The status of noxious plants in lower subtropical region of China

Recent decades, more and more noxious plants developed fast in tropical and subtropical region. Guangdong Province, located in lower subtropical region, is densely populated and its economy is developing very quickly, it is vulnerable to be damaged. It was observed that there were many noxious plants affected forest ecosystem in this area. It is crucial to understand the destructive status and the distribution of the noxious plants. Thus, we conducted investigations of noxious plant in Baiyun Mountain and Xiqiao Mountain, Guangdong Province through point, line and plot methods. The results showed that there were 39 noxious plant species from 26 families in the two sites (Baiyun Mountain and Xiqiao Mountain). Most noxious plants reached III grade, 13 species reached III grade in Baiyun Mountain and 18 species reached III grade in Xiqiao Mountain. The exotic plant Wedelia trilobata(L.) Hitchc was the most abundant species, followed by another exotic plant Ipomoea cairica (Linn.) Sweet (Fig. 2B). All the 39 noxious plants covered over 273 hm² in the two sites, about occupied 10% of the forests. Over 90% of the noxious plants are lianas, the rest are herbs or shrubs. Of the 39 noxious species, six species were exotic plants, while 33 species were indigenous, suggesting that more attention should be paid to indigenous plants when we concerned invasive plants. Furthermore, global climate change (e.g., global warming, elevated CO₂) may shorten the latency of the plants and trigger the expansion of the noxious plants. Further studies are needed to reveal the relationship between global climate change and noxious plants, and to study why more and more native plants turned to threaten the ecosystem.     

丽水白云山种子植物区系的研究

白云山位于浙江省丽水市境内, 自然植被保存完好, 植物种类丰富, 据统计共有野生种子植物117 科、421 属、831 种。其中10 种以上的科有21 个, 498 种, 233 属, 构成了白云山植物区系的主体。本区系历史起源古老, 区域单型属与寡种属共计405 个, 占属总数的96.2%;我国特有分布贫乏, 珍稀濒危植物丰富;地理成分复杂, 可划分为14 个分布区类型13 个变型, 泛热带成分丰富, 温带成分优势明显, 属亚热带向暖温带过渡的地带。     

浙江丽水市白云山木本植物区系的研究

丽水市白云山位于浙南山区,是浙江木本植物区系最丰富的地区之一,共有木本植物77科,200属,446种。该地区古老孑遗植物和珍稀濒危植物较多,温带和亚热带植物成分占优势,与世界各地有广泛的联系,是我国南北植物区系的交汇地及过渡地带之一。     

Novel technique shows different hydrophobic chemical signatures of exotic and indigenous plant soils with similar effects of extracts on indigenous species seedling growth

Changes to ecosystem abiotic parameters are regarded as possible mechanisms facilitating plant invasion and community composition shifts. This study compared the hydrophobic chemical signatures of soil from exotic bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata) invaded, indigenous acacia (Acacia longifolia var. sophorae) dominated and bare sand (unvegetated) habitats using a novel, rapid, capturing technique which utilised Amberlite® XAD4 resin filled bags that were placed in situ. The hydrophobic chemical signature of the bitou bush soil extract was significantly different to the acacia soil and bare sand extracts. High concentrations of 18 sesquiterpenes dominated the hydrophobic signature of the bitou bush extract. Low concentrations of all three extracts did not significantly affect the seedling growth of three indigenous test species under laboratory conditions, however, at higher concentrations, the extracts from soil inhabited by plants, whether exotic or indigenous, similarly inhibited the seedling growth of two species, while seedling growth of the third species was inhibited by extracts from all three soil types. These results do not support the hypothesis that exotic invasive species are more likely to exhibit allelopathic effects than indigenous plant species.     

Population,community and ecosystem effects of exotic herbivores: A growing global concern

Exotic herbivores represent a serious threat to native biodiversity, producing large scale changes in native communities and altering ecosystem processes. In this special issue, we present a series of case studies and reviews from different areas of the world that highlight (1) the consequences of herbivore introductions are a global problem; (2) they can result in wholesale shifts in the distribution of dominant plants on the landscape and; (3) the effects of herbivore introductions extend from the population to the community and ecosystem level. These studies suggest that introduced herbivores often retard ecosystem recovery after disturbance, facilitate invasion of plant species and can act as selective agents on native plant communities. These studies also suggest that several topics, including facilitation between exotic herbivores and exotic plants and animals (i.e., invasional meltdown) and the effect of exotic herbivores on ecosystem processes, require more research attention. Overall the papers in this special feature suggest that introduced herbivores are a global problem with wide-ranging ecological and evolutionary effects.     

