Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:50:40.122Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stream Structural Limitations on Invasive Communities in Urban Riparian Areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert J. Warren II ,
Daniel L. Potts  and
Kelly M. Frothingham
Robert J. Warren II*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
Daniel L. Potts
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
Kelly M. Frothingham
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Planning, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: hexastylis@gmail.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Urban riparian plant communities exist at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and they are rich sources of species biodiversity and ecosystem services. The periodic floods that promote species diversity in riparian plant communities also increase their vulnerability to nonnative plant invasions. Plant invasions are constrained by seed and suitable habitat availability. However, how seed dispersal and establishment limitations interact to shape nonnative plant invasions in riparian communities is poorly understood. We use Stream Visual Assessment Protocol data to evaluate the hydrological and geomorphological parameters that influence the seeding and establishment of six common nonnative species in urban riparian habitats: garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, reed canarygrass, common reed, Japanese knotweed, and multiflora rose. To address this objective, we analyzed stream reach data collected during a basin-wide environmental assessment of the extensively urbanized upper Niagara River watershed. We found limited support for our prediction that propagule limitation constrains the distribution of nonnative riparian species, likely because these species are well established in the study area. Instead, we found that opportune stream reach characteristics better predict the distribution of the common invasive riparian species—most notably open tree canopy. Given that there is widespread investment in urban riparian forest restoration to improve water quality, increase stream-bank stability, enhance wildlife habitat and promote recreation, our data suggest that riparian forests may provide the additional benefit of reducing the abundance of some, but not all, invasive plants.

Keywords

Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grandepurple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L.reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea L.common reed, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc.multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr.Novel communityseed limitationStream Visual Assessment Protocolsuitable habitat
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 353 - 362
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

References

Literature Cited

Al-Chokhachy, R, Ray, AM, Roper, BB, Archer, E (2013) Exotic plant colonization and occupancy within riparian areas of the interior Columbia River and Upper Missouri River basins, USA. Wetlands 33:409–420 Google Scholar
Albrecht, MA, McCarthy, BC (2009) Seedling establishment shapes the distribution of shade-adapted forest herbs across a topographical moisture gradient. J Ecol 97:1037–1049 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andersson, E, Nilsson, C, Johansson, ME (2000) Plant dispersal in a boreal river and its relation to diversity in riparian flora. J Biogeogr 27:1095–1106 Google Scholar
Auble, GT, Friedman, JM, Scott, ML (1994) Relating riparian vegetation to present and future streamflows. Ecol Appl 4:544–554 Google Scholar
Baatrup-Pedersen, A, Dalkvist, D, Dybkjaer, JB, Riis, T, Larsen, SE, Kronvang, B (2013) Species recruitment following flooding, sediment deposition and seed addition in restored riparian areas. Restor Ecol 21:399–408 Google Scholar
Bazzaz, FA (1979) The physiological ecology of plant succession. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 10:351–371 Google Scholar
Bjorkland, R, Pringle, CM, Newton, B (2001) A stream visual assessment protocol (SVAP) for riparian landowners. Environ Monit Assess 68:99–125 Google Scholar
Boedeltje, G, Bakker, JP, Bekker, RM, Van Groenendael, JM, Soesbergen, M (2003) Plant dispersal in a lowland stream in relation to occurrence and three specific life-history traits of the species in the species pool. J Ecol 91:855–866 Google Scholar
