-06-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECM.1420
Correction: Four priority areas to advance invasion science in the face of rapid environmental change
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1139/ER-2021-0075
New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 03-11-2014
Abstract: Governments spend billions of dollars each year managing invasive plant species. Many invasive plants have escaped from pastures and now degrade natural areas and transform ecosystems. New pasture taxa are promoted to help achieve sustainable intensification of agriculture by increasing production without using more land. However, plant characteristics that increase production also increase invasion risk. Combined with inadequate regulation and management to establish large feed-plant populations, new taxa will likely exacerbate problems with invasive species. Livestock production accounts for 30% of the world's land area. Risks associated with invasive feed-plants have been largely overlooked, even by studies explicitly critiquing the environmental risks of sustainable intensification. We suggest a suite of protocols to reduce these risks in sustainable intensification of agriculture.
Quantifying levels of biological invasion: towards the objective classification of invaded and invasible ecosystems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2011
Drowned, buried and carried away: effects of plant traits on the distribution of native and alien species in riparian ecosystems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-07-2014
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.12951
Abstract: Riparian vegetation is exposed to stress from inundation and hydraulic disturbance, and is often rich in native and alien plant species. We describe 35 traits that enable plants to cope with riparian conditions. These include traits for tolerating or avoiding anoxia and enabling underwater photosynthesis, traits that confer resistance and resilience to hydraulic disturbance, and attributes that facilitate dispersal, such as floating propagules. This ersity of life‐history strategies illustrates that there are many ways of sustaining life in riparian zones, which helps to explain high riparian bio ersity. Using community assembly theory, we examine how adaptations to inundation, disturbance and dispersal shape plant community composition along key environmental gradients, and how human actions have modified communities. Dispersal‐related processes seem to explain many patterns, highlighting the influence of regional processes on local species assemblages. Using alien plant invasions like an (uncontrolled) experiment in community assembly, we use an A ustralian and a global dataset to examine possible causes of high degrees of riparian invasion. We found that high proportions of alien species in the regional species pools have invaded riparian zones, despite not being riparian specialists, and that riparian invaders disperse in more ways, including by water and humans, than species invading other ecosystems. Contents Summary 19 I. Introduction 19 II. Functional traits and life‐history adaptations of riparian plants 20 III. Local and regional patterns in the distribution of riparian plants 24 IV. Alien plant invasion in riparian zones 26 V. Modification and management of riparian plant communities 30 VI. Conclusions and future research 32 Acknowledgements 33 References 33
Competition between native and non-native plants.
Publisher: CABI
Date: 11-12-2020
Introduced species that overcome life history tradeoffs can cause native extinctions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-05-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-018-04491-3
Abstract: Introduced species threaten native bio ersity, but whether exotic species can competitively displace native species remains contested. Building on theory that predicts multi-species coexistence based on a competition-colonisation tradeoff, we derive a mechanistic basis by which human-mediated species invasions could cause extinctions through competitive displacement. In contrast to past invasions, humans principally introduce modern invaders, repeatedly and in large quantities, and in ways that can facilitate release from enemies and competitors. Associated increases in exotic species’ propagule rain, survival and competitive ability could enable some introduced species to overcome the tradeoffs that constrain all other species. Using evidence from metacommunity models, we show how species introductions could disrupt species coexistence, generating extinction debts, especially when combined with other forms of anthropogenic environmental change. Even though competing species have typically coexisted following past biogeographic migrations, the multiplicity and interactive impacts of today’s threats could change some exotic species into agents of extinction.
Phenotypic plasticity masks range‐wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short‐lived plant
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13858
Abstract: Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short‐lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short‐term perturbations. Combining a multi‐treatment greenhouse experiment with observational field data throughout the range of a widespread short‐lived herb, Plantago lanceolata , we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait–environment relationships. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field‐observed trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related to fitness.
Addressing context dependence in ecology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2021.09.007
Abstract: Context dependence is widely invoked to explain disparate results in ecology. It arises when the magnitude or sign of a relationship varies due to the conditions under which it is observed. Such variation, especially when unexplained, can lead to spurious or seemingly contradictory conclusions, which can limit understanding and our ability to transfer findings across studies, space, and time. Using ex les from biological invasions, we identify two types of context dependence resulting from four sources: mechanistic context dependence arises from interaction effects and apparent context dependence can arise from the presence of confounding factors, problems of statistical inference, and methodological differences among studies. Addressing context dependence is a critical challenge in ecology, essential for increased understanding and prediction.
Four priority areas to advance invasion science in the face of rapid environmental change
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1139/ER-2020-0088
Reducing redundancy in invasion ecology by integrating hypotheses into a single theoretical framework
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-12-2008
Invasive plants: New pasture plants pose weed risk
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.1038/516037E
Using management to determine drivers of alien plant invasion and limits to native restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-12-2015
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12212
Frequent inundation helps counteract land use impacts on wetland propagule banks
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-02-2017
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12295
TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14904
Abstract: Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to bio ersity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on in idual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
Disentangling the four demographic dimensions of species invasiveness
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2016
The use of species traits in invasive seaweed research: a systematic review
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 10-07-2023
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.86.97392
Abstract: Species traits have been used extensively in invasion science, providing common metrics across taxa and ecosystems that enable comparisons based on the functional responses and effects of biota. However, most work on traits in invasion science has focused on terrestrial plants, despite the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems to invasive species, such as invasive seaweeds. Research that focuses on in idual species of invasive seaweeds has intensified in recent years, yet few studies have synthesised the information learned on species traits to identify commonalities or knowledge gaps in invasion science. Through a systematic review of 322 papers that investigate the traits of seaweed species from across the globe, here we ask – what are the trends and gaps in research that investigates traits of invasive seaweeds? To address this question, we aimed to: (1) identify publication rates and characteristics of the studies examining traits of invasive seaweeds (2) clarify which and how many species have been investigated and (3) assess which traits have been measured and how those traits have been used. Our review revealed that study regions for research on invasive seaweed traits were concentrated in Europe and North America. In addition, we found a total of 158 species that have been investigated, with a large proportion of studies (35%) focusing on just two species, Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnatifida . Our study revealed that the most researched traits were morphological, which were used to address a wide range of research questions. Key research gaps included relatively few studies from Africa, Asia and South America, a lack of papers researching more than one species and a lack of measurements of biomechanical traits. Altogether, this review provides a thorough overview of research progress on species traits of invasive seaweeds and highlights the existing knowledge gaps that may lead to new ways in which the traits of invasive seaweeds can be used to answer important ecological questions.
