Article
Plant Sciences
Yuzu Sakata, Timothy P. Craig
Summary: The study found that plant chemical compounds and herbivores jointly affect plant competition through their indirect effects, which vary depending on the environment. In environments with different herbivore densities, the exotic plant Solidago altissima in Japan had a strong negative impact on co-occurring plants due to direct competition and increased herbivory, indicating that evolutionary history and local environment jointly influence herbivore-mediated indirect effects.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Yong Lin, Chengkang Xia, Gaoyang Wu, Fangchao Wang, Shengnan Wang, Yuanqiu Liu, Fusheng Chen
Summary: The effect of mixed planting varies for different species of native and exotic pines, highlighting the importance of selecting suitable broadleaved species for replanting in coniferous plantations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Meng Xu, Shao-peng Li, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Dangen Gu, Miao Fang, Yexin Yang, Yinchang Hu, Xidong Mu
Summary: This study used a database on the establishment success and failure of exotic fish species introduced into freshwater lakes to evaluate the effect of similarity on the establishment of exotic fishes. The results showed that exotic-native phylogenetic and functional similarities were the most important factors affecting the establishment of exotic fish species.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dawei Wu, Zhenqi Wang, Wei Hu, Changhu Lu, Pan Chen
Summary: This study found that native birds in coastal China started avoiding smooth cordgrass habitats after it invaded. However, after many years, some passerine birds began using the smooth cordgrass, but only those with a nonspecialised habitat. The presence of a native reed-specific bird in the smooth cordgrass habitat suggests that native birds may be forced to adapt to exotic habitats, which could have unknown consequences.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Mariela Lacoretz, Daniela M. Depalma, Sebastian A. Torrella, Cecilia Zilli, Valentina Ferretti, Gustavo J. Fernandez
Summary: The main native forests of the Pampas region in Argentina, called talares, are endangered while tree plantations are increasing. Bird richness is significantly lower in plantations compared to native forests, and all forest-dependent bird species are absent in plantations. Vegetation structure also differs between talares and plantations, affecting bird abundance. It is urgent to implement management actions in the endangered forests of the Argentine Pampas to protect the bird diversity of talares and other related species.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Scott H. Harris, Matthew G. Betts
Summary: A study on the impact of tree plantations on native bird biodiversity found that bird abundance changes dynamically during early plantation development, with many species peaking in abundance either very early in development or at canopy closure, then declining by the end of a 30-year period. Broadleaf cover only increased habitat longevity for one bird species (Wilson's warbler), contrary to the hypothesis.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
An Vanden Broeck, Karen Cox, Alexander Van Braeckel, Sabrina Neyrinck, Nico De Regge, Kris Van Looy
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of exotic Populus species on the development of softwood riparian forests, finding that the reintroduction of native Populus nigra and restoration of natural river dynamics led to a shift in reproductive success in favor of the native species. Despite significant gene flow from exotic poplars in European floodplains, restoration programs of native P. nigra can effectively outcompete exotic gene flows and reduce the impact of exotic Populus species on softwood riparian forest development.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sebastian Cordero, Francisca Galvez, Francisco E. Fonturbel
Summary: Exotic species are a major threat to biodiversity, affecting the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems. They can disrupt mutualistic interactions between plants and dispersers by altering dispersal behavior, predation, and transmission of pathogens. However, they can also have positive impacts on native plants and forest regeneration through increased visitation rates, facilitating colonization, enhancing seedling survival, and promoting seed rain and recruitment. Different studies show both similar and opposite results, highlighting the complex nature of native-exotic species interactions. Overall, exotic species management requires a comprehensive understanding of their ecological roles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jueying Wu, Jinli Hu, Xinyu Zhao, Yangyang Sun, Guang Hu
Summary: This study investigated the bird diversity and vegetation conditions in 30 tea plantations in Anji County, Zhejiang Province, China. The results showed that tea plantations play an important role in maintaining bird diversity and act as a transitional zone between natural habitats and urban areas, reducing the impact of urbanization. Landscape factors surrounding the tea plantations mainly affected the bird richness, while the vegetation structure in the tea plantations strongly influenced the abundance of the birds.
