Ecology of Alien Species in Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2022) | Viewed by 5333

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: alien species; conservation biology; forest ecology; forest management; plant–animal interactions; plant regeneration ecology
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Guest Editor
School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA 6027, Australia
Interests: landscape ecology; fire ecology; eucalyptus forests; arid land ecology; restoration ecology; plant–animal interactions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing movement of people and goods around the world is facilitating the movement of alien species. Human activities in forest ecosystems have favored the arrival of alien species, both intentionally and accidentally. For instance, the use of fast-growing exotic trees in forestry has favored the spread of these species (e.g., eucalypts and pines) outside plantations into natural forests across the world, introduced insects have spread dramatically in some areas, and mycorrhizal fungi have colonized the soils of new continents. Forests have thus become the host habitat for many exotic species, which has often led to significant alterations in the biodiversity and functioning of these ecosystems. Alien species have sometimes caused significant impacts that threaten populations of forest species, or have become a new resource for native species. In either case, the establishment of new interactions with the native communities determines the ecological integration or naturalization of the alien species in the host habitat, and with it, its ability to persist and spread, and to either support biodiversity or detrimentally impact native communities.

In this Special Issue we welcome contributions on the ecology of alien species in forest ecosystems. This includes all types of organisms, functional roles, and types of interactions with the native forest communities—either antagonistic or mutually beneficial. A better knowledge of the ecology of alien species in forests is essential in order to better understand the functioning of the novel communities resulting from biological globalization.

Prof. Dr. Maria Calvino-Cancela
Dr. Eddie J.B. van Etten
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Alien species
  • Disturbances
  • Novel interactions
  • Biodiversity
  • Invasive species
  • Ecosystem functioning

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 27763 KiB  
Article
AFLP-Based Genetic Structure of Lithuanian Populations of Small Balsam (Impatiens parviflora DC.) in Relation to Habitat Characteristics
by Lina Jocienė, Kristė Stravinskaitė, Edvina Krokaitė, Rasa Janulionienė, Tomas Rekašius, Algimantas Paulauskas, Vitas Marozas and Eugenija Kupčinskienė
Forests 2022, 13(8), 1228; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081228 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1996
Abstract
Currently, there is an increasing focus on understanding the interactions between genetic features of the invader and environmental factors that ensure the success of invasion. The objective of our study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Lithuanian populations of highly invasive small [...] Read more.
Currently, there is an increasing focus on understanding the interactions between genetic features of the invader and environmental factors that ensure the success of invasion. The objective of our study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Lithuanian populations of highly invasive small balsam (Impatiens parviflora) by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and to relate molecular data to biotope features defined by employing neighboring species of herbaceous plants. Low polymorphism of I. parviflora populations was observed at AFLP loci. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance did not reveal differentiation of populations depending on biotope, geography, or road types. Bayesian analyses of AFLP data demonstrated many genetic clusters. Our results suggest multiple introductions of I. parviflora into Lithuania. The polymorphism of AFLP loci of populations significantly correlated with the total coverage by herbaceous plants in the sites. Defined by principal component analysis, the variability of study sites was most related to the coverage of herbaceous plants and least related to the molecular features of I. parviflora populations. The sites with I. parviflora were classified into agricultural scrubland, riparian forest, and urban forest biotopes. Of them, urban forest was distinguished by the highest coverage of I. parviflora and the lowest Ellenberg indicatory values for light, soil acidity, and richness in nutrients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Alien Species in Forests)
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18 pages, 3310 KiB  
Article
Community Structure and Soil Mineral Concentration in Relation to Plant Invasion in a Subtropical Urban and Rural Ecotone
by Peiyun Xie, Ting Liu, Hongyu Chen and Zhiyao Su
Forests 2021, 12(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12020185 - 7 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
Alien species invasion affects local community biodiversity and stability considerably, and ecosystem services and functions will accordingly be dramatically changed. Many studies have reported a correlation between invasibility and the chemical nature of soil, but the influences of understory plant community structure and [...] Read more.
Alien species invasion affects local community biodiversity and stability considerably, and ecosystem services and functions will accordingly be dramatically changed. Many studies have reported a correlation between invasibility and the chemical nature of soil, but the influences of understory plant community structure and soil trace element concentrations on invasibility have not been fully explored. Landscape heterogeneity in the urban and rural ecotone may alter the invasion process, and assessing the invasibility of different types of native forests may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which native species resist invasion. We compared the composition, structure, diversity and stability of the understory community in abandoned fallows, severely invaded by Mikania micrantha and Borreria latifolia, and adjacent natural and planted forests in the urban and rural ecotone of Eastern Guangzhou, China. Additionally, we quantified mineral element concentrations in the topsoil (0–25 cm) most influenced by the root system of understory communities in the forest stand types. Abandoned fallows had the highest concentrations of available ferrum (Fe) and available boron (B) and the lowest concentration of total mercury (Hg) Hg among the three stand types. In contrast to various species diversity indices, the understory structure of the three stands better explained differences in community invasibility. Average understory cover significantly differed among the three stand types, and those types with the greatest number of stems in height and cover classes 1 and 2 differed the most, indicating that seedling establishment may deter invasion to a certain extent. CCA (canonical correspondence analysis) results better reflected the distribution range of each stand type and its relationship with environmental factors, and available Fe, available B, exchangeable calcium (Ca), exchangeable magnesium (Mg), cover, available copper (Cu) and total Hg , were strongly related the distribution of native and exotic understory species. Invasion weakened community stability. The stability index changed consistently with the species diversity index, and abandoned fallows understory community stability was lower than the other stand types. According to our results, both soil mineral element concentrations and community structure are related to alien species invasion. Against the backdrop of urbanization and industrialization, this information will provide forest management and planning departments with certain reference points for forest protection and invasive plant management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Alien Species in Forests)
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