| 1. |
- Catford, Jane A., et al.
(författare)
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Reducing redundancy in invasion ecology by integrating hypotheses into a single theoretical framework
- 2009
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Ingår i: Diversity & distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516 .- 1472-4642. ; 15:1, s. 22-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Invasion ecology includes many hypotheses. Empirical evidence suggests that most of these can explain the success of some invaders to some degree in some circumstances. If they all are correct, what does this tell us about invasion? We illustrate the major themes in invasion ecology, and provide an overarching framework that helps organize research and foster links among subfields of invasion ecology and ecology more generally.Location: Global.Methods: We review and synthesize 29 leading hypotheses in plant invasion ecology. Structured around propagule pressure (P), abiotic characteristics (A) and biotic characteristics (B), with the additional influence of humans (H) on P, A and B (hereon PAB), we show how these hypotheses fit into one paradigm. P is based on the size and frequency of introductions, A incorporates ecosystem invasibility based on physical conditions, and B includes the characteristics of invading species (invasiveness), the recipient community and their interactions. Having justified the PAB framework, we propose a way in which invasion research could progress.Results: By highlighting the common ground among hypotheses, we show that invasion ecology is encumbered by theoretical redundancy that can be removed through integration. Using both holistic and incremental approaches, we show how the PAB framework can guide research and quantify the relative importance of different invasion mechanisms.Main conclusions: If the prime aim is to identify the main cause of invasion success, we contend that a top-down approach that focuses on PAB maximizes research efficiency. This approach identifies the most influential factors first, and subsequently narrows the number of potential causal mechanisms. By viewing invasion as a multifaceted process that can be partitioned into major drivers and broken down into a series of sequential steps, invasion theory can be rigorously tested, understanding improved and effective weed management techniques identified.
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| 2. |
- Dynesius, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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High resilience of bryophyte assemblages in streamside compared to upland forests
- 2009
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Ingår i: Ecology. - : Ecological Society of America. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 90:4, s. 1042-1054
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Landscape heterogeneity causes spatial variation in disturbance regimes and resilience. We asked whether the resilience of bryophyte (liverwort and moss) assemblages to clear-cutting differs between streamside and upland boreal forests in northern Sweden. We hypothesized that bryophyte survival and recolonization rates are higher in streamside areas, thus raising resilience. Conversely, disturbance-intolerant but also invading species should be more frequent here, potentially reducing resilience. In each of 18 sites, we compared two 0.1-ha plots (one streamside and one upland) located in old forest that had never been clear-cut with two matching plots in young stands established after clear-cutting of old forests 30-50 years earlier. We used the magnitude of the difference in assemblages between old and young stands as a measure of change and, therefore, resilience (large difference implying low resilience). Species assemblages were more resilient in streamside than in upland forests. Species composition changed significantly in upland but not in streamside forests. Reductions in species richness were more pronounced in upland forests for total richness and for eight subgroups of species. Two results indicated lower survival/recolonization in upland forests: (1) species had a stronger association with old stands in upland areas, and (2) among species present in both the old streamside and old upland plot in a site, fewer appeared in the young upland than in the corresponding streamside plot. Simultaneously, a higher proportion of species invaded streamside areas; 40 of the 262 species encountered in streamside forests increased their occupancy by two or more sites compared to only two of 134 species in uplands. We suggest that in boreal forests spatial variation in resilience of assemblages of forest organisms intolerant of canopy removal is related to factors governed mainly by topography. More generally, we argue that landscape-scale variation in resilience of assemblages is influenced by spatial variation in (1) stress and resource availability, (2) number of disturbance intolerant species, and (3) magnitude of environmental changes brought about by a disturbance with a specific intensity. We also suggest that rapid recovery in the short term does not necessarily imply higher long-term ability to return to the pre-disturbance state.
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| 3. |
- Engström, Johanna, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of river ice on riparian vegetation
- 2011
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Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 56:6, s. 1095-1105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Many rivers and streams experience pronounced ice dynamics caused by the formation of anchor and frazil ice, leading to flooding and disturbance of riparian and aquatic communities. The effects of dynamic ice conditions on riverine biota are little known.2. We studied the formation of anchor ice in natural streams over 2 years, and assessed the effects of anchor ice on riparian vegetation by comparing sites with frequent or abundant and little or no anchor ice formation. We also studied the direct impact of ice on riparian plants by experimentally creating ice in the riparian zone over three winters, and by exposing plants of different life-forms to ‑18oC cold ice in the laboratory.3. Riparian species richness per 1-m2 plot was higher at sites affected by anchor ice than at sites where anchor ice was absent or rare. Dominance was lower at anchor ice sites, suggesting that ice disturbance enhanced species richness. Species composition was more homogenous among plots at anchor ice sites. Experimentally creating riparian ice corroborated the comparative results, with species richness increasing in ice-treated plots compared to controls, irrespective of whether the sites showed natural anchor ice.4. Because of human alterations of running waters, the natural effects of river ice on stream hydrology, geomorphology and ecology are little known. Global warming in northern streams will lead to more dynamic ice conditions, offering new challenges for aquatic organisms and river management. We expect that the results discussed here can stimulate new research, contributing to a better understanding of ecosystem function during winter.
