1
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DiManno N, Ostertag R, Uowolo A, Durham A, Blakemore K, Cordell S, Vitousek P. Functional trait-based restoration alters nutrient cycling and invasion rates in Hawaiian lowland wet forest. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2894. [PMID: 37282355 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many degraded ecosystems have altered nutrient dynamics due to invaders' possessing a suite of traits that allow them to both outcompete native species and alter the environment. In ecosystems where invasive species have increased nutrient turnover rates, it can be difficult to reduce nutrient availability. This study examined whether a functional trait-based restoration approach involving the planting of species with conservative nutrient-use traits could slow rates of nutrient cycling and consequently reduce rates of invasion. We examined a functional trait restoration initiative in a heavily invaded lowland wet forest site in Hilo, Hawai'i. Native and introduced species were chosen to create four experimental hybrid forest communities, in comparison to the invaded forest, with a factorial design in which communities varied in rates of carbon turnover (slow or moderate [SLOW, MOD]), and in the relationship of species in trait space (redundant or complementary [RED, COMP]). After the first 5 years, we evaluated community-level outcomes related to nutrient cycling: carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) via litterfall, litter decomposition, and outplant productivity and rates of invasion. We found that (1) regardless of treatment, the experimental communities had low rates of nutrient cycling through litterfall relative to the invaded reference forest, (2) the MOD communities had greater nutrient release via litterfall than the SLOW communities, (3) introduced species had greater nutrient release than native species in the two MOD experimental communities, and (4) within treatments, there was a positive relationship between nutrient levels and outplant basal area, but outplant basal area was negatively associated with rates of invasion. The negative relationships among basal area and weed invasion, particularly for the two COMP treatments, suggest species existing in different parts of trait space may help confer some degree of invasion resistance. The diversification of trait space was facilitated by the use of introduced species, a new concept in Hawaiian forest management. Although challenges remain in endeavors to restore this heavily degraded ecosystem, this study provides evidence that functional trait-based restoration approaches using carefully crafted hybrid communities can reduce rates of nutrient cycling and invasion in order to reach management goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole DiManno
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Rebecca Ostertag
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Amanda Uowolo
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Amy Durham
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Kaikea Blakemore
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Susan Cordell
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Peter Vitousek
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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2
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Hughes RF, Grossman D, Sowards TG, Marshall JD, Mueller-Dombois D. Aboveground carbon accumulation by second-growth forests after deforestation in Hawai'i. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2539. [PMID: 35048473 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Successional processes ultimately determine and define carbon accumulations in forested ecosystems. Although primary succession on wholly new substrate occurs across the globe, secondary succession, often following storm events or anthropogenic disturbance, is more common and is capable of globally significant accumulations of carbon (C) at a time when offsets to anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions are critically needed. In Hawai'i, prior studies have investigated ecosystem development during primary succession on lava flows, including estimates of C mass accumulation. Yet relatively little is known regarding secondary succession of Hawaii's native forests, particularly regarding C mass accumulation. Here we documented aboveground C mass accumulation by native- and nonnative-dominated second-growth forests following deforestation of mature native lowland rainforests in the Puna District of Hawai'i Island. We characterized species composition and stand structure of three distinct successional forest stand types: those dominated by the native tree, Metrosideros polymorpha ('Ōhi'a), and those dominated by invasive nonnative trees, Falcataria moluccana (albizia) and Psidium cattleianum (strawberry guava). We compared M. polymorpha-dominated and F. moluccana-dominated second-growth forests to adjacent mature M. polymorpha-dominated forests as well as young M. polymorpha-dominated forests undergoing initial stages of primary succession on 36-years-old lava fields. Aboveground carbon density (ACD) values of mature primary forest stands (171 Mg/ha) were comparable to those of mature continental tropical forests. M. polymorpha-dominated second-growth stands attained nearly 50% of ACD values of mature primary forests after less than 30 years of post-disturbance succession and exhibited aboveground carbon accumulation rates of ~3 Mg C·ha-1 ·year-1 . Such rates were comparable to those of second-growth forests in continental tropics. Rates of ACD accumulation by second-growth forests dominated by nonnative F. moluccana stands were similar, or slightly greater than, those of M. polymorpha-dominated stands. However, M. polymorpha individuals were virtually absent from stands dominated by either P. cattleianum or F. moluccana. Taken together, results demonstrated that re-establishment and rapid accumulation of C mass by M. polymorpha stands during secondary succession is certainly possible, but only where populations of nonnative species have not already colonized areas during early stages of secondary succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Flint Hughes