Phylogenetic signals and predictability in plant–soil feedbacks
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.16768
Does the biogeographic origin of species matter? Ecological effects of native and non‐native species and the use of origin to guide management
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-12-2015
Applying the stress‐gradient hypothesis to curb the spread of invasive bamboo
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-07-2021
Abstract: The stress‐gradient hypothesis (SGH) provides a conceptual framework for explaining how environmental context determines the nature of biotic interactions. It may be also useful for predicting geographic variability in the effect of management interventions on biological invasions. We aimed to test hypotheses consistent with the SGH to explain context dependency in bamboo invasion of secondary forests in Japan, and establish a predictive understanding of forest management impacts on invasion. We use a priori physiological knowledge of invasive giant bamboo, Phyllostachys bambusoides , to generate hypotheses consistent with the SGH. We modelled variation in giant bamboo occupancy within 810 secondary forest plots across the broad environmental gradients of Japan using a national vegetation database. Consistent with the SGH, we find that the effect of tree canopy cover on bamboo occupancy depends on interactions between solar radiation and mean annual temperature. In cool regions with high solar radiation—stressful conditions for bamboo—shade cast by dense canopies facilitates invasion. However, in warmer regions that are more benign, dense canopies tend to inhibit spread via competition for light, space and other resources. Synthesis and applications . We provide evidence that the stress‐gradient hypothesis can inform practical recommendations for invasive species control. We characterised geographic variability in the effect of forest thinning, a widespread management intervention used to enhance forest bio ersity, on the risk of bamboo spread into secondary forests in Japan. Thinning forest canopies to increase understorey light radiation should limit bamboo spread in cooler regions, while tree planting to increase canopy shade should limit bamboo spread in warmer regions.
Chronic fertilization and irrigation gradually and increasingly restructure grassland communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.2625
G-IRAE: a Generalised approach for linking the total Impact of invasion to species’ Range, Abundance and per-unit Effects
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 19-10-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.18.464772
Abstract: The total impact of an alien species was conceptualised as the product of its range size, local abundance and per-unit effect in a seminal paper by Parker and colleagues in 1999, but a practical approach for estimating the three components has been lacking. Here, we generalise the impact formula and, through use of regression models, estimate the relationship between the three components of impact, an approach we term G-IRAE (Generalised Impact – Range size – Abundance – per-unit Effect). Moreover, we show that G-IRAE can also be applied to damage and management costs. We propose two methods for applying G-IRAE. The species-specific method computes the relationship for a given species across multiple invaded sites or regions, assuming a constant per-unit effect across the invaded area. The multi-species method combines data from multiple species across multiple sites or regions to calculate a per-unit effect for each species. While the species-specific method is more accurate, it requires a large amount of data for each species. The multi-species method is more easily applicable and data-parsimonious. We illustrate the multi-species method using data about money spent managing plant invasions in different biomes of South Africa. We found clear differences between species in terms of money spent per unit area invaded, with per-unit expenditures varying substantially between biomes for some species. G-IRAE offers a versatile and practical method which can be applied to many different types of data, to better understand and manage invasions.
Hotspots of plant invasion predicted by propagule pressure and ecosystem characteristics
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-06-2011
GIRAE: a generalised approach for linking the total impact of invasion to species' range, abundance and per-unit effects
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-06-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10530-022-02836-0
Abstract: The total impact of an alien species was conceptualised as the product of its range size, local abundance and per-unit effect in a seminal paper by Parker et al. (Biol Invasions 1:3–19, 1999). However, a practical approach for estimating the three components has been lacking. Here, we generalise the impact formula and, through use of regression models, estimate the relationship between the three components of impact, an approach we term GIRAE (Generalised Impact = Range size × Abundance × per-unit Effect). We discuss how GIRAE can be applied to multiple types of impact, including environmental impacts, damage and management costs. We propose two methods for applying GIRAE. The species-specific method computes the relationship between impact, range size, abundance and per-unit effect for a given species across multiple invaded sites or regions of different sizes. The multi-species method combines data from multiple species across multiple sites or regions to calculate a per-unit effect for each species and is computed using a single regression model. The species-specific method is more accurate, but it requires a large amount of data for each species and assumes a constant per-unit effect for a species across the invaded area. The multi-species method is more easily applicable and data-parsimonious, but assumes the same relationship between impact, range size and abundance for all considered species. We illustrate these methods using data about money spent managing plant invasions in different biomes of South Africa. We found clear differences between species in terms of money spent per unit area invaded, with per-unit expenditure varying substantially between biomes for some species—insights that are useful for monitoring and evaluating management. GIRAE offers a versatile and practical method that can be applied to many different types of data to better understand and manage the impacts of biological invasions.
Higher plant colonisation and lower resident diversity in grasslands more recently abandoned from agriculture
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-09-2023
Paleoclimate and current climate collectively shape the phylogenetic and functional diversity of trees worldwide
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 03-06-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.02.128975
Abstract: Trees are of vital importance for ecosystem functioning and services at local to global scales, yet we still lack a detailed overview of the global patterns of tree ersity and the underlying drivers, particularly the imprint of paleoclimate. Here, we present the high-resolution (110 km) worldwide mapping of tree species richness, functional and phylogenetic ersities based on ∼7 million quality-assessed occurrences for 46,752 tree species (80.5% of the estimated total number of tree species), and subsequent assessments of the influence of paleo-climate legacies on these patterns. All three tree ersity dimensions exhibited the expected latitudinal decline. Contemporary climate emerged as the strongest driver of all ersity patterns, with Pleistocene and deeper-time ( 7 years) paleoclimate as important co-determinants, and, notably, with past cold and drought stress being linked to reduced current ersity. These findings demonstrate that tree ersity is affected by paleoclimate millions of years back in time and highlight the potential for tree ersity losses from future climate change.
Understanding the Nexus Between Hydrological Alteration And Biological Invasions
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2019
Isolation predicts compositional change after discrete disturbances in a global meta‐study
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-01-2017
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.02383
Biological invasions as burdens to primary economic sectors.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 05-01-2023
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-2444595/V1
Abstract: Many human-introduced alien species economically impact essential industries worldwide. Management prioritization and coordination efforts towards biological invasions are h ered by a lack of comprehensive quantification of costs to key economic activity sectors. Here, we quantify and predict global invasion costs to seven major sectors and unravel the introduction pathways of species causing these costs — focusing mainly on resource-based agriculture, fishery and forestry industries. From 1970 to 2020, costs reported in the InvaCost database as pertaining to Agriculture, Fisheries , and Forestry totaled $509 bn, $1.3 bn, and $134 bn, respectively (in 2017 United States dollars). Pathways of costly species were erse, arising predominantly from cultural and agricultural activities, through unintentional contaminants with trade, and often impacted different sectors than those for which species were initially introduced. Costs to Agriculture were pervasive and greatest in at least 37% (n = 46/123) of the countries assessed, with the United States accumulating the greatest costs for resource-based industries ($365 bn), followed by China ($101 bn), and Australia ($36 bn). We further identified 19 countries highly economically reliant on Agriculture , Fisheries , and Forestry that are experiencing massive economic impacts from biological invasions, especially in the Global South. Based on an extrapolation to fill cost data gaps, we estimated total global costs ranging at least from $517 − 1,400 bn for Agriculture , $5.7–6.5 bn for Fisheries , and $142–768 bn for Forestry , evidencing substantial underreporting in the Forestry sector in particular. Burgeoning global invasion costs challenge sustainable development and urge for improved management action to reduce future impacts on industry.
