Abstract
Invasions by non-native plant species are widely recognized as a major driver of biodiversity loss. Globally, (sub-)tropical islands form important components of biodiversity hotspots, while being particularly susceptible to invasions by plants in general and vines in particular. We studied the impact of the invasive vine A. leptopus on the diversity and structure of recipient plant communities on the northern Caribbean island St. Eustatius. We used a paired-plot design to study differences in species richness, evenness and community structure under A. leptopus-invaded and uninvaded conditions. Community structure was studied through species co-occurrence patterns. We found that in plots invaded by A. leptopus, species richness was 40–50% lower, and these plots also exhibited lower evenness. The magnitude of these negative impacts increased with increasing cover of A. leptopus. Invaded plots also showed higher degrees of homogeneity in species composition. Species co-occurrence patterns indicated that plant communities in uninvaded plots were characterized by segregation, whereas recipient plant communities in invaded plots exhibited random co-occurrence patterns. These observations suggest that invasion of A. leptopus is not only associated with reduced species richness and evenness of recipient communities in invaded sites, but also with a community disassembly process that may reduce diversity between sites. Given that A. leptopus is a successful invader of (sub-)tropical islands around the globe, these impacts on plant community structure highlight that this invasive species could be a particular conservation concern for these systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 353-371 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Biological Invasions |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 15 Nov 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was funded by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO, grant number 858.14.052). In addition, M.J.S. was funded by the University of Zurich’s University Research Priority Program in Global Change and Biodiversity. We are grateful for the logistical support, lab space, and local expertise provided by the helpful staff at the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute and the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research. We very much appreciate the help given by T. van Andel and A.P.M. van der Zon for species determinations. Gratitude also goes to Rotem Zilber, our dedicated and careful field assistant.
Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO, grant number 858.14.052). In addition, M.J.S. was funded by the University of Zurich’s University Research Priority Program in Global Change and Biodiversity. We are grateful for the logistical support, lab space, and local expertise provided by the helpful staff at the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute and the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research. We very much appreciate the help given by T. van Andel and A.P.M. van der Zon for species determinations. Gratitude also goes to Rotem Zilber, our dedicated and careful field assistant.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
Funding
This work was funded by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO, grant number 858.14.052). In addition, M.J.S. was funded by the University of Zurich’s University Research Priority Program in Global Change and Biodiversity. We are grateful for the logistical support, lab space, and local expertise provided by the helpful staff at the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute and the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research. We very much appreciate the help given by T. van Andel and A.P.M. van der Zon for species determinations. Gratitude also goes to Rotem Zilber, our dedicated and careful field assistant.
Keywords
- Biodiversity impacts
- C-score analysis
- Community diversity
- Evenness
- Exotic plant invasion
- Species richness