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai'i, USA
| | - Dennis Grossman
- California Strategic Growth Council, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Travis G Sowards
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Jonathan D Marshall
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai'i, USA
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3
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Biochar Rescues Native Trees in the Biodiversity Hotspot of Mauritius. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13020277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many tropical invasive species have allelopathic effects that contribute to their success in native plant communities. Pyrolyzed biomass (“biochar”) can sorb toxic compounds, including allelochemicals produced by invasive plants, potentially reducing their inhibitory effects on native species. Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) is among the most important allelopathic invasive species on tropical islands and recognized as the most serious threat among invasive species in the global biodiversity hotspot of Mauritius. We investigated the effects of additions of locally produced biochar on native tree species in a field experiment conducted in areas invaded by strawberry guava within Mauritius’ largest national park. Growth and survivorship of native tree species were monitored over 2.5 years in plots subjected to four treatments: non-weeded, weeded, weeded + 25 t/ha biochar, and weeded + 50 t/ha biochar. Native tree growth and survivorship were strongly suppressed by strawberry guava. Biochar treatments dramatically increased native tree performance, with more than a doubling in growth, and substantially increased native tree survivorship and species diversity, while suppressing strawberry guava regeneration, consistent with growth-promoting properties and sorption of allelochemicals. We conclude that biochars, including “sustainable biochars” produced from locally accessible biomass using low-tech pyrolysis systems, have considerable potential to counteract effects of allelopathic invaders and increase the capacity for native species regeneration in tropical island ecosystems.
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4
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Yelenik SG, Roy K, Stallman J. Successful restoration of
Metrosideros polymorpha
(ʻōhiʻa) is possible in forest sites with active Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death infections. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie G. Yelenik
- Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center U.S. Geological Survey Volcano HI 96718 U.S.A
| | - Kylle Roy
- Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center U.S. Geological Survey Volcano HI 96718 U.S.A
| | - Jeff Stallman
- Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit University of Hawaiʻi Hilo HI 96720 U.S.A
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5
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McClure KM, Fleischer RC, Kilpatrick AM. The role of native and introduced birds in transmission of avian malaria in Hawaii. Ecology 2020; 101:e03038. [PMID: 32129884 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of nonnative species and reductions in native biodiversity have resulted in substantial changes in vector and host communities globally, but the consequences for pathogen transmission are poorly understood. In lowland Hawaii, bird communities are composed of primarily introduced species, with scattered populations of abundant native species. We examined the influence of avian host community composition, specifically the role of native and introduced species, as well as host diversity, on the prevalence of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus). We also explored the reciprocal effect of malaria transmission on native host populations and demography. Avian malaria infection prevalence in mosquitoes increased with the density and relative abundance of native birds, as well as host community competence, but was uncorrelated with host diversity. Avian malaria transmission was estimated to reduce population growth rates of Hawai'i 'amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) by 7-14%, but mortality from malaria could not explain gaps in this species' distribution at our sites. Our results suggest that, in Hawaii, native host species increase pathogen transmission to mosquitoes, but introduced species can also support malaria transmission alone. The increase in pathogen transmission with native bird abundance leads to additional disease mortality in native birds, further increasing disease impacts in an ecological feedback cycle. In addition, vector abundance was higher at sites without native birds and this overwhelmed the effects of host community composition on transmission such that infected mosquito abundance was highest at sites without native birds. Higher disease risk at these sites due to higher vector abundance could inhibit recolonization and recovery of native species to these areas. More broadly, this work shows how differences in host competence for a pathogen among native and introduced taxa can influence transmission and highlights the need to examine this question in other systems to determine the generality of this result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M McClure