Nothing lasts forever: Dominant species decline under rapid environmental change in global grasslands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-09-2023
Half of the world’s tree biodiversity is unprotected and is increasingly threatened by human activities
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 23-04-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.21.052464
Abstract: Although trees are key to ecosystem functioning, many forests and tree species across the globe face strong threats. Preserving areas of high bio ersity is a core priority for conservation however, different dimensions of bio ersity and varied conservation targets make it difficult to respond effectively to this challenge. Here, we ( i ) identify priority areas for global tree conservation using comprehensive coverage of tree ersity based on taxonomy, phylogeny, and functional traits and ( ii ) compare these findings to existing protected areas and global bio ersity conservation frameworks. We find that ca . 51% of the top-priority areas for tree bio ersity are located in current protected areas. The remaining half top-priority areas are subject to moderate to high human pressures, indicating conservation actions are needed to mitigate these human impacts. Our findings emphasize the effectiveness of using tree conservation priority areas for future global conservation planning.
Ecological scale and context dependence
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 30-06-2023
Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defenses in native and introducedPlantago lanceolatapopulations
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-06-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.05.543708
Abstract: Plants growing outside their native range may be confronted by new regimes of herbivory, but how this affects plant chemical defense profiles has rarely been studied. Using Plantago lanceolata as a model species, we investigated whether introduced populations show significant differences from native populations in several growth and chemical defense traits. Plantago lanceolata (ribwort plantain) is an herbaceous plant species native to Europe and Western Asia that has been introduced to numerous countries worldwide. We s led seeds from nine native and ten introduced populations that covered a broad geographic and environmental range and performed a common garden experiment in a greenhouse, in which we infested half of the plants in each population with caterpillars of the generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis . We then measured size-related and resource-allocation traits as well as the levels of constitutive and induced chemical defense compounds in roots and shoots of P. lanceolata . When we considered the environmental characteristics of the site of origin, our results revealed that populations from introduced ranges were characterized by an increase of chemical defense compounds without compromising plant biomass. The concentrations of iridoid glycosides and verbascoside, the major anti-herbivore defense compounds of P. lanceolata , were higher in introduced populations than in native populations. In addition, introduced populations exhibited greater rates of herbivore-induced volatile organic compound emission and ersity, and similar chemical ersity based on untargeted analyses of leaf methanol extracts. In general, the geographic origin of the populations had a significant influence on morphological and chemical plant traits, suggesting that P. lanceolata populations are not only adapted to different environments in their native range, but also in their introduced range.
Global gene flow releases invasive plants from environmental constraints on genetic diversity
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 07-02-2020
Abstract: When plants establish outside their native range, their ability to adapt to the new environment is influenced by both demography and dispersal. However, the relative importance of these two factors is poorly understood. To quantify the influence of demography and dispersal on patterns of genetic ersity underlying adaptation, we used data from a globally distributed demographic research network comprising 35 native and 18 nonnative populations of Plantago lanceolata . Species-specific simulation experiments showed that dispersal would dilute demographic influences on genetic ersity at local scales. Populations in the native European range had strong spatial genetic structure associated with geographic distance and precipitation seasonality. In contrast, nonnative populations had weaker spatial genetic structure that was not associated with environmental gradients but with higher within-population genetic ersity. Our findings show that dispersal caused by repeated, long-distance, human-mediated introductions has allowed invasive plant populations to overcome environmental constraints on genetic ersity, even without strong demographic changes. The impact of invasive plants may, therefore, increase with repeated introductions, highlighting the need to constrain future introductions of species even if they already exist in an area.
Non-target impacts of weed control on birds, mammals, and reptiles
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.1804
Global costs of plant invasions must not be underestimated
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 13-10-2021
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.69.74121
Abstract: NA
Seed addition and biomass removal key to restoring native forbs in degraded temperate grassland
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-01-2018
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12352
A mechanistic framework of enemy release
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 03-10-2023
Global economic costs of aquatic invasive alien species
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Species and environmental characteristics point to flow regulation and drought as drivers of riparian plant invasion
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-06-2014
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12225
Building trait datasets: effect of methodological choice on a study of invasion
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-022-05230-8
Abstract: Trait-based approaches are commonly used to understand ecological phenomena and processes. Trait data are typically gathered by measuring local specimens, retrieving published records, or a combination of the two. Implications of methodological choices in trait-based ecological studies—including source of data, imputation technique, and species selection criteria—are poorly understood. We ask: do different approaches for dataset-building lead to meaningful differences in trait datasets? If so, do these differences influence findings of a trait-based examination of plant invasiveness, measured as abundance and spread rate? We collected on-site (Victoria, Australia) and off-site (TRY database) height and specific leaf area records for as many species as possible out of 157 exotic herbaceous plants. For each trait, we built six datasets of species-level means using records collected on-site, off-site, on-site and off-site combined, and off-site supplemented via imputation based on phylogeny and/or trait correlations. For both traits, the six datasets were weakly correlated ( ρ = 0.31–0.95 for height ρ = 0.14–0.88 for SLA), reflecting differences in species’ trait values from the various estimations. Inconsistencies in species’ trait means across datasets did not translate into large differences in trait-invasion relationships. Although we did not find that methodological choices for building trait datasets greatly affected ecological inference about local invasion processes, we nevertheless recommend: (1) using on-site records to answer local-scale ecological questions whenever possible, and (2) transparency around methodological decisions related to selection of study species and estimation of missing trait values.
Global Root Traits (GRooT) Database
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 19-05-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.17.095851
Abstract: Trait data are fundamental to quantitatively describe plant form and function. Although root traits capture key dimensions related to plant responses to changing environmental conditions and effects on ecosystem processes, they have rarely been included in large-scale comparative studies and global models. For instance, root traits remain absent from nearly all studies that define the global spectrum of plant form and function. Thus, to overcome conceptual and methodological roadblocks preventing a widespread integration of root trait data into large-scale analyses we created the Global Root Trait (GRooT) Database. GRooT provides ready-to-use data by combining the expertise of root ecologists with data mobilization and curation. Specifically, we (i) determined a set of core root traits relevant to the description of plant form and function based on an assessment by experts, (ii) maximized species coverage through data standardization within and among traits, and (iii) implemented data quality checks. GRooT contains 114,222 trait records on 38 continuous root traits. Global coverage with data from arid, continental, polar, temperate, and tropical biomes. Data on root traits derived from experimental studies and field studies. Data recorded between 1911 and 2019 GRooT includes root trait data for which taxonomic information is available. Trait records vary in their taxonomic resolution, with sub-species or varieties being the highest and genera the lowest taxonomic resolution available. It contains information for 184 sub-species or varieties, 6,214 species, 1,967 genera and 254 families. Due to variation in data sources, trait records in the database include both in idual observations and mean values. GRooT includes two csv file. A GitHub repository contains the csv files and a script in R to query the database.