城乡环境梯度下植物群落的区系成分分析

分别以白云山、帽峰山、莲塘风水林作为广州市区、城郊和郊区常绿阔叶林群落代表,分析其植物区系组成和多样性特征。结果显示,广州帽峰山常绿阔叶林群落种类最丰富,维管束植物有87科155属212种,优势科为茜草科、大戟科、樟科、禾亚科、芸香科、紫金牛科、壳斗科;白云山维管束植物有72科121属168种,优势科为茜草科、樟科、桑科、禾亚科、大戟科、冬青科;而莲塘风水林森林群落有55科88属102种,优势科为茜草科、樟科、大戟科。从属的地理分布区类型来看,三个群落皆以泛热带分布属的比例最高,其次为旧世界热带分布属和热带亚洲分布属,群落缺乏典型的热带成分,但具有南亚热带植物区系的基本特征。其中白云山的东亚分布类型有3属;帽峰山的东亚分布类型有4属,中国特有分布类型有1属;而莲塘风水林则没有东亚分布和中国特有分布类型。     

The role of plant fidelity and land-use changes on island exotic and indigenous canopy spiders at local and regional scales

Understanding the processes that lead to successful invasions is essential for the management of exotic species. We aimed to assess the comparative relevance of habitat (both at local and at regional scale) and plant features on the species richness of local canopy spiders of both indigenous and exotic species. In an oceanic island, Azores archipelago, we collected spiders in 97 transects belonging to four habitat types according to the degree of habitat disturbance, four types of plants with different colonisation origin (indigenous vs. exotic), and four types of plants according to the complexity of the vegetation structure. Generalised linear mixed models and linear regressions were performed separately for indigenous and exotic species at the local and regional landscape scales. At the local scale, habitat and plant origin explained the variation in the species richness of indigenous spiders, whereas exotic spider richness was poorly correlated to habitat and plant structure. The surrounding landscape matrix substantially affected indigenous spiders, but did not affect exotic spiders, with the exception of the negative effect exerted by native forests on the richness of exotic species. Our results revealed that the local effect of habitat type, plant origin and plant structure explain variations in the species richness observed at a regional scale. These results shed light on the mechanistic processes behind the role of habitat types in invasions, i.e., plant fidelity and plant structure are revealed as key factors, suggesting that native forests may act as physical barriers to the colonisation of exotic spiders.     

Additive effects of exotic plant abundance and land-use intensity on plant–pollinator interactions

The continuing spread of exotic plants and increasing human land-use are two major drivers of global change threatening ecosystems, species and their interactions. Separate effects of these two drivers on plant–pollinator interactions have been thoroughly studied, but we still lack an understanding of combined and potential interactive effects. In a subtropical South African landscape, we studied 17 plant–pollinator networks along two gradients of relative abundance of exotics and land-use intensity. In general, pollinator visitation rates were lower on exotic plants than on native ones. Surprisingly, while visitation rates on native plants increased with relative abundance of exotics and land-use intensity, pollinator visitation on exotic plants decreased along the same gradients. There was a decrease in the specialization of plants on pollinators and vice versa with both drivers, regardless of plant origin. Decreases in pollinator specialization thereby seemed to be mediated by a species turnover towards habitat generalists. However, contrary to expectations, we detected no interactive effects between the two drivers. Our results suggest that exotic plants and land-use promote generalist plants and pollinators, while negatively affecting specialized plant–pollinator interactions. Weak integration and high specialization of exotic plants may have prevented interactive effects between exotic plants and land-use. Still, the additive effects of exotic plants and land-use on specialized plant–pollinator interactions would have been overlooked in a single-factor study. We therefore highlight the need to consider multiple drivers of global change in ecological research and conservation management.     