- Department Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA.,Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, USA
| | - A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
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6
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Ibanez T, Hart P, Ainsworth A, Gross J, Monello R. Factors associated with alien plant richness, cover and composition differ in tropical island forests. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ibanez
- Department of Biology University of Hawaiˊi at Hilo Hilo HI USA
| | - Patrick Hart
- Department of Biology University of Hawaiˊi at Hilo Hilo HI USA
| | - Alison Ainsworth
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park HI USA
| | - Jacob Gross
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park HI USA
| | - Ryan Monello
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park HI USA
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7
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McClure KM, Lawrence C, Kilpatrick AM. Land Use and Larval Habitat Increase Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) Abundance in Lowland Hawaii. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:1509-1516. [PMID: 30085189 PMCID: PMC6201829 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Vector abundance plays a key role in transmission of mosquito-borne disease. In Hawaii, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), the Asian tiger mosquito, has been implicated in locally-transmitted dengue outbreaks, while Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), the southern house mosquito, is the primary vector of avian malaria, a wildlife disease that has contributed to declines and extinctions of native Hawaiian birds. Despite the importance of these introduced species to human and wildlife health, little is known about the local-scale drivers that shape mosquito abundance across lowland Hawaii, where forest, agricultural, and residential land uses are prevalent. We examined landscape, larval habitat, and climate drivers of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance in eight lowland wet forest fragments on the Big Island of Hawaii. We found that the abundance of both species increased with the proportion of surrounding developed land and the availability of larval habitat, which were themselves correlated. Our findings suggest that conversion of natural habitats to residential and agricultural land increases mosquito larval habitats, increasing the abundance of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus and increasing disease risk to humans and wildlife in Hawaii. Our results further indicate that while source reduction of artificial larval habitats-particularly moderately-sized human-made habitats including abandoned cars and tires-could reduce mosquito abundance, eliminating larval habitat will be challenging because both species utilize both natural and human-made larval habitats in lowland Hawaii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M McClure
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | | | - A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
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8
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Craven D, Knight TM, Barton KE, Bialic-Murphy L, Cordell S, Giardina CP, Gillespie TW, Ostertag R, Sack L, Chase JM. OpenNahele: the open Hawaiian forest plot database. Biodivers Data J 2018:e28406. [PMID: 30305799 PMCID: PMC6172291 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.6.e28406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This data paper provides a description of OpenNahele, the open Hawaiian forest plot database. OpenNahele includes 530 forest plots across the Hawaiian archipelago containing 43,590 individuals of 185 native and alien tree, shrub and tree fern species across six islands. We include estimates of maximum plant size (D950.1 and Dmax3) for 58 woody plant species, a key functional trait associated with dispersal distance and competition for light. OpenNahele can serve as a platform to test key ecological, evolutionary and conservation questions in a hotspot archipelago. New information OpenNahele is the first database that compiles data from a large number of forest plots across the Hawaiian archipelago to allow broad and high resolution studies of biodiversity patterns. Keywords: Hawaii, forests, islands, biodiversity, community ecology, evolutionary ecology
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Craven
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle (Saale), Germany Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany.,University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Tiffany M Knight