Quantifying niche availability, niche overlap and competition for recruitment sites in plant populations without explicit knowledge of niche axes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-02-2019
Anti-Site Defects-Assisted Enhancement of Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence from in Situ Mn2+-Doped Supertetrahedral Chalcogenide Nanoclusters
Publisher: No publisher found
Multidimensional responses of ecological stability to eutrophication in grasslands
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 17-04-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.16.537045
Abstract: Eutrophication usually impacts bio ersity, species composition, and functioning of grassland communities. Whether such effects propagate to influence the stability of these community aspects is unknown. Using standardized experiments across 55 global grasslands, we quantified the effects of nutrient addition on five stability facets (i.e., temporal invariability and resistance during and recovery after dry and wet growing seasons) for three community aspects (i.e., aboveground biomass, community composition, and species richness). Nutrient addition reduced the temporal invariability and resistance of species richness and community composition, but not biomass, during dry and wet growing seasons. Temporal invariability and resistance during, but not recovery after, dry and wet growing seasons were strongly positively correlated in both ambient and eutrophic conditions. This indicates that maintaining and restoring the stability of plant communities requires increasing resistance rather than recovery. Harnessing the complexity of ecological stability provides new insights for grassland ecosystem sustainability in a changing world.
Riparian trees resprout regardless of timing and severity of disturbance by coppicing
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Remote Sensing Measures Restoration Successes, but Canopy Heights Lag in Restoring Floodplain Vegetation
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-06-2016
DOI: 10.3390/RS8070542
Fine‐scale variables associated with the presence of native forbs in natural temperate grassland
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-02-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12866
Abstract: Broad‐scale threats to floristic ersity in native temperate grasslands are well‐documented and include elevated soil nutrients, changes in disturbance regimes and exotic species. However, fine‐scale variables associated with the presence of native forbs, such as gap size and biomass cover, have received relatively little attention. We conducted a case–control study to determine the relative influence of physical structural dimensions and other fine‐scale variables associated with the presence of native forbs in a modified temperate grassland previously used for domestic grazing. We matched 145 case plots centred on 27 different species of native forbs with 290 control plots not centred on a native forb. For each percentage increase in ground litter cover, dead biomass cover, grass cover or exotic forb cover, or the area of bare ground within 30 cm, the relative odds that a native forb was present vs absent declined by a mean of 10–13%. Living and dead biomass reduces light availability, and the former can also reduce nutrient and water availability. Declines in the presence of native forbs associated with increasing total bare ground may suggest that gap sizes were too small or the soil surface condition too degraded. Our results add to a body of evidence suggesting that native forbs in temperate native grassland are likely to benefit from periodic removal of living and dead grass biomass and a reduction in the cover of exotic forbs.
Traits explain invasion of alien plants into tropical rainforests
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-03-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.7206
A conceptual map of invasion biology: Integrating hypotheses into a consensus network
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-03-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13082
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis and plant invasions: Implications for species richness and management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
Global beta-diversity of angiosperm trees is shaped by Quaternary climate change
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-04-2023
Abstract: As Earth’s climate has varied strongly through geological time, studying the impacts of past climate change on bio ersity helps to understand the risks from future climate change. However, it remains unclear how paleoclimate shapes spatial variation in bio ersity. Here, we assessed the influence of Quaternary climate change on spatial dissimilarity in taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional composition among neighboring 200-kilometer cells (beta- ersity) for angiosperm trees worldwide. We found that larger glacial-interglacial temperature change was strongly associated with lower spatial turnover (species replacements) and higher nestedness (richness changes) components of beta- ersity across all three bio ersity facets. Moreover, phylogenetic and functional turnover was lower and nestedness higher than random expectations based on taxonomic beta- ersity in regions that experienced large temperature change, reflecting phylogenetically and functionally selective processes in species replacement, extinction, and colonization during glacial-interglacial oscillations. Our results suggest that future human-driven climate change could cause local homogenization and reduction in taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional ersity of angiosperm trees worldwide.
High exposure of global tree diversity to human pressure
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 16-06-2022
Abstract: Safeguarding Earth’s tree ersity is a conservation priority due to the importance of trees for bio ersity and ecosystem functions and services such as carbon sequestration. Here, we improve the foundation for effective conservation of global tree ersity by analyzing a recently developed database of tree species covering 46,752 species. We quantify range protection and anthropogenic pressures for each species and develop conservation priorities across taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional ersity dimensions. We also assess the effectiveness of several influential proposed conservation prioritization frameworks to protect the top 17% and top 50% of tree priority areas. We find that an average of 50.2% of a tree species’ range occurs in 110-km grid cells without any protected areas (PAs), with 6,377 small-range tree species fully unprotected, and that 83% of tree species experience nonnegligible human pressure across their range on average. Protecting high-priority areas for the top 17% and 50% priority thresholds would increase the average protected proportion of each tree species’ range to 65.5% and 82.6%, respectively, leaving many fewer species (2,151 and 2,010) completely unprotected. The priority areas identified for trees match well to the Global 200 Ecoregions framework, revealing that priority areas for trees would in large part also optimize protection for terrestrial bio ersity overall. Based on range estimates for ,000 tree species, our findings show that a large proportion of tree species receive limited protection by current PAs and are under substantial human pressure. Improved protection of bio ersity overall would also strongly benefit global tree ersity.
Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-08-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-021-95543-0
Abstract: Riparian forests are structured and maintained by their hydrology. Woody riparian plants typically adapt to the local flood regime to maximise their likelihood of survival and reproductive success. Understanding how extant trees form and reproduce in response to flood disturbance is crucial for predicting vegetation changes and informing restoration. Working in a temperate evergreen riparian forest, we aimed to determine whether disturbance-based responses of plants found in other ecosystems also typify woody plants in riparian forests where disturbances are often mild or chronic, non-lethal, annual events. Using plant surveys and 20-year modelled hydrological data, we examined whether (1) the morphology (main stem diameter, height, crown width, crown extent, stem leaning) and (2) reproduction type (sexual and asexual reproduction) and extent of three dominant woody species ( Eucalyptus c hora , Leptospermum lanigerum and Melaleuca squarrosa ) vary with flood regime (flood frequency and flood duration) and (3) whether different morphology is associated with different reproductive strategies. Increased flooding generally resulted in increased stem numbers and greater stem leaning—morphologies associated with asexual reproduction—of our study species. More frequent flooding also reduced plant size and sexual reproduction in E. c hora . Sexual reproduction in the studied species was more common in taller plants with single, more upright stems in good condition. Flexible morphology and plastic reproductive strategy may constitute an adaptation of trees to mild or chronic disturbance in floodplains. Our findings suggest that flood regime (i.e. variable frequency and duration of flooding events) is critical to the structural integrity and self-maintenance of species- erse riparian forests.
