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Forests
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The Effects of Invasive and Exotic Plants on Forests
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The Effects of Invasive and Exotic Plants on Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2017) | Viewed by 15812

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Annabel J. Porté

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biogeco (Biodiversity Genes and Communities), INRA Univ. Bordeaux, Bât. B2, Allée Geoffroy St-Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac, CEDEX, France

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the impacts of global changes on forests is one of the main challenges we are currently facing. Climate change has profound impacts on ecosystem function and biodiversity that are not fully understood, although tree distribution changes, local extinction of temperate tree species and the expansion of Mediterranean species were evidenced in response to current climate changes. Simultaneously to climate change, some tree species, introduced several centuries ago, became invasive and now largely contribute to the composition and functioning of local forests. Jointly to these patterns of change due to invasive species and climate change, we need to deepen our understanding of the physiological and genetic processes that underlie tree species adaptive capacities in order to evaluate the future changes in forests composition, production and functioning. We welcome all studies that aim at understanding the impacts of exotic or invasive trees on forest biodiversity and functioning from a local to a global scale, as well as comparative evaluation of native, exotic and invasive trees, at the species and infra-specific level in order to characterize the role of plasticity and/or genetic adaptation to invasiveness. Management-oriented studies are also welcome.

Dr. Annabel J. Porté
Guest Editor

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. Forests 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 2600 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

  • Tree ecophysiology
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Invasive trees
  • Species distribution
  • Impacts of climate change

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Spread of the Introduced Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) in Coastal Norway
by Per Holm Nygaard and Bernt-Håvard Øyen
Forests 2017, 8(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8010024 - 14 Jan 2017
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 8741
Abstract
Positive and negative effects on ecosystem services from plantation forestry in Europe have led to conflicts regarding non-native tree species. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) is the most common plantation species in northwest Europe, covering 1.3 Mha. In costal Norway, Sitka [...] Read more.
Positive and negative effects on ecosystem services from plantation forestry in Europe have led to conflicts regarding non-native tree species. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) is the most common plantation species in northwest Europe, covering 1.3 Mha. In costal Norway, Sitka spruce was intentionally introduced and is currently occupying about 50,000 ha. Sitka spruce was blacklisted in Norway in 2012, mainly based on the risk for invasive spreading, but little quantitative documentation exists on spread. Here we quantify spread from plantations into abandoned heathland and pastures in thirteen sites where natural regeneration occurs. Spread distances and zero-square distributions related to the nearest edge of the parent stand were fitted by use of Weibull. The median expansion rate was 0.8 m·year−1 in north Norway and 4.4 m·year−1 in west Norway. The maximum establishment distance measured was 996 m. A peak in sapling density occurred within 50 m from the edge, and there was a general decrease in saplings with increasing distance. Conversely, increase in zero-squares percentages occurred with increasing distance. We argue that inclusion of abundance in assessing spread is necessary to define invasiveness. Based on spread models and prevailing forestry practices we recommend that the establishment of new Sitka spruce plantations within 200 m of protected areas should be avoided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Invasive and Exotic Plants on Forests)
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18 pages, 2351 KiB  
Article
Independent Effects of Invasive Shrubs and Deer Herbivory on Plant Community Dynamics
by Jeffrey S. Ward, Scott C. Williams and Megan A. Linske
Forests 2017, 8(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8010002 - 22 Dec 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6516
Abstract
Both invasive species and deer herbivory are recognized as locally important drivers of plant community dynamics. However, few studies have examined whether their effects are synergistic, additive, or antagonistic. At three study areas in southern New England, we examined the interaction of white-tailed [...] Read more.
Both invasive species and deer herbivory are recognized as locally important drivers of plant community dynamics. However, few studies have examined whether their effects are synergistic, additive, or antagonistic. At three study areas in southern New England, we examined the interaction of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) herbivory and three levels of invasive shrub control over seven growing seasons on the dynamics of nine herbaceous and shrub guilds. Although evidence of synergistic interactions was minimal, the separate effects of invasive shrub control and deer herbivory on plant community composition and dynamics were profound. Plant communities remained relatively unchanged where invasive shrubs were not treated, regardless if deer herbivory was excluded or not. With increasing intensity of invasive shrub control, native shrubs and forbs became more dominant where deer herbivory was excluded, and native graminoids became progressively more dominant where deer herbivory remained severe. While deer exclusion and intensive invasive shrub control increased native shrubs and forbs, it also increased invasive vines. Restoring native plant communities in areas with both established invasive shrub thickets and severe deer browsing will require an integrated management plan to eliminate recalcitrant invasive shrubs, reduce deer browsing intensity, and quickly treat other opportunistic invasive species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Invasive and Exotic Plants on Forests)
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