Article
Forestry
Calvin Ritter, David I. King, Stephen DeStefano, Daniel Clark
Summary: Establishment of non-native monoculture plantations is a common method to supplement native timber stocks, but it is believed to provide inferior habitat for native biodiversity. However, our study in Massachusetts showed that mature Norway spruce plantations have similar species richness as native forest habitats and support the abundance of several native conifer-dependent bird species. This suggests that small-scale plantations can coexist without negative impacts on native biodiversity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana M. Gonzalez, Nicholas J. Bayly, Scott Wilson, Keith A. Hobson
Summary: The study revealed that native forest is a higher-quality winter habitat for Swainson's Thrush compared to shade-grown coffee, with better body condition and density in forest, while survival rates are similar between the two habitats.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Fabricio Aguirre, Eduardo Nouhra, Carlos Urcelay
Summary: This study found that feces of non-native wild boar, brown hare, and native pampa fox could effectively inoculate ectomycorrhizal pine seedlings. Molecular analyses revealed that the exotic ectomycorrhizal fungi consumed by non-native wild boar and brown hare, Suillus granulatus and Rhizopogon pseudoroseolus, were successfully forming ectomycorrhizas with pine roots. This provides novel evidence for the long-distance dispersal of exotic ectomycorrhizal fungi by non-native and native animal vectors.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ming Ni, David C. Deane
Summary: The history of plant introductions in China is closely associated with globalization and trade, with two periods of opening to the world. The period between 1904 and 1935 saw the highest rate of introductions, followed by the period post 2002. Intentional introductions contributed more than two-thirds of first records.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabiano Sillo, Matteo Garbelotto, Luana Giordano, Paolo Gonthier
Summary: In Italy, significant hybridization is occurring between the invasive North American fungal plant pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare and its Eurasian sister species H. annosum. The study sequenced and compared the whole genomes of nine natural hybrids with their parental species, revealing genetic relationships and levels of admixture. Findings suggest that hybridization can lead to adaptive introgression, increasing fitness in certain genotypes.
Article
Forestry
Liangjin Yao, Yue Xu, Chuping Wu, Fuying Deng, Lan Yao, Xunru Ai, Runguo Zang
Summary: Research on forest community assembly in four climatic zones in China showed that habitat filtering played a key role in cold temperate forests, while competitive exclusion was significant in tropical and subtropical forests. Both habitat filtering and biotic competition affected forest community assembly across climatic regions in China. The study provides insight into the mechanisms driving geographical differentiation of forest vegetation and supports conservation efforts for forest biodiversity in China.
Review
Entomology
Sofia Branco, Massimo Faccoli, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Geraldine Roux, Herve Jactel, Nicolas Desneux, Emmanuel Gachet, Raphaelle Mouttet, Jean-Claude Streito, Manuela Branco
Summary: Efforts have been made to prevent Asian longhorn beetles from causing harm to forest and urban trees, with over 45% of eradication programmes successful in the last 12 years. Despite the high costs of eradication programs, the benefits outweigh the costs. Eradication efforts for Anoplophora chinensis are more challenging compared to Anoplophora glabripennis.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alex Stemmelen, Herve Jactel, Eckehard Brockerhoff, Bastien Castagneyrol
Summary: The study found a significant positive effect of forest tree diversity on natural enemy abundance and diversity, with a stronger impact towards lower latitudes. The research contributes to a better understanding of the natural enemies hypothesis in forest systems and provides insights into enhancing forest resistance to herbivorous insects.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jean-Yves Barnagaud, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Raphael Mossion, Paul Dufour, Sandrine Pavoine, Marc Deconchat, Luc Barbaro
Summary: Species introductions have significantly impacted the composition of bird assemblages in New Zealand, with native and alien species showing distinct habitat segregation driven by ecological traits and introduction history. Spatial partitioning of bird species between native and alien assemblages is mainly influenced by habitat type and availability of resources, rather than competitive exclusion.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Laura Nixon, William R. Morrison, Kevin B. Rice, Stephen Goldson, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Ashot Khrimian, Michael Rostas, Tracy C. Leskey
Summary: The study revealed that agitated individual brown marmorated stink bugs did not release defensive odors, but only groups of mechanically agitated bugs emitted human-detectable odors. Exposure to specific odor components induced the bugs to release defensive compounds, resulting in increased horizontal distance moved and velocity.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laureline Rossignaud, Mark O. Kimberley, Dave Kelly, Songlin Fei, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff
Summary: This study explores the applicability of the biotic resistance hypothesis in forest ecosystems and finds that native trees play a crucial role in preventing invasions by exotic species. Competitive interactions are primarily important at small scales, while habitat heterogeneity plays a predominant role at larger scales.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Richard Mally, Rebecca M. Turner, Rachael E. Blake, Gyda Fenn-Moltu, Cleo Bertelsmeier, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Robert J. B. Hoare, Helen F. Nahrung, Alain Roques, Deepa S. Pureswaran, Takehiko Yamanaka, Andrew M. Liebhold
Summary: Invasion disharmony in Lepidoptera is driven by processes unrelated to the success of native assemblages. Successful invaders include families such as Crambidae, Pyralidae, Tineidae, and Gracillariidae.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Review
Entomology