Perspectives from early career researchers on the publication process in ecology - a response to Statzner & Resh (2010)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2011
A framework for understanding human‐driven vegetation change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-09-2017
DOI: 10.1111/OIK.04587
Multiple facets of biodiversity drive the diversity–stability relationship
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-08-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41559-018-0647-7
Abstract: A substantial body of evidence has demonstrated that bio ersity stabilizes ecosystem functioning over time in grassland ecosystems. However, the relative importance of different facets of bio ersity underlying the ersity-stability relationship remains unclear. Here we use data from 39 grassland bio ersity experiments and structural equation modelling to investigate the roles of species richness, phylogenetic ersity and both the ersity and community-weighted mean of functional traits representing the 'fast-slow' leaf economics spectrum in driving the ersity-stability relationship. We found that high species richness and phylogenetic ersity stabilize biomass production via enhanced asynchrony in the performance of co-occurring species. Contrary to expectations, low phylogenetic ersity enhances ecosystem stability directly, albeit weakly. While the ersity of fast-slow functional traits has a weak effect on ecosystem stability, communities dominated by slow species enhance ecosystem stability by increasing mean biomass production relative to the standard deviation of biomass over time. Our in-depth, integrative assessment of factors influencing the ersity-stability relationship demonstrates a more multicausal relationship than has been previously acknowledged.
Functional trait changes in the floras of 11 cities across the globe in response to urbanization
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-08-2016
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.02516
Flow regulation reduces native plant cover and facilitates exotic invasion in riparian wetlands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-01-2011
Multidimensional responses of grassland stability to eutrophication
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-10-2023
Design of a National River Health Assessment Program for China
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2017
Niche partitioning overrides interspecific competition to determine plant species distributions along a nutrient gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/OIK.08943
Abstract: Changes in some combination of niche availability, niche overlap and the strength of interspecific interactions are thought to drive changes in plant composition along resource gradients. However, because these processes are difficult to measure in the field, their relative importance in driving compositional change in plant communities remains unclear. In an Australian temperate grassland, we added seeds of three native and three exotic grasses to 1875 experimental plots in a way that allowed us to simultaneously estimate niche availability, niche overlap and the strength of pairwise interspecific interactions along a gradient of nutrient availability, obtained by adding 0, 5 or 20 g m −2 each of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium jointly to plots. Niche availability (the proportion of microsites suitable for establishment and growth) was generally low and did not vary in response to nutrient addition. Most species co‐occurred along the nutrient gradient by partitioning the available niche space. Where species interacted due to niche overlap, the abundance of one species, the native Chloris truncata , was usually facilitated by other species, with each of the five other species increasing the niche availability to C. truncata under at least one nutrient treatment. Chloris truncata also competitively excluded two species from some but not all sites they could otherwise have occupied. These outcomes did not clearly differ across nutrient treatments. Our results show that fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity in establishment microsites can enable species to co‐occur via niche partitioning, and competitive exclusion is rare. This finding contributes to an emerging picture that niche partitioning is common and frequently a stronger influence on recruitment outcomes than interspecific competition. The importance of competition in structuring plant communities may be overestimated if recruitment processes are overlooked.
Global relationships in tree functional traits
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-06-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-022-30888-2
Abstract: Due to massive energetic investments in woody support structures, trees are subject to unique physiological, mechanical, and ecological pressures not experienced by herbaceous plants. Despite a wealth of studies exploring trait relationships across the entire plant kingdom, the dominant traits underpinning these unique aspects of tree form and function remain unclear. Here, by considering 18 functional traits, encompassing leaf, seed, bark, wood, crown, and root characteristics, we quantify the multidimensional relationships in tree trait expression. We find that nearly half of trait variation is captured by two axes: one reflecting leaf economics, the other reflecting tree size and competition for light. Yet these orthogonal axes reveal strong environmental convergence, exhibiting correlated responses to temperature, moisture, and elevation. By subsequently exploring multidimensional trait relationships, we show that the full dimensionality of trait space is captured by eight distinct clusters, each reflecting a unique aspect of tree form and function. Collectively, this work identifies a core set of traits needed to quantify global patterns in functional bio ersity, and it contributes to our fundamental understanding of the functioning of forests worldwide.
Predicting Novel Riparian Ecosystems in a Changing Climate
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-06-2013
Grassland biodiversity can pay
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 26-03-2018
Abstract: Ecological research suggests that greater bio ersity could lead to greater economic value, even for private owners of “working” land. However, the studies from which such a conclusion might be inferred do not account for all relevant information in a coherent economic framework. Our paper applies standard economic theory to rigorously account for costs, quality, and risk. Results indicate that higher levels of bio ersity than are typically observed on commercial grasslands would maximize landowner value in the experimental grassland we study. Greater private benefits from bio ersity could encourage private investment in bio ersity and reduce the cost of public conservation efforts.
Compositional variation in grassland plant communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2023
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.4542
Abstract: Human activities are altering ecological communities around the globe. Understanding the implications of these changes requires that we consider the composition of those communities. However, composition can be summarized by many metrics which in turn are influenced by different ecological processes. For ex le, incidence‐based metrics strongly reflect species gains or losses, while abundance‐based metrics are minimally affected by changes in the abundance of small or uncommon species. Furthermore, metrics might be correlated with different predictors. We used a globally distributed experiment to examine variation in species composition within 60 grasslands on six continents. Each site had an identical experimental and s ling design: 24 plots × 4 years. We expressed compositional variation within each site—not across sites—using abundance‐ and incidence‐based metrics of the magnitude of dissimilarity (Bray–Curtis and Sorensen, respectively), abundance‐ and incidence‐based measures of the relative importance of replacement (balanced variation and species turnover, respectively), and species richness at two scales (per plot‐year [alpha] and per site [gamma]). Average compositional variation among all plot‐years at a site was high and similar to spatial variation among plots in the pretreatment year, but lower among years in untreated plots. For both types of metrics, most variation was due to replacement rather than nestedness. Differences among sites in overall within‐site compositional variation were related to several predictors. Environmental heterogeneity (expressed as the CV of total aboveground plant biomass in unfertilized plots of the site) was an important predictor for most metrics. Biomass production was a predictor of species turnover and of alpha ersity but not of other metrics. Continentality (measured as annual temperature range) was a strong predictor of Sorensen dissimilarity. Metrics of compositional variation are moderately correlated: knowing the magnitude of dissimilarity at a site provides little insight into whether the variation is driven by replacement processes. Overall, our understanding of compositional variation at a site is enhanced by considering multiple metrics simultaneously. Monitoring programs that explicitly incorporate these implications, both when designing s ling strategies and analyzing data, will have a stronger ability to understand the compositional variation of systems and to quantify the impacts of human activities.
