BECAS
TORRES Agostina
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Management of invasive plants: Identity and timing of removal can affect restoration success
Autor/es:
TORRES, AGOSTINA; RODRIGUEZ-CABAL, MARIANO A.; NUÑEZ, MARTIN A.
Lugar:
Huntingdon, PA
Reunión:
Conferencia; 2019 MAIPC Conference; 2019
Institución organizadora:
MAIPC
Resumen:
The recovery of the structure and composition of native communities after invasive species removal is a restoration challenge. Secondary invasions (i.e. the invasion of other non-native species after removal of the dominant invasive species) can hinder restoration of native communities. Here we evaluated whether removing the two dominant species together can reduce secondary invasions and whether the timing of removal has an effect on secondary invasions. We conducted a field experiment in plots of 1 m diameter dominated by two non-native target species: Cytisus scoparius (scotch broom) and Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar). We removed the species separated and together at two different times of the year (summer and fall). We found that timing of removal affected restoration success. In the summer, only the removal of both species at the time increased non-target plant diversity although this effect was driven by an increase in non-native species. In the fall, removing only scotch broom increased secondary invasions whereas removing scotch broom and sweet briar together reduced secondary invasions. Our results highlight the importance of the identity of the species removed and the timing of removal on the management of invasive plant species. Future experiments that evaluate the mechanisms underlying this pattern could help predict which species to remove and when to do so to achieve the desired restoration objective.