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle (Saale), Germany Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Kasey E Barton
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, United States of America Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu United States of America
| | - Lalasia Bialic-Murphy
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, United States of America Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu United States of America.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, United States of America Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville Knoxville United States of America
| | - Susan Cordell
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, United States of America Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service Hilo United States of America
| | - Christian P Giardina
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, United States of America Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service Hilo United States of America
| | - Thomas W Gillespie
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles United States of America
| | - Rebecca Ostertag
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, United States of America Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo Hilo United States of America
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles United States of America
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle Germany
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9
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D'Antonio CM, Ostertag R, Cordell S, Yelenik S. Interactions Among Invasive Plants: Lessons from Hawai‘i. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110316-022620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Most ecosystems have multiple-plant invaders rather than single-plant invaders, yet ecological studies and management actions focus largely on single invader species. There is a need for general principles regarding invader interactions across varying environmental conditions, so that secondary invasions can be anticipated and managers can allocate resources toward pretreatment or postremoval actions. By reviewing removal experiments conducted in three Hawaiian ecosystems (a dry tropical forest, a seasonally dry mesic forest, and a lowland wet forest), we evaluate the roles environmental harshness, priority effects, productivity potential, and species interactions have in influencing secondary invasions, defined here as invasions that are influenced either positively (facilitation) or negatively (inhibition/priority effects) by existing invaders. We generate a conceptual model with a surprise index to describe whether long-term plant invader composition and dominance is predictable or stochastic after a system perturbation such as a removal experiment. Under extremely low resource availability, the surprise index is low, whereas under intermediate-level resource environments, invader dominance is more stochastic and the surprise index is high. At high resource levels, the surprise index is intermediate: Invaders are likely abundant in the environment but their response to a perturbation is more predictable than at intermediate resource levels. We suggest further testing across environmental gradients to determine key variables that dictate the predictability of postremoval invader composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla M. D'Antonio
- Environmental Studies Program and Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Rebecca Ostertag
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
| | - Susan Cordell
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
| | - Stephanie Yelenik
- USGS Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center, Volcano, Hawai‘i 96718
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10
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Balzotti CS, Asner GP. Episodic Canopy Structural Transformations and Biological Invasion in a Hawaiian Forest. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1256. [PMID: 28785270 PMCID: PMC5519564 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The remaining native forests on the Hawaiian Islands have been recognized as threatened by changing climate, increasing insect outbreak, new deadly pathogens, and growing populations of canopy structure-altering invasive species. The objective of this study was to assess long-term, net changes to upper canopy structure in sub-montane forests on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea volcano, Hawai'i, in the context of continuing climate events, insect outbreaks, and biological invasion. We used high-resolution multi-temporal Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to quantify near-decadal net changes in forest canopy height and gap distributions at a critical transition between alien invaded lowland and native sub-montane forest at the end of a recent drought and host-specific insect (Scotorythra paludicola) outbreak. We found that sub-montane forests have experienced a net loss in average canopy height, and therefore structure and aboveground carbon stock. Additionally, where invasive alien tree species co-dominate with native trees, the upper canopy structure became more homogeneous. Tracking the loss of forest canopy height and spatial variation with airborne LiDAR is a cost-effective way to monitor forest canopy health, and to track and quantify ecological impacts of invasive species through space and time.