Riparian Ecosystems in the 21st Century: Hotspots for Climate Change Adaptation?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-03-2013
Soil properties as key predictors of global grassland production: Have we overlooked micronutrients?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13894
Abstract: Fertilisation experiments have demonstrated that nutrient availability is a key determinant of biomass production and carbon sequestration in grasslands. However, the influence of nutrients in explaining spatial variation in grassland biomass production has rarely been assessed. Using a global dataset comprising 72 sites on six continents, we investigated which of 16 soil factors that shape nutrient availability associate most strongly with variation in grassland aboveground biomass. Climate and N deposition were also considered. Based on theory‐driven structural equation modelling, we found that soil micronutrients (particularly Zn and Fe) were important predictors of biomass and, together with soil physicochemical properties and C:N, they explained more unique variation (32%) than climate and N deposition (24%). However, the association between micronutrients and biomass was absent in grasslands limited by NP. These results highlight soil properties as key predictors of global grassland biomass production and point to serial co‐limitation by NP and micronutrients.
Catchment urbanization increases benthic microalgal biomass in streams under controlled light conditions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-08-2007
Global root traits (GRooT) database
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13179
Invasive plants and climate change
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2021
The positive effect of plant diversity on soil carbon depends on climate
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-10-2023
Economic costs of biological invasions in the United Kingdom
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 29-07-2021
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.67.59743
Abstract: Although the high costs of invasion are frequently cited and are a key motivation for environmental management and policy, synthesised data on invasion costs are scarce. Here, we quantify and examine the monetary costs of biological invasions in the United Kingdom (UK) using a global synthesis of reported invasion costs. Invasive alien species have cost the UK economy between US$6.9 billion and $17.6 billion (£5.4 – £13.7 billion) in reported losses and expenses since 1976. Most costs were reported for the entire UK or Great Britain (97%) country-scale cost reporting for the UK's four constituent countries was scarce. Reports of animal invasions were the costliest ($4.7 billion), then plant ($1.3 billion) and fungal ($206.7 million) invasions. Reported damage costs (i.e. excluding management costs) were higher in terrestrial ($4.8 billion) than aquatic or semi-aquatic environments ($29.8 million), and primarily impacted agriculture ($4.2 billion). Invaders with earlier introduction years accrued significantly higher total invasion costs. Invasion costs have been increasing rapidly since 1976, and have cost the UK economy $157.1 million (£122.1 million) per annum, on average. Published information on specific economic costs included only 42 of 520 invaders reported in the UK and was generally available only for the most intensively studied taxa, with just four species contributing 90% of species-specific costs. Given that many of the invasive species lacking cost data are actively managed and have well-recognised impacts, this suggests that cost information is incomplete and that totals presented here are vast underestimates owing to knowledge gaps. Financial expenditure on managing invasions is a fraction (37%) of the costs incurred through damage from invaders greater investments in UK invasive species research and management are, therefore, urgently required.
Grassland invasion in a changing climate
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 21-03-2019
Introduction bias: Imbalance in species introductions may obscure the identification of traits associated with invasiveness
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 22-03-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.22.436397
Abstract: 1 The introduction stage is usually overlooked in trait-based studies of invasiveness, implicitly assuming that species introductions are random. However, human activities promote the movement of specific types of species. Thus, species deliberately introduced for distinct purposes (e.g. gardening, forestry) or as contaminants of human commodities (e.g. stowaway) will likely show particular traits. If species with certain traits have been preferentially introduced (i.e. introduction bias), some traits may have been mistakenly linked to species’ invasion abilities due to their influence on introduction probability. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework with different scenarios of introduction bias. The introduction scenarios are: (1) Random introduction , independent from traits (2) Biologically biased introduction , following the worldwide distribution of the trait and (3) Human biased introduction , following a theoretical introduction pathway that favours the introduction of species with high values of the trait. We evaluate how the introduced trait distributions in these scenarios may affect trait distributions in naturalized and invasive species pools under different hypothesized associations between traits and the probabilities of naturalization and invasion. The aim of this work is to identify situations where ignoring introduction bias may lead to spurious correlations being found between species’ traits and species’ ability to become naturalized or invasive. Our framework strongly points to the need to evaluate the traits of species that have become naturalized or invasive along with the traits of species that have failed to do so in order to unravel any existing introduction bias that may confound the correlation between species’ traits and invasion success. Overlooking a possible introduction bias may lead to the overestimation of the correlation between the trait and the species’ invasion ability, especially in cases when the pool of introduced species shows extreme values of the trait distribution (as compared to a random introduction). Trait-based studies that deserve special attention to avoid undesired effects of introduction bias on their findings are: those that investigate naturalization using only the pool of naturalized species, and those studies that examine invasiveness by comparing invasive species with native species.
Inverse-problem versus principal component analysis methods for angular differential imaging of circumstellar disks. The mustard algorithm
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 03-10-2023
Reply to Proença et al.: Sown biodiverse pastures are not a universal solution to invasion risk
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 24-03-2015
The results of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning experiments are realistic
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-08-2020
MAcroecological Framework for Invasive Aliens (MAFIA): disentangling large-scale context dependence in biological invasions
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 15-10-2020
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.62.52787
Abstract: Macroecology is the study of patterns, and the processes that determine those patterns, in the distribution and abundance of organisms at large scales, whether they be spatial (from hundreds of kilometres to global), temporal (from decades to centuries), and organismal (numbers of species or higher taxa). In the context of invasion ecology, macroecological studies include, for ex le, analyses of the richness, ersity, distribution, and abundance of alien species in regional floras and faunas, spatio-temporal dynamics of alien species across regions, and cross-taxonomic analyses of species traits among comparable native and alien species pools. However, macroecological studies aiming to explain and predict plant and animal naturalisations and invasions, and the resulting impacts, have, to date, rarely considered the joint effects of species traits, environment, and socioeconomic characteristics. To address this, we present the MAcroecological Framework for Invasive Aliens (MAFIA). The MAFIA explains the invasion phenomenon using three interacting classes of factors – alien species traits, location characteristics, and factors related to introduction events – and explicitly maps these interactions onto the invasion sequence from transport to naturalisation to invasion. The framework therefore helps both to identify how anthropogenic effects interact with species traits and environmental characteristics to determine observed patterns in alien distribution, abundance, and richness and to clarify why neglecting anthropogenic effects can generate spurious conclusions. Event-related factors include propagule pressure, colonisation pressure, and residence time that are important for mediating the outcome of invasion processes. However, because of context dependence, they can bias analyses, for ex le those that seek to elucidate the role of alien species traits. In the same vein, failure to recognise and explicitly incorporate interactions among the main factors impedes our understanding of which macroecological invasion patterns are shaped by the environment, and of the importance of interactions between the species and their environment. The MAFIA is based largely on insights from studies of plants and birds, but we believe it can be applied to all taxa, and hope that it will stimulate comparative research on other groups and environments. By making the biases in macroecological analyses of biological invasions explicit, the MAFIA offers an opportunity to guide assessments of the context dependence of invasions at broad geographical scales.
AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-021-01006-6
Abstract: We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field c aigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and in idual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised in idual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
Mechanistic reconciliation of community and invasion ecology
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.3359
What are the economic costs of biological invasions? A complex topic requiring international and interdisciplinary expertise
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 03-11-2020
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.63.55260
Abstract: Biological invasions can cause substantial economic losses and expenses for management, as well as harm bio ersity, ecosystem services and human well-being. A comprehensive assessment of the economic costs of invasions is a challenging but essential prerequisite for efficient and sustainable management of invasive alien species. Indeed, these costs were shown to be inherently heterogeneous and complex to determine, and substantial knowledge gaps prevent a full understanding of their nature and distribution. Hence, the development of a still-missing global, standard framework for assessing and deciphering invasion costs is essential to identify effective management approaches and optimise legislation. The recent advent of the InvaCost database – the first comprehensive and harmonised compilation of the economic costs associated with biological invasions worldwide – offers unique opportunities to investigate these complex and erse costs at different scales. Insights provided by such a dataset are likely to be greatest when a erse range of experience and expertise are combined. For this purpose, an international and multidisciplinary workshop was held from 12 th to 15 th November 2019 near Paris (France) to launch several project papers based on the data available in InvaCost. Here, we highlight how the innovative research arising from this workshop offers a major step forward in invasion science. We collectively identified five core research opportunities that InvaCost can help to address: (i) decipher how existing costs of invasions are actually distributed in human society (ii) bridge taxonomic and geographic gaps identified in the costs currently estimated (iii) harmonise terminology and reporting of costs through a consensual and interdisciplinary framework (iv) develop innovative methodological approaches to deal with cost estimations and assessments and (v) provide cost-based information and tools for applied management of invasions. Moreover, we attribute part of the success of the workshop to its consideration of ersity, equity and societal engagement, which increased research efficiency, creativity and productivity. This workshop provides a strong foundation for substantially advancing our knowledge of invasion impacts, fosters the establishment of a dynamic collaborative network on the topic of invasion economics, and highlights new key features for future scientific meetings.
Restored river-floodplain connectivity promotes riparian tree maintenance and recruitment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
Non-natives: 141 scientists object
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2011
DOI: 10.1038/475036A
Propagule availability drives post‐wildfire recovery of peatland plant communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12608
Abstract: Northern peatlands are increasingly threatened by wildfire. Severe peatland wildfires can provide opportunities for new non‐peatland species to colonise post fire. Changes in plant colonisation could lead to longer‐term shifts in community composition, compromising recovery of peatland structure and function. Understanding the process of post‐fire recovery can thus inform restoration action and help restore peatland vascular plant communities. In this study, we ask: what drives initial vascular plant recovery following a peatland wildfire? Stalybridge moors, England (commonly referred to as the Saddleworth moors). We used a series of vegetation surveys and seed germination experiments to identify the composition of vascular plant community one‐year post fire, along with potential propagule sources. We combined this with plant trait data and, using a series of null models, compared observed community trait values against random species assemblages. Our data suggests that plant species are able to arrive at the burned site through multiple non‐exclusive recolonisation pathways. This includes colonisation through the soil seed bank, along with dispersal from surrounding unburned peatland and non‐peatland vegetation. The composition and structure of the recolonised communities was largely determined by the ability of species to reach the post‐fire site from these donor communities. This resulted in a post‐fire community composed of species possessing lower seed masses relative to the wider pool of potential colonisers. Our results highlight propagule availability as a driver of post‐wildfire vascular plant recovery. This provides opportunities for new non‐peatland species to colonise, potentially driving changes in the direction of vegetation recovery. Ensuring the availability of peatland species following a wildfire could therefore be key to the immediate recovery of these systems.
Species loss due to nutrient addition increases with spatial scale in global grasslands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13838
Abstract: The effects of altered nutrient supplies and herbivore density on species ersity vary with spatial scale, because coexistence mechanisms are scale dependent. This scale dependence may alter the shape of the species–area relationship (SAR), which can be described by changes in species richness ( S ) as a power function of the s le area ( A ): S = cA z , where c and z are constants. We analysed the effects of experimental manipulations of nutrient supply and herbivore density on species richness across a range of scales (0.01–75 m 2 ) at 30 grasslands in 10 countries. We found that nutrient addition reduced the number of species that could co‐occur locally, indicated by the SAR intercepts (log c ), but did not affect the SAR slopes ( z ). As a result, proportional species loss due to nutrient enrichment was largely unchanged across s ling scales, whereas total species loss increased over threefold across our range of s ling scales.
Environmental heterogeneity modulates the effect of plant diversity on the spatial variability of grassland biomass
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-03-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-023-37395-Y
Abstract: Plant productivity varies due to environmental heterogeneity, and theory suggests that plant ersity can reduce this variation. While there is strong evidence of ersity effects on temporal variability of productivity, whether this mechanism extends to variability across space remains elusive. Here we determine the relationship between plant ersity and spatial variability of productivity in 83 grasslands, and quantify the effect of experimentally increased spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions on this relationship. We found that communities with higher plant species richness (alpha and gamma ersity) have lower spatial variability of productivity as reduced abundance of some species can be compensated for by increased abundance of other species. In contrast, high species dissimilarity among local communities (beta ersity) is positively associated with spatial variability of productivity, suggesting that changes in species composition can scale up to affect productivity. Experimentally increased spatial environmental heterogeneity weakens the effect of plant alpha and gamma ersity, and reveals that beta ersity can simultaneously decrease and increase spatial variability of productivity. Our findings unveil the generality of the ersity-stability theory across space, and suggest that reduced local ersity and biotic homogenization can affect the spatial reliability of key ecosystem functions.
Invasion syndromes: a systematic approach for predicting biological invasions and facilitating effective management
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-03-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S10530-020-02220-W
Abstract: Our ability to predict invasions has been hindered by the seemingly idiosyncratic context-dependency of in idual invasions. However, we argue that robust and useful generalisations in invasion science can be made by considering “invasion syndromes” which we define as “a combination of pathways, alien species traits, and characteristics of the recipient ecosystem which collectively result in predictable dynamics and impacts, and that can be managed effectively using specific policy and management actions”. We describe this approach and outline ex les that highlight its utility, including: cacti with clonal fragmentation in arid ecosystems small aquatic organisms introduced through ballast water in harbours large ranid frogs with frequent secondary transfers piscivorous freshwater fishes in connected aquatic ecosystems plant invasions in high-elevation areas tall-statured grasses and tree-feeding insects in forests with suitable hosts. We propose a systematic method for identifying and delimiting invasion syndromes. We argue that invasion syndromes can account for the context-dependency of biological invasions while incorporating insights from comparative studies. Adopting this approach will help to structure thinking, identify transferrable risk assessment and management lessons, and highlight similarities among events that were previously considered disparate invasion phenomena.
