Evidence of biotic resistance to invasions in forests of the Eastern USA

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  • Authors: Iannone III, Basil V.; Potter, Kevin M.; Hamil, Kelly-Ann Dixon; Huang, Whitney; Zhang, Hao; Guo, Qinfeng; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Fei, Songlin
  • Publication Year: 2016
  • Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
  • Source: Landscape Ecology
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10980-015-0280-7

Abstract

Context Detecting biotic resistance to biological invasions across large geographic areas may require acknowledging multiple metrics of niche usage and potential spatial heterogeneity in associations between invasive and native species diversity and dominance.
Objectives Determine (1) if native communities are resistant to biological invasions at macroscales; (2) the metrics that best quantify biotic resistance at these scales; and (3) the degree to which the direction and magnitude of invader-native associations vary with scale and/or location.
Methods Using a mixed-effects modeling framework to account for potential sub-regional and crossscale variability in invader-native associations, we
modeled the species richness and cover of invasive plants in 42,626 plots located throughout Eastern USA forests in relationship to plot-level estimates of native tree biomass, species richness, and evolutionary diversity.
Results We found (1) native tree biomass and evolutionary diversity, but not species richness, to be negatively associated with invader establishment and dominance, and thus indicative of biotic resistance; (2) evidence that evolutionary diversity limits invader dominance more than it does invader establishment; (3) evidence of greater invasion resistance in parts of the agriculturally-dominated Midwest and in and around the more-contiguous forests of the Appalachian Mountains; and (4) the magnitude to which native tree biomass and evolutionary diversity limit invasion varies across the ranges of these metrics.
Conclusions These findings illustrate the improved understanding of biotic resistance to invasions that is gained by accounting for sub-regional variability in ecological processes, and underscores the need to determine the factors leading to spatial heterogeneity in biotic resistance.

  • Citation: Iannone III, Basil V.; Potter, Kevin M.; Hamil, Kelly-Ann Dixon; Huang, Whitney; Zhang, Hao; Guo, Qinfeng; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Fei, Songlin 2016. Evidence of biotic resistance to invasions in forests of the Eastern USA. Landscape Ecology, Vol. 31(1): 15 pages.: 85-99. 15p.  10.1007/s10980-015-0280-7
  • Keywords: Big data . Biomass . FIA Program . Invasive plants .  Macrosystems .  Niche .  Evolutionary . diversity .  Taxonomic . diversity
  • Posted Date: February 3, 2016
  • Modified Date: February 3, 2016

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