Keyword: invasiveness

Community assembly theory as a framework for biological invasions

Biological invasions present a global problem underlain by an ecological paradox that thwarts explanation: how do some exotic species, evolutionarily naïve to their new environments, outperform locally adapted natives? We propose that community assembly theory provides a framework for addressing this question.

Granivory of invasive, naturalized, and native plants in communities differentially susceptible to invasion

Seed predation is an important biotic filter that can influence abundance and spatial distributions of native species through differential effects on recruitment. This filter may also influence the relative abundance of nonnative plants within habitats and the communities' susceptibility to invasion via differences in granivore identity, abundance, and food preference.

Chapter 16: Fire and nonnative plants-summary and conclusions

This volume synthesizes scientific information about interactions between fire and nonnative invasive plants in wildlands of the United States. If the subject were clear and simple, this volume would be short; obviously, it is not.

Chapter 15: Monitoring the effects of fire on nonnative invasive plant species

Monitoring, as defined by Elzinga and others (1998), is "the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to evaluate changes in condition and progress towards meeting a management objective." Analyses of monitoring data may indicate that a project is meeting land management goals, or it may indicate that goals are not being met and management methods need to be adapted to reach them.

Chapter 14: Effects of fire suppression and postfire management activities on plant invasions

This chapter explains how various fire suppression and postfire management activities can increase or decrease the potential for plant invasions following fire. A conceptual model is used to summarize the basic processes associated with plant invasions and show how specific fire management activities can be designed to minimize the potential for invasion.

Chapter 13: Effects of fuel and vegetation management activities on nonnative invasive plants

Twentieth century land use and management practices have increased the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels over expansive landscapes. Thus the likelihood of large, severe wildfires has increased, especially in forest types that previously experienced more frequent, less severe fire (Allen and others 2002).

Chapter 12: Gaps in scientific knowledge about fire and nonnative invasive plants

The potential for nonnative, invasive plants to alter an ecosystem depends on species traits, ecosystem characteristics, and the effects of disturbances, including fire. This study identifies gaps in science-based knowledge about the relationships between fire and nonnative invasive plants in the United States. The literature was searched for information on 60 nonnative invasives.

Chapter 11: Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the Hawaiian Islands bioregion

The Hawaiian Islands are national and global treasures of biological diversity. As the most isolated archipelago on earth, 90 percent of Hawaii's 10,000 native species are endemic (Gagne and Cuddihy 1999). The broad range of elevation and climate found in the Hawaiian Islands supports a range of ecosystems encompassing deserts, rain forests and alpine communities often within the span of less than 30 miles.

Chapter 10: Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the Northwest Coastal bioregion

This chapter discusses the relationship between fire (natural and prescribed) and nonnative plant species within major vegetation communities of the Northwest Coastal bioregion, and specifically addresses the role of fire in promoting nonnative species invasions, the effects of nonnative species on fire regimes, and usefulness of fire as a management tool for controlling nonnative species.