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11
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Barbosa JM, Asner GP, Hughes RF, Johnson MT. Landscape-scale GPP and carbon density inform patterns and impacts of an invasive tree across wet forests of Hawaii. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:403-415. [PMID: 28135760 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant invasion typically occurs within a landscape-scale framework of abiotic and biotic conditions, often resulting in emergent feedbacks among environment, ecosystem functions, and the dominance of invasive species. Understanding the mechanisms underlying successful invasions is an important component of conservation and management efforts, but this has been poorly investigated in a spatially explicit manner. Knowing where and why invasion patterns change throughout the landscape enables managers to use context-specific controls on the spread of invasive species. Using high-resolution airborne imaging spectroscopy, we studied plant performance in growth within and across landscapes to examine the dominance and spatial distribution of an invasive tree, Psidium cattleianum (strawberry guava), in heterogeneous environmental conditions of a submontane Hawaiian tropical forest. We assessed invader performance using the GPP ratio index, which is the relative difference in remotely sensed estimates of gross primary productivity between canopies of guava and canopies of the invaded plant community. In addition, we used airborne LiDAR data to evaluate the impacts of guava invasion on the forest aboveground carbon density in different environments. Structural equation modeling revealed that substrate type and elevation above sea level interact and amplify landscape-scale differences in productivity between the invasive species and the host plant community (GPP ratio); differences that ultimately control levels of dominance of guava. We found shifts in patterns of forest carbon storage based on both gradual increase of invader dominance and changes in environmental conditions. Overall, our results demonstrate that the remotely sensed index defined as the GPP ratio provided an innovative spatially explicit approach to track and predict the success of invasive plants based in their canopy productivity, particularly within a landscape-scale framework of varying environmental factors such as soils and elevation. This approach may help managers accurately predict where invaders of forests, scrublands, or grasslands are likely to exhibit high levels of dominance before the environment is fully invaded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jomar M Barbosa
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - R Flint Hughes
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
| | - M Tracy Johnson
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
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12
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Florens F, Baider C, Martin GM, Seegoolam NB, Zmanay Z, Strasberg D. Invasive alien plants progress to dominate protected and best-preserved wet forests of an oceanic island. J Nat Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Prospere K, McLaren KP, Wilson B. Characterizing the Status (Disturbed, Hybrid or Novel) of Swamp Forest Fragments in a Caribbean Ramsar Wetland: The Impact of Anthropogenic Degradation and Invasive Plant Species. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 58:655-681. [PMID: 27364995 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0733-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The last remaining Amazonian-type swamp forest fragments in Black River Lower Morass, Jamaica, have been subjected to a myriad of anthropogenic disturbances, compounded by the establishment and spread of several invasive plant species. We established 44 permanent sample plots (covering 3.92 ha) across 10 of these swamp forest fragments and sampled all non-woody plants and all trees ≥2 cm DBH found in the plots. These data were used to (1) identify thresholds of hybridity and novelty, (2) derive several diversity and structural descriptors used to characterize the swamp forest fragments and (3) identify possible indicators of anthropogenic degradation. These were incorporated into a framework and used to determine the status of the swamp forest fragments so that appropriate management and conservation measures can be implemented. We recorded 43 woody plant species (9 endemic, 28 native and 4 non-native) and 21 non-tree species. The composition and structure of all the patches differed significantly due to the impact of the herbaceous invasive plant Alpinia allughas, the presence and diversity of other non-native plants, and differing intensities of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., burning, cutting and harvesting of non-timber forest products). We ranked forest patches along a continuum representing deviations from a historical proxy (least disturbed) swamp forest to those with dramatically altered structural and floristic attributes (=novel swamp forests). Only one fragment overrun with A. allughas was classified as novel. If effective conservation and management does not come to the BRLM, the remaining swamp forest fragments appear doomed to further degradation and will soon disappear altogether.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Prospere
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
| | - Kurt P McLaren
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
| | - Byron Wilson
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
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14
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Modeled Effects of Climate Change and Plant Invasion on Watershed Function Across a Steep Tropical Rainfall Gradient. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0038-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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15
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Price MR, O'Rorke R, Amend AS, Hadfield MG. Diet selection at three spatial scales: Implications for conservation of an endangered Hawaiian tree snail. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Price