Helen F. Nahrung, Andrew M. Liebhold, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Davide Rassati
Summary: The economic and environmental threats posed by non-native forest insects are increasing due to globalization. Despite decades of research and implementation of preventative measures, insect invasions continue to occur and are predicted to accelerate. The success of biosecurity measures is difficult to detect and quantify, while failures are evident in the continued establishment of new non-native species. Biosecurity should be a shared responsibility across countries, governments, stakeholders, and individuals.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kevin D. D. Chase, Dave Kelly, Andrew M. M. Liebhold, Eckehard G. G. Brockerhoff
Summary: This study evaluated the role of propagule pressure on colonization success, empirically tested for Allee effects, and estimated Allee thresholds using two species of bark beetles. The results generally support the theoretical literature on the role of propagule pressure and Allee effects in biological invasions.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Samuel F. Ward, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Rebecca M. Turner, Takehiko Yamanaka, Lorenzo Marini, Songlin Fei, Andrew M. Liebhold
Summary: The unintentional transport of insects beyond their native ranges has increased with globalization, leading to higher propagule pressure in non-native ranges. This study investigated the interceptions of European spruce bark beetle in the USA from 1914 to 2008 and found that interceptions were not related to outbreak levels in the native range, but were inversely related to annual import volume. The abundance of this beetle in invasion pathways has recently decreased, possibly due to strengthened phytosanitary protocols.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ian R. McFadden, Agnieszka Sendek, Morgane Brosse, Peter M. Bach, Marco Baity-Jesi, Janine Bolliger, Kurt Bollmann, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Giulia Donati, Friederike Gebert, Shyamolina Ghosh, Hsi-Cheng Ho, Imran Khaliq, J. Jelle Lever, Ivana Logar, Helen Moor, Daniel Odermatt, Loiec Pellissier, Luiz Jardim de Queiroz, Christian Rixen, Nele Schuwirth, J. Ryan Shipley, Cornelia W. Twining, Yann Vitasse, Christoph Vorburger, Mark K. L. Wong, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Ole Seehausen, Martin M. Gossner, Blake Matthews, Catherine H. Graham, Florian Altermatt, Anita Narwani
Summary: Human impacts such as habitat loss, climate change, and biological invasions are drastically changing biodiversity. We propose an integrative approach to explain the differences in impacts between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems by linking them to four fundamental processes that structure communities. Through this approach, we aim to provide insights into why human impacts and responses to them may differ across ecosystem types, using a mechanistic, eco-evolutionary framework.
Article
Forestry
Marco Basile, Anton Kristin, Grzegorz Mikusinski, Simon Thorn, Michal Zmihorski, Gilberto Pasinelli, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff
Summary: Wildfires, wind storms, and pest outbreaks generate large amounts of deadwood in forests. Salvage logging, which removes deadwood following disturbance events, affects woodpeckers by reducing food availability and nest sites. A meta-analysis found that salvage logging significantly impacts woodpecker abundance and reproduction. Deadwood should be retained to conserve woodpeckers and forest biodiversity.
CURRENT FORESTRY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Kenneth F. Raffa, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Jean-Claude Gregoire, Richard C. Hamelin, Andrew M. Liebhold, Alberto Santini, Robert C. Venette, Michael J. Wingfield
Summary: Nonnative insects and pathogens pose major threats to forest ecosystems worldwide. Several risk assessment approaches have been proposed to guide preventative measures, but their underlying assumptions have rarely been explicitly identified or critically evaluated. Evaluating the assumptions, usages, and limitations of each approach can help improve their combined utility.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Belinda A. Gresham, Nicolas Meurisse, Helen F. Nahrung, Anouchka Perret-Gentil, Andrew R. Pugh, Stephanie L. Sopow, Rebecca M. Turner
Summary: This study provides a complete overview of all insect species recorded from Pinus radiata worldwide, with a total of 649 species identified. These species are distributed in both the native and introduced range of the tree and have caused varying degrees of damage, including 28 high-impact species. Additionally, it was found that most of these species originate from Europe, and there is potential for further invasions through border interceptions.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Sofia Branco, Jacob C. Douma, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Mireia Gomez-Gallego, Benoit Marcais, Simone Prospero, Jose Carlos Franco, Herve Jactel, Manuela Branco
Summary: This study analyzed the eradication programs against non-native pests and pathogens of woody plants in Europe from 1945 to date. The factors influencing the success of eradication programs were examined and guidelines for future eradication efforts were reinforced. A total of 848 eradication attempts were documented, with the number of programs and their success rate increasing sharply in the last two decades. The spatial extent of the outbreak and other variables such as the type of environment and species traits were found to significantly affect the outcome of eradication campaigns.
Article
Entomology
Andreas Sanchez, Yannick Chittaro, David Frey, Barbel Koch, Doris Holling, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Beat Ruffner, Milos Knizek
Summary: Identifying alien species is crucial for early detection of biological invasions and changes in species distributions. In this study, three alien bark and ambrosia beetles were newly reported in Switzerland. These species were found during a comprehensive survey of saproxylic beetles across different forest types and altitudes in the southern Alps. Their presence in various lowland forest habitats suggests that they are already established in the region. Given their broad diet, these species might have unknown environmental impacts and could potentially spread further in Switzerland.