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| 4. |
- Engström, Johanna, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of stream restoration on dispersal of plant propagules
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 46:2, s. 397-405
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Species immigration is vital for the success of restoring degraded ecosystems, but the effectiveness of enhancing dispersal following restoration is seldom evaluated. Running water is an important vector for plant dispersal. Frequency and duration of floods and channel-network complexity are important factors influencing propagule dispersal. In Sweden, these functions have been modified by channelization to facilitate timber floating, thus hampering emigration and immigration of riparian propagules.2. During the last 10–20 years, affected watercourses have been restored by removing barriers and replacing boulders into channels. This is hypothesized to facilitate retention of water-dispersed propagules. We studied the efficiency of propagule retention following restoration by releasing propagule mimics and by placing propagule traps in the riparian zone.3. Retention of propagule mimics was highest in sites restored with boulders and large wood. Retention occurred at both high and low flows but was most efficient during low flows when mimics were trapped by boulders and wood. Waterborne propagules ending up at such sites are unlikely to establish unless they can reach the riparian zone later. At high flows, floating propagules are more likely to reach riparian areas suitable for establishment. According to propagule traps placed at various levels of the riparian zone, deposition of plant propagules and sediments did not increase in restored sites.4. Synthesis and applications. Our study not only demonstrates that restoration of channel complexity through replacement of boulders and wood can enhance retention of plant propagules, but also it highlights the importance of understanding how restoration effects vary with flow. Most streams are restored to function optimally during median or average flows, whereas communities often are controlled by ecological processes acting during extreme flow events. We advocate that stream restoration should be designed for optimal function during those discharges under which the ecological processes in question are most important, which in this case is, during high flow.
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| 5. |
- Engström, Johanna, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Large wood restoration in boulder dominated streams
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- 1. An important aim of many restoration activities is to improve ecological structures and processes that have a central role for ecosystem functioning. Large wood (LW) is such a component, affecting hydraulics, channel morphology, floodplain dynamics, and ecological communities.2. We studied the effect of in-stream wood restoration, evaluating the difference before and after wood addition using boulder restored sites as controls. We investigated channel dynamics, movement and recruitment of large wood, retention of propagules and fish communities.3. One of three streams experienced a reduced current velocity after LW placement. The width of the channel and the reduced velocity were probably the reasons why this stream trapped most naturally drifting wood. LW sites experienced increased retention of organic matter compared to control sites, but LW proved to be unimportant in controlling brown trout density and biomass.4. Restoring habitat heterogeneity has been widely used to enhance ecological functioning, but during the last years its potential to restore streams and rivers has been questioned. In streams affected by multiple stressors, increased habitat heterogeneity is less important. Our result demonstrates that restoration with wood can enhance the restoration made with only boulders, and as a consequence advance ecological functioning.
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| 6. |
- Helfield, James M, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of river restoration on riparian biodiversity in secondary channels of the Pite River, Sweden
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Management. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0364-152X .- 1432-1009. ; 49:1, s. 130-141
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Between 1850 and 1970, rivers throughout Sweden were channelized to facilitate timber floating. Floatway structures were installed to streamline banks and disconnect flow to secondary channels, resulting in simplified channel morphologies and more homogenous flow regimes. In recent years, local authorities have begun to restore channelized rivers. In this study, we examined the effects of restoration on riparian plant communities at previously disconnected secondary channels of the Pite River. We detected no increase in riparian diversity at restored sites relative to unrestored (i.e., disconnected) sites, but we did observe significant differences in species composition of both vascular plant and bryophyte communities. At disconnected sites, plots closest to the stream featured greater representation of mesic-hydric floodplain species, whereas plots farthest from the stream featured greater representation of mesic-xeric species characteristic of the surrounding upland forest. In contrast, restored sites were most strongly represented by upland species at all distances relative to the stream. These patterns suggest that restoration has resulted in increased water levels in reconnected channels, but that the restored fluvial regime has not influenced the development of characteristic flood-adapted plant communities. This may be due to the short time interval (ca. 5 years) since restoration. Previous studies have demonstrated relatively quick responses to similar restoration in single-channel tributaries, but secondary channels may respond differently due to the more buffered hydrologic regimes typically seen in anabranching systems. These findings illustrate how restoration outcomes can vary according to hydrologic, climatic and ecological factors, reinforcing the need for site-specific restoration strategies.