Boedeltje, G, Bakker, JP, Brinke, AT, Van Groenendael, JM, Soesbergen, M (2004) Dispersal phenology of hydrochorous plants in relation to discharge, seed release time and buoyancy of seeds: the flood pulse concept supported. J Ecol 92:786–796 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borcard, D, Gillet, F, Legendre, P (2011) Numerical Ecology with R. New York Springer Google Scholar
Bradford, MA, Schumacher, HB, Catovsky, S, Eggers, T, Newington, JE, Tordoff, GM (2007) Impacts of invasive plant species on riparian plant assemblages: interactions with elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen deposition. Oecologia 152:791–803 Google Scholar
Cantlon, JE (1953) Vegetation and microclimates on north and south slopes of Cushetunk Mountain, New Jersey. Ecol Monogr 23:241–270 Google Scholar
Casanova, MT, Brock, MA (2000) How do depth, duration and frequency of flooding influence the establishment of wetland plant communities? Plant Ecol 147:237–250 Google Scholar
Christen, DC, Matlack, GR (2009) The habitat and conduit functions of roads in the spread of three invasive plant species. Biol Invasions 11:453–465 Google Scholar
Chytry, M, Jarosik, V, Pysek, P, Hajek, O, Knollova, I, Tichy, L, Danihelka, J (2008) Separating habitat invasibility by alien plants from the actual level of invasion. Ecology 89:1541–1553 Google Scholar
Clark, CJ, Poulsen, JR, Levey, DJ, Osenberg, CW (2007) Are plant populations seed limited? A critique and meta-analysis of seed addition experiments. Am Nat 170:128–142 Google Scholar
Colautti, RI, Grigorovich, IA, MacIsaac, HJ (2006) Propagule pressure: a null model for biological invasions. Biol Invasions 8:1023–1037 Google Scholar
Coops, H, Van der Velde, G (1995) Seed dispersal, germination and seedling growth of six helophyte species in relation to water-level zonation. Freshw Biol 34:13–20 Google Scholar
Cummins, KW, Wilzbach, MA, Gates, DM, Perry, JB, Taliaferro, WB (1989) Shredders and riparian vegetation. Bioscience 39:24–30 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Decamps, H, Fortune, M, Gazelle, F, Pautou, G (1988) Historical influence of man on the riparian dynamics of a fluvial landscape. Landsc Ecol 1:163–173 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Jesus-Crespo, R, Ramirez, A (2011) The use of a stream visual assessment protocol to determine ecosystem integrity in an urban watershed in Puerto Rico. Phys Chem Earth 36:560–566 Google Scholar
Dommanget, F, Spiegelberger, T, Cavaille, P, Evette, A (2013) Light availability prevails over soil fertility and structure in the performance of Asian knotweeds on riverbanks: new management perspectives. Environ Manag 52:1453–1462 Google Scholar
Drezner, TD, Fall, PL, Stromberg, JC (2001) Plant distribution and dispersal mechanisms at the Hassayampa River Preserve, Arizona, USA. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 10:205–217 Google Scholar
Elton, CS (1958) The Ecology of Invasions of Animals and Plants. London Methuen Google Scholar
Engstrom, J, Nilsson, C, Jansson, R (2009) Effects of stream restoration on dispersal of plant propagules. J Appl Ecol 46:397–405 Google Scholar
Eschtruth, AK, Battles, JJ (2009) Assessing the relative importance of disturbance, herbivory, diversity, and propagule pressure in exotic plant invasion. Ecol Monogr 79:265–280 Google Scholar
Eschtruth, AK, Battles, JJ (2011) The importance of quantifying propagule pressure to understand invasion: an examination of riparian forest invasibility. Ecology 92:1314–1322 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flory, SL, Clay, K (2009) Effects of roads and forest successional age on experimental plant invasions. Biol Conserv 142:2531–2537 Google Scholar
Fox, J, Weisberg, S (2011) An R Companion to Applied Regression. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Google Scholar
Greet, J, Cousens, RD, Webb, JA (2012) Flow regulation affects temporal patterns of riverine plant seed dispersal: potential implications for plant recruitment. Freshw Biol 57:2568–2579 Google Scholar
Greet, J, Webb, JA, Cousens, RD (2011) The importance of seasonal flow timing for riparian vegetation dynamics: a systematic review using causal criteria analysis. Freshw Biol 56:1231–1247 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, SV, Swanson, FJ, McKee, WA, Cummins, KW (1991) An ecosystem perspective of riparian zones. Bioscience 41:540–551 Google Scholar
Groffman, PM, Bain, DJ, Band, LE, Belt, KT, Brush, GS, Grove, JM, Pouyat, RV, Yesilonis, IC, Zipperer, WC (2003) Down by the riverside: urban riparian ecology. Front Ecol Environ 1:315–321 Google Scholar
