Variation in the impact of exotic grasses on native plant composition in relation to fire across an elevation gradient in Hawaii

Author:

D'Antonio, Carla M., Tunison, J.Timothy, Loh, Rhonda K.

Title:

Variation in the impact of exotic grasses on native plant composition in relation to fire across an elevation gradient in Hawaii

Periodical:

Austral Ecology

Year:

2000

Volume:

25

Pages:

507-522

Subject:

Alien species Grasses Introduced species Fire ecology Fire management Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Summary:

The abundance of non-native species in numerous habitats throughout the world has been well documented and several investigators have pointed out that species traits and community properties are important when determining what species will become invasive within a region. While models that have been used to predict successful invaders have considered both, very little research has examined the relative roles of invader identity versus composition of the recipient community in determining species impacts. This is especially true across different invaded communities within the same region. The population, community, and ecosystem impacts of individual invasive plant species have been examined in many individual case studies. Yet predicting when and where a species or type of invader will have a measureable impact lacks a well-developed plan. As a result, the impacts that three invasive, flammable grasses have had on native species regeneration in a series of sites that are located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was examined in this study. These grasses are the Andropogon virginicus L. and the Schizachyrium condensatum, that are from the Americas, and the Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv (molasses grass), that is from Africa.

Label:

Botany

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2074/10.1046/j.1442-9993.2000.01079.x

Date:

October 2000

Collection:

Periodicals