Effects of land-use history and the contemporary landscape on non-native plant invasion at local and regional scales in the forest-dominated southern Appalachians |
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Authors: | Timothy R Kuhman Scott M Pearson Monica G Turner |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Dr., Madison, WI, USA;(2) Department of Natural Sciences, Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, NC 28754, USA;(3) Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA |
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Abstract: | Determining what factors explain the distribution of non-native invasive plants that can spread in forest-dominated landscapes
could advance understanding of the invasion process and identify forest areas most susceptible to invasion. We conducted roadside
surveys to determine the presence and abundance of 15 non-native plant species known to invade forests in western North Carolina,
USA. Generalized linear models were used to examine how contemporary and historic land use, landscape context, and topography
influenced presence and abundance of the species at local and regional scales. The most commonly encountered species were
Microstegium vimineum, Rosa multiflora, Lonicera japonica, Celastrus orbiculatus, Ligustrum sinense, and Dioscorea oppositifolia. At the regional scale, distance to city center was the most important explanatory variable, with species more likely present
and more abundant in watersheds closer to Asheville, NC. Many focal species were also more common in watersheds at lower elevation
and with less forest cover. At the local scale, elevation was important for explaining the species’ presence, but forest cover
and land-use history were more important for explaining their abundance. In general, species were more common in plots with
less forest cover and more area reforested since the 1940s. Our results underscore the importance of considering both the
contemporary landscape and historic land use to understand plant invasion in forest-dominated landscapes. |
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