外来植物入侵对陆地生态系统地下碳循环及碳库的影响

生物入侵是当今全球性重大环境问题之一, 是全球变化的主要研究内容.评价外来植物入侵对于生态系统影响的研究多集中在地上部分,对于生态系统地下部分影响的研究相对较少.陆地生态系统地下部分对于生态系统过程的重要性之一体现在它处于生态系统碳分配过程的核心环节.入侵种通过影响群落凋落物的输入数量、质量以及输入时间,影响到对于土壤的碳输入,而入侵种与土著种根系的差异以及入侵种对微生物群落的影响是造成土壤呼吸强度发生变化的主要因素,前者土壤呼吸强度一般比后者高.多数研究表明外来植物入侵对生态系统地下碳循环和碳库产生影响,但由于入侵植物种类较多以及研究地点环境条件的不同,关于外来植物入侵对于土壤碳库和土壤有机碳矿化影响的研究结论并不统一.最后,提出了今后该研究领域应加强的一些建议和方向.     

Assessment of the performance of exotic and indigenous tree and shrub species for rehabilitating saline soils of Northern Kenya

In the semi‐desert zone of North Horr, northern Kenya, soil salinity reaches toxic levels, with extensive salt crusts at the surface. Environmental groups are involved in tree and shrub planting trials with the objective of stabilizing sand dunes and rehabilitating land. However, the performance of the various indigenous and exotic tree and shrub species in rehabilitating these saline soils has not been examined. Therefore this study aimed at evaluating the performance of various exotic and indigenous tree and shrub species in rehabilitating saline soils in North Horr. Mortality and relative growth rates for both exotic and indigenous tree and shrub species were assessed. Compared to indigenous species, exotic tree species (not naturally growing in the Marsabit ecosystem) failed to sustain an improved growth performance in saline soils of North Horr. The results of this study demonstrate that survival rates for indigenous plants in North Horr are higher than those of exotic ones. Thus, to rehabilitate saline soils and stabilize sand dunes, the use of indigenous tree and shrub species adapted to such saline conditions should be encouraged.     

广东省湿地维管植物资源现状及保护利用

在对广东省湿地植被全面踏查的基础上,分析湿地植物资源现状并提出保护和利用对策。结果显示,广东省湿地维管植物共有96科240属352种,大部分为被子植物,其中含属数和种数较多的科有菊科、禾本科,含种数较多的属有莎草属Cyperus、蓼属Polygonum、母草属Lindernia、簕竹属Bambusa。出现频率较高的物种主要有喜旱莲子草Alternanthera philoxeroides(Mart.)Griseb.、凤眼蓝Eichhornia crassipes(Mart.)Solms、象草Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.、大薸Pistia stratiotes L.、铺地黍Panicum repens L.等。从生活型来看,多年生草本植物占总种数的71.59%,居主要优势;从生态类群来看,湿生植物占总种数的43.47%,居主要优势;从植物来源来看,本地物种占总种数的90.63%,居主要优势。入侵植物有41种,占总种数的11.66%。已开发利用的植物资源共204种,占总种数的57.63%。随着城市化进程的加快,开垦、采砂、排污等人为活动以及外来物种入侵使湿地环境遭到破坏,植物种类大大减少;用于园林绿化和净化污水的植物种类较少且多为外来种。建议合理开发湿地资源,加强外来物种的监控,多利用本地植物资源进行园林绿化和净化污水。     

南岭植物区系地理学研究──Ⅰ．植物区系的组成和特点

南岭山地地质历史较为古老．自然环境复杂多样,孕育了比较丰富的植物资源,计有维管束植物３８３１种．隶属１１８４属．２４８科．蕨类植物以亚热带及亚热带至热带分布科属为主,起源古老;裸子植物多数为原始古老的子遗成分;被子植物大多数科属的分布中心都在中国或华夏的亚热带及其附近热带地区．研究表明．南岭山地植物区系是典型的亚热带植物区系,具有由热带性区系成分向温带性区系成分过渡的特点;亚洲热带、温带和亚热带植物区系成分在发生上是统一的;北美植物区系和华夏植物区系有着共同的起源,是在联合古陆漂离之前通过欧洲一北美古陆发展过去的．     

