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An exotic invasive shrub has greater recruitment than native shrub species within a large undisturbed wetland

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Abstract

The idea that invasive species have higher recruitment and tolerate a wider range of conditions than native species requires more rigorous examination across a range of community types. We aimed to compare the recruitment and distribution patterns of adults and seedlings of an exotic invasive plant, glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), with four co-occurring native shrub species within a heterogeneous Wisconsin wetland. Detailed vegetation survey data were analyzed for spatial and compositional patterns of shrub distributions. In adult plant frequency and cover, buckthorn was not significantly different from the native winterberry. However, the number of glossy buckthorn seedlings exceeded by more than seven times the combined number of seedlings of the four native species. Sample units containing buckthorn adults were also much more likely to contain seedlings than for native shrubs. However, native seedlings were not more likely to occur at sites lacking adults, suggesting no greater dependence on recruitment away from adults in native species. Buckthorn, winterberry, poison sumac, and dogwood all showed preference for sites with higher tree densities and lower predominance of obligate wetland species in an ordination of 114 species. Glossy buckthorn adults and seedlings and winterberry seedlings were more widely distributed across seven community types than adults and seedlings of the other native species, suggesting broad tolerance to the conditions in different community types. High recruitment is the key factor that may allow glossy buckthorn to overcome community resistance and spread.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the data collection efforts of Ron Londré, Kristin Westad and Joanne Kline. This research was funded through the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Research Growth Initiative and a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Suggestions from two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript.

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  1. Jason E. Mills

    Present address: Biology Department, St. Norbert College, De Pere, 54115, WI, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, 53211, WI, USA

    Jason E. Mills & Erica B. Young

  2. Field Station, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 3095 Blue Goose Road Saukville, Milwaukee, 53080, WI, USA

    Gretchen A. Meyer & James A. Reinartz

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  1. Jason E. Mills
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  2. Gretchen A. Meyer
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  3. James A. Reinartz
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  4. Erica B. Young
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Correspondence to Erica B. Young.

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Mills, J.E., Meyer, G.A., Reinartz, J.A. et al. An exotic invasive shrub has greater recruitment than native shrub species within a large undisturbed wetland. Plant Ecol 213, 1425–1436 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0101-x

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