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| 7. |
- Hylander, Kristoffer, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating buffer strips along boreal streams using bryophtes as indicators
- 2002
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Ingår i: Ecological Applications. - 1051-0761 .- 1939-5582. ; 12:3, s. 797-806
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Buffer strips have recently become the main management practice for reducing logging impact on stream habitats in boreal and temperate regions. The habitat value of buffer strips, however, has not received much attention, although riparian forests belong to the systems with the highest biodiversity in these regions. We used plants as indicators of the ability of buffer strips to maintain an environment similar to intact riparian forests in a boreal forest landscape in northern Sweden. We measured the growth of three common bryophyte species (Hylocomiastrum umbratum, Calypogeia integristipula, and Tritomaria quinquedentata) transplanted to riparian habitat close to a stream in clear-cut logged sites 10-15 m wide buffer strips on each side of the stream, and intact (reference) sites. Each of the three site categories included six wet and six tnoist-mesic sites and the experiment was followed over three months in 1999. The species remained vital in the reference sites and grew substantially during the 3-mo-long experiment, but in the logged sites almost no growth was registered, and many shoots died (except for T. qninquedentata). The pattern was consistent irrespective of the ground moisture class. The performance of bryophytes in the moist-mesic buffer strips was almost as bad as in the logged sites, whereas in the wet buffer strips it was either intermediate between that in logged and reference sites (H. umbratum) or very similar to that in reference sites (C. integristipula and T. quinquedentata). The edge effect has previously been shown to vary depending on edge orientation, edge physiognomy, and weather conditions. We found that ground moisture can be of major importance as well. Although many buffer strips function better than no strips, 20-30 m wide strips (with a stream in the middle) through a logged area consist entirely of edge habitat. Increasing the buffer width and avoiding clear-cut logging on both sides of a watercourse would be the first steps to take for improving biodiversity conservation in riparian habitats. Our results also show that bryophytes are good indicators of habitat quality and efficient tools for assessing the ecological function of buffer strips.
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| 8. |
- Jørgensen, Dolly, et al.
(författare)
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Policy Language in Restoration Ecology
- 2014
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Ingår i: Restoration Ecology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1061-2971 .- 1526-100X. ; 22:1, s. 1-4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Relating restoration ecology to policy is one of the aims of the Society for Ecological Restoration and its journal Restoration Ecology. As an interdisciplinary team of researchers in both ecological science and political science, we have struggled with how policy-relevant language is and could be deployed in restoration ecology. Using language in scientific publications that resonates with overarching policy questions may facilitate linkages between researcher investigations and decision-makers' concerns on all levels. Climate change is the most important environmental problem of our time and to provide policymakers with new relevant knowledge on this problem is of outmost importance. To determine whether or not policy-specific language was being included in restoration ecology science, we surveyed the field of restoration ecology from 2008 to 2010, identifying 1,029 articles, which we further examined for the inclusion of climate change as a key element of the research. We found that of the 58 articles with climate change or global warming in the abstract, only 3 identified specific policies relevant to the research results. We believe that restoration ecologists are failing to include themselves in policy formation and implementation of issues such as climate change within journals focused on restoration ecology. We suggest that more explicit reference to policies and terminology recognizable to policymakers might enhance the impact of restoration ecology on decision-making processes.
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| 9. |
- Lind, Lovisa, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of ice and floods on vegetation in streams in cold regions : implications for climate change
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 4:21, s. 4173-4184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Riparian zones support some of the most dynamic and species-rich plant communities in cold regions. A common conception among plant ecologists is that flooding during the season when plants are dormant generally has little effect on the survival and production of riparian vegetation. We show that winter floods may also be of fundamental importance for the composition of riverine vegetation. We investigated the effects of ice formation on riparian and in-stream vegetation in northern Sweden using a combination of experiments and observations in 25 reaches, spanning a gradient from ice-free to ice-rich reaches. The ice-rich reaches were characterized by high production of frazil and anchor ice. In a couple of experiments, we exposed riparian vegetation to experimentally induced winter flooding, which reduced the dominant dwarf-shrub cover and led to colonization of a species-rich forb-dominated vegetation. In another experiment, natural winter floods caused by anchor-ice formation removed plant mimics both in the in-stream and in the riparian zone, further supporting the result that anchor ice maintains dynamic plant communities. With a warmer winter climate, ice-induced winter floods may first increase in frequency because of more frequent shifts between freezing and thawing during winter, but further warming and shortening of the winter might make them less common than today. If ice-induced winter floods become reduced in number because of a warming climate, an important disturbance agent for riparian and in-stream vegetation will be removed, leading to reduced species richness in streams and rivers in cold regions. Given that such regions are expected to have more plant species in the future because of immigration from the south, the distribution of species richness among habitats can be expected to show novel patterns.
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| 10. |
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