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Diversity
Special Issues
Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species
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Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 6692

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zigmantas Gudžinskas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nature Research Centre, Institute of Botany, 12000 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: plant invasions; plant ecology; plant taxonomy; species conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculté de Gestion, Economie et Science (FGES), Université Catholique de Lille, 59800 Lille, France
Interests: plant biology; ecological, biological and chemical traits; vegetation; ecosystems analysis and dynamics; conservation; restoration ecology; land and natural resources management; traditional uses and new applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of alien and invasive species is one of the areas of greatest interest to researchers working in the fields of biodiversity, molecular biology, ecology and environmental conservation. Despite the thousands of scientific papers being published each year summarizing the various aspects of plant invasions, some topical issues and particular groups of plants receive considerably less attention from researchers. The aim of this Special Issue is therefore to encourage researchers to publish research results that address the following topics in alien and invasive plant species:

(1) Adaptation of species to new environmental conditions at different spatial (population, community, habitat, ecosystem, geographic or biogeographic region, continent, world) and temporal scales;

(2) Mechanisms and consequences of the impact of invasive species on populations and habitats of threatened native plant species;

(3) Ecological, trophic, and mutualistic relationships of alien plant species with other native and alien organisms (bacteria, fungi, plants, animals);

(4) Micro-evolutionary processes in populations of alien and invasive plant species;

(5) Hybridization of alien plant species with native congeners, its impact on native species populations, and assessment of current and potential threats.

Dr. Zigmantas Gudžinskas
Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adaptations
  • communities
  • dispersal
  • ecosystems
  • habitats
  • hybridization
  • micro-evolution
  • mutualistic relationships
  • populations
  • spatial scale
  • temporal scale
  • trophic relationships