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center; University of Hawai‘i; Mānoa HI U.S.A
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management; University of Hawai‘i; Mānoa HI U.S.A
- Sherman Hall; University of Hawai‘i; 1910 East West Rd. Honolulu HI 96822 U.S.A
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16
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Tng DYP, Goosem MW, Paz CP, Preece ND, Goosem S, Fensham RJ, Laurance SGW. Characteristics of the P
sidium cattleianum
invasion of secondary rainforests. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Y. P. Tng
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Building A2, Cairns Campus, Macgregor Road, Smithfield Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
| | - Miriam W. Goosem
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Building A2, Cairns Campus, Macgregor Road, Smithfield Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
| | - Claudia P. Paz
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Building A2, Cairns Campus, Macgregor Road, Smithfield Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
| | - Noel D. Preece
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Building A2, Cairns Campus, Macgregor Road, Smithfield Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
- Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods; Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Stephen Goosem
- Wet Tropics Management Authority; Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
| | - Roderick J. Fensham
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Queensland Herbarium; Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Susan G. W. Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Building A2, Cairns Campus, Macgregor Road, Smithfield Cairns 4878 Queensland Australia
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Ostertag R, Warman L, Cordell S, Vitousek PM. Using plant functional traits to restore Hawaiian rainforest. J Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Warman
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; USDA Forest Service; Hilo HI 96720 USA
| | - Susan Cordell
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; USDA Forest Service; Hilo HI 96720 USA
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Cavaleri MA, Ostertag R, Cordell S, Sack L. Native trees show conservative water use relative to invasive trees: results from a removal experiment in a Hawaiian wet forest. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 2:cou016. [PMID: 27293637 PMCID: PMC4806722 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cou016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
While the supply of freshwater is expected to decline in many regions in the coming decades, invasive plant species, often 'high water spenders', are greatly expanding their ranges worldwide. In this study, we quantified the ecohydrological differences between native and invasive trees and also the effects of woody invasive removal on plot-level water use in a heavily invaded mono-dominant lowland wet tropical forest on the Island of Hawaii. We measured transpiration rates of co-occurring native and invasive tree species with and without woody invasive removal treatments. Twenty native Metrosideros polymorpha and 10 trees each of three invasive species, Cecropia obtusifolia, Macaranga mappa and Melastoma septemnervium, were instrumented with heat-dissipation sap-flux probes in four 100 m(2) plots (two invaded, two removal) for 10 months. In the invaded plots, where both natives and invasives were present, Metrosideros had the lowest sap-flow rates per unit sapwood, but the highest sap-flow rates per whole tree, owing to its larger mean diameter than the invasive trees. Stand-level water use within the removal plots was half that of the invaded plots, even though the removal of invasives caused a small but significant increase in compensatory water use by the remaining native trees. By investigating the effects of invasive species on ecohydrology and comparing native vs. invasive physiological traits, we not only gain understanding about the functioning of invasive species, but we also highlight potential water-conservation strategies for heavily invaded mono-dominant tropical forests worldwide. Native-dominated forests free of invasive species can be conservative in overall water use, providing a strong rationale for the control of invasive species and preservation of native-dominated stands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly A. Cavaleri
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
- Corresponding author: School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA. Tel: +1 906 487 2843.
| | | | - Susan Cordell
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Fungal endophyte communities reflect environmental structuring across a Hawaiian landscape. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:13022-7. [PMID: 22837398 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1209872109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We surveyed endophytic fungal communities in leaves of a single tree species (Metrosideros polymorpha) across wide environmental gradients (500-5,500 mm of rain/y; 10-22 °C mean annual temperature) spanning short geographic distances on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawai'i. Using barcoded amplicon pyrosequencing at 13 sites (10 trees/site; 10 leaves/tree), we found very high levels of diversity within sites (a mean of 551 ± 134 taxonomic units per site). However, among-site diversity contributed even more than did within-site diversity to the overall richness of more than 4,200 taxonomic units observed in M. polymorpha, and this among-site variation in endophyte community composition correlated strongly with temperature and rainfall. These results are consistent with suggestions that foliar endophytic fungi are hyperdiverse. They further suggest that microbial diversity may be even greater than has been assumed and that broad-scale environmental controls such as temperature and rainfall can structure eukaryotic microbial diversity. Appropriately constrained study systems across strong environmental gradients present a useful means to understand the environmental factors that structure the diversity of microbial communities.