Grubb, PJ (1977) Maintenance of species-richness in plant communities—importance of regeneration niche. Biol Rev 52:107–145 Google Scholar
Gurnell, AM, Thompson, K, Goodson, J, Moggridge, H (2008) Propagule deposition along river margins: linking hydrology and ecology. J Ecol 96:553–565 Google Scholar
Hampe, A (2004) Extensive hydrochory uncouples spatiotemporal patterns of seed fall and seedling recruitment in a ‘bird-dispersed’ tree. J Ecol 92:797–807 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannaford, MJ, Barbour, MT, Resh, VH (1997) Training reduces observer variability in visual-based assessments of stream habitat. J North Am Benthol Soc 16:853–860 Google Scholar
Hood, WG, Naiman, RJ (2000) Vulnerability of riparian zones to invasion by exotic vascular plants. Plant Ecol 148:105–114 Google Scholar
Hughes, RM, Herlihy, AT, Kaufmann, PR (2010) An evaluation of qualitative indexes of physical habitat applied to agricultural streams in ten U.S. states. J Am Water Resour Assoc 46:792–806 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Innis, SA, Naiman, RJ, Elliott, SR (2000) Indicators and assessment methods for measuring the ecological integrity of semi-aquatic terrestrial environments. Hydrobiologia 422/423: 111–131 Google Scholar
Jansson, R, Zinko, U, Merritt, DM, Nilsson, C (2005) Hydrochory increases riparian plant species richness: a comparison between a free-flowing and a regulated river. J Ecol 93:1094–1103 Google Scholar
Johansson, ME, Nilsson, C, Nilsson, E (1996) Do rivers function as corridors for plant dispersal? J Veg Sci 7:593–598 Google Scholar
King, JR, Tschinkel, WR (2008) Experimental evidence that human impacts drive fire ant invasions and ecological change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 105:20339–20343 Google Scholar
Kowarik, I, Saumel, I (2008) Water dispersal as an additional pathway to invasions by the primarily wind-dispersed tree Ailanthus altissima . Plant Ecol 198:241–252 Google Scholar
Kronvang, B, Hoffman, CC, Droge, R (2009) Sediment deposition and net phosphorus retention in a hydraulically restored lowland river floodplain in Denmark: combining field and laboratory experiments. Mar Freshw Res 60:638–646 Google Scholar
Lecerf, A, Patfield, D, Boiche, A, Riipinen, MP, Chauvet, E, Dobson, M (2007) Stream ecosystems respond to riparian invasion by Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 64:1273–1283 Google Scholar
Leyer, I (2006) Dispersal, diversity and distribution patterns in pioneer vegetation: the role of river–floodplain connectivity. J Veg Sci 17:407–416 Google Scholar
Lockwood, JL, Cassey, P, Blackburn, T (2005) The role of propagule pressure in explaining species invasions. Trends Ecol Evol 20:223–228 Google Scholar
Love, HM, Maggs, CA, Murray, TE, Provan, J (2013) Genetic evidence for predominately hydrochoric gene flow in the invasive riparian plant Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam). Ann Bot 112:1743–1750 Google Scholar
Marlor, KM, Webster, CR, Chimner, RA (2014) Disturbance and wetland type alter reed canarygrass cover in northern Michigan. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 7:121–131 Google Scholar
Martin, PH, Canham, CD, Marks, PL (2009) Why forests appear resistant to exotic plant invasions: intentional introductions, stand dynamics, and the role of shade tolerance. Front Ecol Environ 7:142–149 Google Scholar
Maskell, LC, Bullock, JM, Smart, SM, Thompson, K, Hulme, PE (2006) The distribution and habitat associations of non-native plant species in urban riparian habitats. J Veg Sci 17:499–508 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McQuaid, BF, Norfleet, L (1999) Assessment of two Carolina watersheds using land and stream quality indices. J Soil Water Conserv 54:657–665 Google Scholar
Menuz, DR, Kettenring, KM (2013) The importance of roads, nutrients, and climate for invasive plant establishment in riparian areas in the northwestern United States. Biol Invasions 15:1601–1612 Google Scholar
Merritt, DM, Nilsson, C, Jansson, R (2010) Consequences of propagule dispersal and river fragmentation for riparian plant community diversity and turnover. Ecol Monogr 80:609–626 Google Scholar
Merritt, DM, Wohl, EE (2002) Processes governing hydrochory along rivers: hydraulics, hydrology, and dispersal phenology. Ecol Appl 12:1071–1087 Google Scholar
Merritt, DM, Wohl, EE (2006) Plant dispersal along rivers fragmented by dams. River Res Appl 22:1–26 Google Scholar
Middleton, BA (2000) Hydrochory, seed banks, and regeneration dynamics across landscape boundaries in a forested wetland. Plant Ecol 146:169–184 Google Scholar