基于聚类分析的广东省乡土阔叶树种分布研究

利用《中国植物志》、《广东植物志》等资料并结合实地野外踏查记录数据,获取了广东省1152个乡土阔叶树种的分布信息,在对其进行聚类分析的基础上采用多响应置换过程、指示种分析和Kruskal-Wallis检验,研究广东省乡土阔叶树种的分布特征。结果表明,乡土阔叶树种在广东省的分布具有较明显的纬度地带性,且可划分为3个分布区:Ⅰ区主要出现在广东省北部山区的中亚热带,树种丰富度的均值最大(376.5),缺萼枫香(Liquidambar acalycina)、椿叶花椒(Zanthoxylum ailanthoides)、伞花木(Eurycorymbus cavaleriei)等为主要指示种;Ⅱ区主要出现在广东省中部的南亚热带,树种丰富度的均值为339.8,肉桂(Cinnamomum cassia)、狭叶山黄麻(Trema angustifolia)、黄叶树(Xanthophyllum hainanense)等为主要指示种;Ⅲ区主要出现在广东省南部沿海的热带北缘,树种丰富度的均值最小(206.5),秋茄树(Kandelia candel)和山油柑(Acronychia pedunculata)等为主要指示种。     

Human impacts, energy availability and invasion across Southern Ocean Islands

Aim Ongoing biological invasions will enhance the impacts of humans on biodiversity. Nonetheless, the effects of exotic species on diversity are idiosyncratic. Increases in diversity might be a consequence of similar responses by species to available energy, or because of positive relationships between human density, energy and propagule pressure. Here we use data from the Southern Ocean island plants and insects to investigate these issues. Location The Southern Ocean Islands ranging from Tristan da Cunha to Heard Island and South Georgia. Methods Generalized linear models are used to explore the relationships between indigenous and exotic species richness for plants and insects on two different islands. Similar models are used to examine interactions between indigenous and exotic species richness, energy availability and propagule pressure at the regional scale. Results Positive relationships were found between indigenous and exotic species richness at local scales, although for plants, the relationship was partially triangular. Across the Southern Ocean Islands, there was strong positive covariation between indigenous and exotic plant species richness and insect species richness, even taking spatial autocorrelation into account. Both exotic and indigenous plant and insect species richness covaried with energy availability, as did human visitor frequency. When two islands with almost identical numbers of human visits were contrasted, it was clear that energy availability, or perhaps differences in climate‐matching, were responsible for differences in the extent of invasion. Conclusion In plants and insects, there are positive relationships between indigenous and exotic diversity at local and regional scales across the Southern Ocean islands. These relationships are apparently a consequence of similar responses by both groups and by human occupants to available energy. When visitor frequency is held constant, energy availability is the major correlate of exotic species richness, though the exact mechanistic cause of this relationship requires clarification.     

Invasive plants negatively impact native,but not exotic,animals

Despite our growing understanding of the impacts of invasive plants on ecosystem structure and function, important gaps remain, including whether native and exotic species respond differently to plant invasion. This would elucidate basic ecological interactions and inform management. We performed a meta‐analytic review of the effects of invasive plants on native and exotic resident animals. We found that invasive plants reduced the abundance of native, but not exotic, animals. This varied by animal phyla, with invasive plants reducing the abundance of native annelids and chordates, but not mollusks or arthropods. We found dissimilar impacts among “wet” and “dry” ecosystems, but not among animal trophic levels. Additionally, the impact of invasive plants increased over time, but this did not vary with animal nativity. Our review found that no studies considered resident nativity differences, and most did not identify animals to species. We call for more rigorous studies of invaded community impacts across taxa, and most importantly, explicit consideration of resident biogeographic origin. We provide an important first insight into how native and exotic species respond differently to invasion, the consequences of which may facilitate cascading trophic disruptions further exacerbating global change consequences to ecosystem structure and function.     