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 6553 KiB  
Article
Invasion of Sicyos angulatus in Riparian Habitats in the Jiu and Danube Area (Romania)
by Mariana Niculescu, Paula Iancu and Ovidiu Florin Păniță
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070400 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 642
Abstract
Sicyos angulatus (Cucurbitaceae) is an invasive species because of its rapid growth rate, intensive dispersal and ability to adapt to a wide range of environments. It has become an invasive species in the Ostroveni area, an area at the confluence of the Jiu [...] Read more.
Sicyos angulatus (Cucurbitaceae) is an invasive species because of its rapid growth rate, intensive dispersal and ability to adapt to a wide range of environments. It has become an invasive species in the Ostroveni area, an area at the confluence of the Jiu River and the Danube River in the Oltenia region of Romania. This species spreads, climbs and takes over everything in its path. It can also outcompete native plants very quickly as it is a prolific breeder. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the invasive potential of S. angulatus in the forests of the Jiu and Danube confluence area by calculating several indicator values. The results showed that the number of plants varies depending on factors such as location, water availability and shade. They also showed that S. angulatus is a plant that occupies its niche in the ecosystem and has a negative impact on the local flora. Population control should therefore start with early detection, so that control and eradication are less costly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species)
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16 pages, 1336 KiB  
Article
Invasiveness of Impatiens parviflora in Carpathian Beech Forests: Insights from Soil Nematode Communities
by Marek Renčo, Jana Jurová and Andrea Čerevková
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070393 - 10 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1206
Abstract
Invasive plants are capable of homogenizing both aboveground and belowground biota and, along with climate change, are recognized as one of the biggest threats to global biodiversity. Soil nematode communities reflect the surroundings they inhabit and are therefore frequently employed as biological indicators [...] Read more.
Invasive plants are capable of homogenizing both aboveground and belowground biota and, along with climate change, are recognized as one of the biggest threats to global biodiversity. Soil nematode communities reflect the surroundings they inhabit and are therefore frequently employed as biological indicators of soil condition. In this study, soil properties and nematode communities in Carpathian beech forest floor covered by dense vegetation of invasive Impatiens parviflora (small balsam) were investigated over two vegetation seasons. We assumed that the spread of invasive I. parviflora could influence soil fauna through litter accumulation when established and could also change several soil properties, consequently altering soil nematode communities. A total of 52 nematode species were found in the soil samples. The mean number of species varied from 18 to 31, but did not significantly differ between invaded and uninvaded plots across all sampling dates. However, redundancy analysis indicated that the nematode community in plots with small balsam differed significantly from that in uninvaded plots, reflecting different proportions of genera in the two communities. Invasion by small balsam significantly enhanced the relative abundance of bacterivores, whereas it decreased the abundance of plant parasites and root-fungal feeders, mainly in the spring and summer season. Ordination of nematode species along the structure index and enrichment index trajectories revealed a maturing food web, low to moderately disturbed in the I. parviflora invaded soils as well as in uninvaded forest plots. Decomposition channels of soil food webs in both plots were balanced and fungal–bacterial mediated, although low values of the channel index suggested prevailing bacterial decomposition. Our study reveals that the expansion of I. parviflora moderately influenced the composition of nematode communities and the soil food web, increased soil nitrogen, carbon and C/N ratio, but did not modify soil acidity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species)
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13 pages, 3115 KiB  
Article
Drivers of Species Distribution and Niche Dynamics for Ornamental Plants Originating at Different Latitudes
by Jing Zhou, Qianhong Tang, Donglin Zong, Xiaokang Hu, Bingru Wang and Tao Wang
Diversity 2023, 15(7), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070877 - 23 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1497
Abstract
Human activities provide migration opportunities for many ornamental plants and make them become a new potential invasion risk, threatening the local ecosystem. However, ornamental plants come from a wide range of sources, and there is still a lack of understanding on the distribution [...] Read more.
Human activities provide migration opportunities for many ornamental plants and make them become a new potential invasion risk, threatening the local ecosystem. However, ornamental plants come from a wide range of sources, and there is still a lack of understanding on the distribution driving factors, ecological niche dynamics and invasion ability of ornamental plants based on the origin of different latitudes to evaluate their potential invasion risks. In this study, an ensemble of ecological niche model and a niche dynamic model were used to analyze the invasion potential of herbaceous and woody ornamental plants originating from different latitudes. The results showed that there were significant differences in environmental factors driving the distribution of plants originating from different latitudes, and climate-related factors were the primary driving force for each plant in the native and introduced regions. Urban land was the most influential factor in the introduced areas of most plants, potentially reflecting the importance of human activities in the distribution of ornamental plants. Additionally, only woody plants originating from mid-latitudes showed greater diffusivity than those originating in high latitudes and low latitudes, and the niche widths of all the herbaceous plants in the introduced regions nearly exceeded those in the native regions. This phenomenon was observed only in woody plants with mid-latitude origins. The niche similarity of all plant species between the introduced and native regions was high, indicating that all species in the introduced regions inherited niche characteristics from plants in the native regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species)
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Review

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27 pages, 3827 KiB  
Review
Management Strategies of Prosopis juliflora in Eastern Africa: What Works Where?
by Hellen Wangechi Kamiri, Simon K. Choge and Mathias Becker
Diversity 2024, 16(4), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16040251 - 22 Apr 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
Prosopis juliflora is a shrub/tree originating from the Americas. Since its introduction for fuel wood afforestation into eastern Africa, it has been invading crop- and rangelands with negative effects on the environment and on livelihoods. Understanding the management strategies for Prosopis and matching [...] Read more.
Prosopis juliflora is a shrub/tree originating from the Americas. Since its introduction for fuel wood afforestation into eastern Africa, it has been invading crop- and rangelands with negative effects on the environment and on livelihoods. Understanding the management strategies for Prosopis and matching them with ecological, social-cultural, and economic needs of the eastern African region is a pressing scientific issue. We analyzed management strategies of Prosopis, focusing on determinants and drivers of their choice of applied management strategies as well as their effectiveness. We identified 1917 scientific contributions published between 1970 and 2022. Following a multi-step screening, we reduced the references to 53 relevant (internationally) published papers with a focus on the management of Prosopis in the east African region. Analysis of the literature shows that factors driving invasion dynamics but also land users’ social-economic as well as cultural attributes determine the type of management strategy and shape local control actions. Main strategies comprise (1) physical containment of invasive spread, (2) chemical, mechanical and biological approaches to reduce stand densities, (3) complete eradication, (4) restoration of invaded land, and (5) economic use of Prosopis products. Adopted strategies are based on actual and perceived impacts of invasion, and the adoption and success of individual strategies is highly location specific. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Plant Species)
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