Mortensen, DA, Rauschert, ESJ, Nord, AN, Jones, BP (2009) Forest roads facilitate the spread of invasive plants. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 2:191–199 Google Scholar
Naiman, RJ, Decamps, H (1997) The ecology of interfaces: riparian zone. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 28:621–658 Google Scholar
Naiman, RJ, Decamps, H, Pollock, M (1993) The role of riparian corridors in maintaining regional biodiversity. Ecol Appl 3:209–212 Google Scholar
Nakayama, N, Nishihiro, J, Kayaba, Y, Muranaka, T, Washitani, I (2007) Seed deposition of Eragrostis curvula, an invasive alien plant, on a river floodplain. Ecol Res 22:696–701 Google Scholar
Nilsson, C, Brown, RL, Jansson, R, Merritt, DM (2010) The role of hydrochory in structuring riparian and wetland vegetation. Biol Rev 85:837–858 Google Scholar
Nilsson, C, Ekblad, A, Gardfell, M, Carlberg, B (1991) Long-term effects of river regulation on river margin vegetation. J Appl Ecol 28:963–987 Google Scholar
[NRCS] Natural Resources Conservation Service (1998) Stream Visual Assessment Protocol. Natural Resources Conservation Service Technical Note 99-1. 42 pGoogle Scholar
[NRCS] Natural Resources Conservation Service (2009) Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Version 2. National Biology Handbook, Subpart B-Conservation Planning. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Pages 75 pGoogle Scholar
[NRGC] Niagara River Greenway Commission (2007) Niagara River Greenway Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement. Niagara River Greenway Commission. Pages 243 pGoogle Scholar
Nuzzo, VA (1991) Experimental control of garlic mustard [Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande] in northern Illinois using fire, herbicide and cutting. Nat Areas J 11:158–167 Google Scholar
Oldfield, EE, Warren, RJ II, Felson, AJ, Bradford, MA (2013) Challenges and future directions in urban afforestation. J Appl Ecol 50:1169–1177 Google Scholar
Osawa, T, Mitsuhashi, H, Niwa, H (2013) Many alien invasive plants disperse against the direction of stream flow in riparian areas. Ecol Complex 15:26–32 Google Scholar
Palmer, M, Allen, JD, Meyer, J, Bernhardt, ES (2007) River restoration in the twenty-first century: data and experiential knowledge to inform future efforts. Restor Ecol 15:472–481 Google Scholar
Parendes, LA, Jones, JA (2000) Role of light availability and dispersal in exotic plant invasion along roads and streams in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon. Conserv Biol 14:64–75 Google Scholar
Paul, MJ, Meyer, JL (2001) Streams in the urban landscape. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 32:333–365 Google Scholar
[PDEP] Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (2004) Pennsylvania Field Guide—Common Invasive Plants in Riparian Areas. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Pages 29 Google Scholar
Phillips-Mao, L, Larson, DL, Jordan, NR (2014) Effects of native herbs and light on garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) invasion. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 7:257–268 Google Scholar
Poulsen, JR, Osenberg, CW, Clark, CJ, Levey, DJ, Bolker, BM (2007) Plants as reef fish: fitting the functional form of seedling recruitment. Am Nat 170:167–183 Google Scholar
Preston, FW (1962) The canonical distribution of commonness and rarity: part I. Ecology 43:185–215 Google Scholar
Pulliam, HR (1988) Sources, sinks, and population regulation. Am Nat 132:652–661 Google Scholar
Pysek, P, Prach, K (1993) Plant invasions and the role of riparian habitats: a comparison of four species alien to central Europe. J Biogeogr 20:413–420 Google Scholar
Rood, SB, Heinz-Milne, S (1989) Abrupt riparian forest decline following river damning in southern Alberta. Can J Bot 67:1744–1749 Google Scholar
Sabo, JL, Sponseller, R, Dixon, M, Gade, K, Harms, T, Heffernan, J, Jani, A, Katz, G, Soykan, C, Watts, J, Welter, J (2005) Riparian zones increase regional species richness by harboring different, not more, species. Ecology 86:56–62 Google Scholar
Saumel, I, Kowarik, I (2010) Urban rivers as dispersal corridors for primarily wind-dispersed invasive tree species. Landsc Urban Plann 94:244–249 Google Scholar
Soomers, H, Winkel, DN, Du, Y, Wassen, MJ (2010) The dispersal and deposition of hydrochorous plant seeds in drainage ditches. Freshw Biol 55:2032–2046 Google Scholar
Sweeney, BW, Czapka, SJ (2004) Riparian forest restoration: why each site needs an ecological prescription. For Ecol Manag 192:361–373 Google Scholar