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Mascaro J, Hughes RF, Schnitzer SA. Novel forests maintain ecosystem processes after the decline of native tree species. ECOL MONOGR 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1014.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Acurio A, Rafael V, Dangles O. Biological Invasions in the Amazonian Tropical Rain Forest: The Case of Drosophilidae (Insecta, Diptera) in Ecuador, South America. Biotropica 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00628.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Tree growth and age in an ancient Hawaiian wet forest: vegetation dynamics at two spatial scales. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467409990320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:In this study I document the growth rate and age of trees in an old-growth montane Hawaiian wet forest and use these results to evaluate the cyclic succession model for forest dynamics. I used two methods to estimate the age of trees – the crown-class model and radiocarbon dating. Over 6000 trees belonging to eight species were tagged and measured over 7 y on Hawaii Island. Growth rates for the dominant tree (Metrosideros polymorpha) were relatively low (mean = 1.3 mm y−1) and varied with tree size and crown class. 14C-based age estimates for 27 M. polymorpha trees loosely corroborated estimates based on the crown-class method. The oldest tree dated by 14C had a median age of 647 y BP, placing it among the oldest documented angiosperm trees in the northern hemisphere. 14C dating revealed that the upper canopy may be comprised of three distinct age groups of M. polymorpha trees of similar size, with the median age of each group separated by 200–250 y. The high density of large, very old trees in multiple groups is unusual for a tropical forest and indicates that forest development may occur through gap-phase regeneration at a fine scale and stand-level mortality at a coarser scale.
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Kagawa A, Sack L, Duarte K, James S. Hawaiian native forest conserves water relative to timber plantation: species and stand traits influence water use. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 19:1429-1443. [PMID: 19769092 DOI: 10.1890/08-1704.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are becoming increasingly alien-dominated through the establishment of timber plantations and secondary forests. Despite widespread recognition that afforestation results in increased evapotranspiration and lower catchment yields, little is known of the impacts of timber plantations on water balance relative to native forest. Native forest trees have been claimed to use water conservatively and enhance groundwater recharge relative to faster-growing alien species, and this argument should motivate native forest preservation and restoration. However, data have been available primarily for leaf-level gas exchange rather than for whole-plant and stand levels. We measured sap flow of dominant tree and tree fern species over eight weeks in native Metrosideros polymorpha forest and adjacent alien timber plantations on the island of Hawai'i and estimated total stand transpiration. Metrosideros polymorpha had the lowest values of sap flux density and whole-tree water use (200 kg m(-2) sapwood d(-1), or 8 kg/d for trees of 35 cm mean diameter at breast height, D), substantially less than timber species Eucalyptus saligna or Fraxinus uhdei (33 and 34 kg/d for trees of 73 and 30 cm mean D, respectively). At the stand level, E. saligna and F. uhdei trees had three- and ninefold higher water use, respectively, than native M. polymorpha trees. Understory Cibotium tree ferns were most abundant in M. polymorpha-dominated forest where they accounted for 70% of water use. Overall, F. uhdei plantation had the highest water use at 1.8 mm/d, more than twice that of either E. saligna plantation or M. polymorpha forest. Forest water use was influenced by species composition, stem density, tree size, sapwood allocation, and understory contributions. Transpiration varied strongly among forest types even within the same wet tropical climate, and in this case, native forest had strikingly conservative water use. Comparisons of vegetation cover in water use should provide additional resolution to ecosystem valuation and land management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Kagawa
- University of Hawai'i at Mănoa, Botany Department, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
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Ostertag R, Cordell S, Michaud J, Cole TC, Schulten JR, Publico KM, Enoka JH. Ecosystem and Restoration Consequences of Invasive Woody Species Removal in Hawaiian Lowland Wet Forest. Ecosystems 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-009-9239-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Edward E, Munishi PKT, Hulme PE. Relative Roles of Disturbance and Propagule Pressure on the Invasion of Humid Tropical Forest byCordia alliodora(Boraginaceae) in Tanzania. Biotropica 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2008.00474.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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