Plant traits of propagule banks and standing vegetation reveal flooding alleviates impacts of agriculture on wetland restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-05-2017
Hydrological Impacts of Biological Invasions
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2017
Community diversity outweighs effect of warming on plant colonization
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-02-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15017
Abstract: Abiotic environmental change, local species extinctions and colonization of new species often co-occur. Whether species colonization is driven by changes in abiotic conditions or reduced biotic resistance will affect community functional composition and ecosystem management. We use a grassland experiment to disentangle effects of climate warming and community ersity on plant species colonization. Community ersity had dramatic impacts on the biomass, richness and traits of plant colonists. Three times as many species colonized the monocultures than the high ersity 17 species communities (~30 vs. 10 species), and colonists collectively produced 10 times as much biomass in the monocultures than the high ersity communities (~30 vs. 3 g/m
Characteristics of Australia's alien flora vary with invasion stage
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-04-2023
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13679
Abstract: Directly or indirectly, humans select the plants that they transport and introduce outside of species native ranges. Plants that have become invasive may therefore reflect which species had the chance to invade, rather than which species would become invasive given the chance. We examine characteristics of failed introductions, along with invasion successes, by investigating (a) variation in plant characteristics across invasion stages, and (b) how observed characteristics predict the likelihood of species moving through invasion stages. Australia. 1770s to present. 34,650 plant species, across 424 families. We used a comprehensive list of 34,650 plant species that are known to have been introduced to Australia, 4,081 of which are classified as naturalized and 428 as invasive. We represent plant characteristics with categorical growth forms, three functional traits (plant height, seed mass, and specific leaf area) and three factors related to species introduction histories (native regions, purpose, and minimum residence times). (a) The types of species introduced determine the types of species that naturalize and become invasive (b) species introduction histories predict the likelihood of species moving through invasion stages and (c) the numbers of species naturalizing (~15%) and becoming invasive (~15%) slightly exceeds expectation from the “tens rule”, which expects that 10% of introduced species naturalize and 10% become invasive. Our findings are significant for global biosecurity, indicating that functional traits alone cannot be used to predict a species' risk of becoming invasive. Rather, evidence suggests that characteristics of species introductions—specifically, a longer time‐lag since first introduction and more pathways of introduction—define the relative risks of species moving through invasion stages. This is important for assessing future invasion risks, as future introductions may differ from those of the past. Our work highlights the need to reduce the number of species introduced.
Plant functional traits reflect different dimensions of species invasiveness
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-04-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.3317
AusTraits – a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-01-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.04.425314
Abstract: We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of measurements of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 375 traits across 29230 taxa from field c aigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and in idual taxa descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological parameters (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised in idual-, species- and genus-level observations coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties. This data descriptor provides information on version 2.1.0 of AusTraits which contains data for 937243 trait-by-taxa combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data to increase our collective understanding of the Australian flora.
A review of the freshwater diversity in the Okavango Delta and Lake Ngami (Botswana): taxonomic composition, ecology, comparison with similar systems and conservation status
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2023
Relationships between plant–soil feedbacks and functional traits
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-07-2021
Abstract: Plant–soil feedbacks (PSF) and functional traits are two active but not well theoretically integrated areas of research. However, PSF and traits are both affected by life‐history evolution, so the two should theoretically be related. We provide a conceptual framework to link plant functional traits to two types of PSF metrics, and hypothesize that in idual PSF (plant performance in conspecific vs. heterospecific soil) should be related to the fast–slow trait spectrum, whereas pairwise PSF (the sum of the in idual feedbacks for two species growing in each other's soils) should be related to trait dissimilarity. We performed meta‐analyses to test these hypotheses by compiling two datasets, one dataset consisting of in idual PSF values and plant trait values (specific leaf area, SLA leaf N concentration, LNC specific root length, SRL fine root diameter, FRD plant height seed mass), and the second consisting of pairwise PSF values and trait dissimilarity. Our meta‐analyses showed that in idual PSF values were more negative in faster‐growing species with greater SLA, LNC and SRL, supporting the growth–defence trade‐off hypothesis. Plant height was positively correlated with in idual PSF, perhaps because large, long‐lived plants defend against pathogens better than smaller, shorter‐lived plants. We also found that larger‐seeded species had more positive or less negative PSF, likely reflecting greater tolerance of soil pathogens. The direction of relationships between trait dissimilarity and pairwise PSF varied with trait identity. Dissimilarities in SRL and FRD were negatively correlated with pairwise PSF while height dissimilarity was positively correlated with pairwise PSF. The contrasting relationships may reflect distinct links between trait dissimilarity and niche and fitness differences. Synthesis . Our results demonstrate how an integration of PSF and trait‐based approaches can advance plant community ecology.
Contrasting influences of inundation and land use on the rate of floodplain restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-03-2017
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.2749
Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 15-04-2021
Influence of functional and phylogenetic dissimilarity on exotic plant invasion depends on spatial scale
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 18-08-2023
Using multi‐scale species distribution data to infer drivers of biological invasion in riparian wetlands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2010
Dimensions of invasiveness: Links between local abundance, geographic range size, and habitat breadth in Europe’s alien and native floras
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 28-05-2021
Abstract: Invasive alien species pose major threats to bio ersity and ecosystems. However, identifying drivers of invasion success has been challenging, in part because species can achieve invasiveness in different ways, each corresponding to different aspects of demographics and distribution. Employing a multidimensional perspective of invasiveness to Europe’s alien flora, we find species generally fall along an axis from overall poor invaders to super invaders that become abundant, widespread, and invade erse habitats. Some species that deviate from this pattern are recently introduced and still spreading, but others represent atypical forms of invasiveness. In addition to identifying species traits and ecological circumstances associated with super invaders (e.g., intercontinental introductions), we explore drivers in atypical invasions, providing increased clarity into invasion processes.
Restored river-floodplain connectivity promotes woody plant establishment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Related Organisations
King's College London
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
University Of Southampton
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Related Funding Activities
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End Date: 2014
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End Date: 2026
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View Funded ActivityOvercoming Multiple Constraints To Wetland Forest Restoration
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End Date: 2017
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View Funded ActivityDiscovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102221
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Amount: $375,000.00
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View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP150101839
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End Date: 06-2019
Amount: $503,000.00
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View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP150100682
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End Date: 01-2020
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View Funded Activity