Sweeney, BW, Newbold, JD (2014) Streamside forest buffer width needed to protect stream water quality, habitat and organisms: a literature review. J Am Water Resour Assoc 50:560–584 Google Scholar
Tanentzap, AJ, Bazely, DR (2009) Propagule pressure and resource availability determine plant community invasibility in a temperate forest understorey. Oikos 118:300–308 Google Scholar
Thomas, JR, Middleton, B, Gibson, DJ (2006) A landscape perspective of the stream corridor invasion and habitat characteristics of an exotic (Dioscorea oppositifolia) in a pristine watershed in Illinois. Biol Invasions 8:1103–1113 Google Scholar
Tickner, DP, Angold, PG, Gurnell, AM, Mountford, JO (2001) Riparian plant invasions: hydrogeomorphological control and ecological impacts. Prog Phys Geogr 25:22–52 Google Scholar
Truscott, AM, Soulsby, C, Palmer, SCF, Newell, L, Hulme, PE (2006) The dispersal characteristics of the invasive plant Mimulus guttatus and the ecological significance of increased occurrence of high-flow events. J Ecol 94:1080–1091 Google Scholar
[USFS-FEIS] U.S. Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (2014) Fire Effects Information System. Washington, DC: United States Forest Service.Google Scholar
van Leeuwen, CHA, Sarneel, JM, van Paassen, J, Rip, WJ, Bakker, ES (2014) Hydrology, shore morphology and species traits affect seed dispersal, germination and community assembly in shoreline plant communities. J Ecol 102:998–1007 Google Scholar
Vogt, K, Rasran, L, Jensen, K (2006) Seed deposition in drift lines during an extreme flooding event. Evidence for hydrochorous dispersal? Basic Appl Ecol 7:422–432 Google Scholar
Von Holle, B, Simberloff, D (2005) Ecological resistance to biological invasion overwhelmed by propagule pressure. Ecology 86:3212–3218 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, CJ, Roy, AH, Feminella, JW, Cottingham, PD, Groffman, PM, Morgan, RP III (2014) The urban stream syndrome: current knowledge and the search for a cure. J North Am Benthol Soc 24:706–723 Google Scholar
Ward, TA, Tate, KW, Atwill, ER, Lile, DF, Lancaster, DL, McDougald, N, Barry, S, Ingramm, RS, George, HA, Jensen, W, Frost, WE, Phillips, R, Markegard, GG, Larson, S (2003) A comparison of three visual assessments for riparian and stream health. J Soil Water Conserv 58:85–88 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II (2010a) A test of temperature estimation from solar irradiation and a simple statistical method to integrate elevation into prediction models. Castanea 75:67–77 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II (2010b) An experimental test of well-described vegetation patterns across slope aspects using woodland herb transplants and manipulated abiotic drivers. New Phytol 185:1038–1049 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II, Bahn, V, Bradford, MA (2012) The interaction between propagule pressure, habitat suitability and density-dependent reproduction in species invasion. Oikos 121:874–881 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II, Bahn, V, Kramer, T, Tang, Y, Bradford, MA (2011a) Performance and reproduction of an exotic invader across temperate forest gradients. Ecosphere 2:1–19 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warren, RJ II, Bradford, MA (2011) The shape of things to come: woodland herb niche contraction begins during recruitment in mesic forest microhabitat. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 278:1390–1398 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II, Ursell, T, Keiser, AD, Bradford, MA (2013) Habitat, dispersal and propagule pressure control exotic plant infilling within an invaded range. Ecosphere 4:26 Google Scholar
Warren, RJ II, Wright, JP, Bradford, MA (2011b) The putative niche requirements and landscape dynamics of Microstegium vimineum—an invasive Asian grass. Biol Invasions 13:471–483 Google Scholar
Watterson, NA, Jones, JA (2006) Flood and debris flow interactions with roads promote the invasion of exotic plants along steep mountain streams, western Oregon. Geomorphology 78:107–123 Google Scholar
Wohl, EM, Palmer, MA, Kondolf, JM (2007) River Management in the United States. Pages 174–195 in Brierley, GJ, Fryirs, KA, eds. River Futures. Washington, DC Island Google Scholar
Yang, J, Dilts, TE, Condon, LA, Turner, PL, Wiesberg, PJ (2011) Longitudinal- and transverse-scale environmental influences on riparian vegetation across multiple levels of ecological organization. Landsc Ecol 26:381–395 Google Scholar