Ingestion by an endemic frugivore enhances seed germination of endemic plant species but decreases seedling survival of exotics

Aim To test whether ingestion by endemic frugivores differentially affects the seed germination time, germination percentage and seedling survival of endemic, native and exotic fleshy fruited plant species, and to identify the principal processes and attributes driving such effects. Location Round Island, Mauritius. Methods We conducted a germination and seedling survival experiment for 3 months to test whether ingestion (gut passage and deposition in faeces) by the endemic Telfair’s skink (Leiolopisma telfairii) had a differential effect on the germination time, germination percentage and seedling survival of two endemic, four native and two exotic fleshy fruited plant species. To assess the importance of factors involved in the ingestion process, we used a factorial design with gut passage (gut‐passed vs. not gut‐passed), depulping (whole fruit vs. manually depulped seed) and the presence of faecal material (faeces vs. without faeces). In addition, the roles of species‐specific traits, seed size and deposition density (average number of seeds per faeces) were examined. Results Exotic species had a higher germination percentage than indigenous (native and endemic) species when not ingested. Following skink ingestion, there was no longer a difference, as ingestion enhanced germination percentage most in endemic species. The exotic species still germinated faster overall than the indigenous species, despite ingestion accelerating the germination time of endemics. However, ingestion strongly reduced seedling survival of the exotic species, while having no negative effect on the survival of indigenous seedlings. Overall, ingested indigenous seeds were more likely to germinate and the seedlings more likely to survive than ingested exotic seeds and seedlings. Seed size, deposition density and the removal of fruit pulp by either manual depulping or gut passage were important predictors of germination time, germination percentage and seedling survival. Main conclusions These endemic frugivores can enhance the competitiveness of endemic compared with exotic fleshy fruited plants at the critical germination and seedling establishment stage. Consequently, conservation and restoration of mutualistic endemic plant–animal interactions may be vital to mitigating the degradation of habitats invaded by exotic plants, which is of particular relevance for island ecosystems in which large numbers of endemics are threatened by exotic invaders.     

丽水白云山与邻近地区植物区系关系的探讨

通过丽水白云山植物区系与邻近地区植物区系比较,将白云山植物区系归入了华东植物区系,通过与华东诸山优势科、届、种相似性系数的比较,说明白云山与九龙山、古田山、西天目山、凤阳山的关系较密切,但仍可归属天目山一庐山一黄山植物区。     

Release from native root herbivores and biotic resistance by soil pathogens in a new habitat both affect the alien <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ammophila arenaria</Emphasis> in South Africa

Many native communities contain exotic plants that pose a major threat to indigenous vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Therefore the enemy release hypothesis (ERH) and biotic resistance hypothesis (BRH) were examined in relation to the invasiveness of the introduced dune grass Ammophila arenaria in South Africa. To compare plant–soil feedback from the native habitat in Europe and the new habitat in South Africa, plants were grown in their own soil from both Europe and South Africa, as well as in sterilised and non-sterilised soils from a number of indigenous South African foredune plant species. While the soil feedback of most plant species supports the ERH, the feedback from Sporobolus virginicus soil demonstrates that this plant species may contribute to biotic resistance against the introduced A. arenaria, through negative feedback from the soil community. Not only the local plant species diversity, but also the type of plant species present seemed to be important in determining the potential for biotic resistance. As a result, biotic resistance against invasive plant species may depend not only on plant competition, but also on the presence of plant species that are hosts of potential soil pathogens that may negatively affect the invaders. In conclusion, exotic plant species such as A. arenaria in South Africa that do not become highly invasive, may experience the ERH and BRH simultaneously, with the balance between enemy escape versus biotic resistance determining the invasiveness of a species in a new habitat.Plant nomenclature follows Arnold and De Wet (1993)     

Evidence for allelopathy as a mechanism of community composition change by an invasive exotic shrub, Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata

Chemical interference is increasingly suggested as a mechanism facilitating exotic plant invasion and plant community composition. In order to explore this further, we employed a comprehensive extract-bioassay technique that facilitated detection and demarcation of phytotoxicity, direct allelopathy and indirect allelopathy of bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata) compared to an indigenous dominant of the invaded system, acacia (Acacia longifolia var. sophorae). Extracts of the leaves and roots of both species exhibited phytotoxic effects against five indigenous plant species. Evidence for allelopathy between co-evolved indigenous plants was detected between acacia and Isolepis nodosa. Allelopathy between bitou bush and four indigenous plant species was also detected. Therefore we propose that both the acacia and bitou bush have the potential to chemically inhibit the establishment of indigenous plants. Eventual dominance of bitou bush is predicted, however, based on more ubiquitous effects on seedling growth.