Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Life after establishment: factors structuring the success of a mountain invader away from disturbed roadsides

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate change and increased anthropogenic activity may both alter the current ranges of non-native plant species in mountainous areas, and could result in increased success of such species at higher elevations in the future. However, the course that management should take is often unclear due to a lack of information about the dynamics of how successful mountain invaders spread away from roadsides. The goals of this study were to determine if patterns of growth of a successful mountain invader, Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill., (as measured by species cover) were: (1) similar to those of establishment (as measured by probability of occurrence), and (2) structured by the extant plant community. Study sites were established throughout the current elevation range of L. dalmatica in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and cover of the species was measured along with several vegetative community characteristics. Elevation influenced probability of occurrence (i.e., chance of establishment) for L. dalmatica, but not cover (which represents growth after establishment). L. dalmatica cover was negatively associated with several vegetative community characteristics which did not appear to be influenced by the presence of L. dalmatica. These results suggest that L. dalmatica establishment may be limited by climate, but that spread of established populations away from roadsides is most influenced by properties of the vegetative community. They further suggest that the resident vegetative communities structure the abundance of this invader, and that to limit spread of this species in mountainous areas, disturbance to the existing vegetative communities should be minimized.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander JM, Kueffer C, Daehler CC, Edwards PJ, Pauchard A, Seipel T (2011) Assembly of nonnative floras along elevational gradients explained by directional ecological filtering. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:656–661

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ansari S, Daehler CC (2010) Life history variation in a temperate plant invader, Verbascum thapsus along a tropical elevational gradient in Hawai’i. Biol Invasions 12:4033–4047

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arevalo JR, Delgado JD, Otto R, Naranjo A, Salas M, Fernandez-Palacios JM (2005) Distribution of alien versus native plant species in roadside communities along an altitudinal gradient in Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst 7:185–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arteaga MA, Delgado JD, Otto R, Fernandez-Palacios JM, Arevalo JR (2009) How do alien plants distribute along roads on oceanic islands? A case study in Tenerife Canary Islands. Biol Invasions 11:1071–1086

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badano EI, Villarroel E, Bustamante RO, Marquet PA, Cavieres LA (2007) Ecosystem engineering facilitates invasions by exotic plants in high-Andean ecosystems. J Ecol 95:682–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartuszevige AM, Hrenko RL, Gorchov DL (2007) Effects of leaf litter on establishment, growth and survival of invasive plant seedlings in a deciduous forest. Am Midl Nat 158:472–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker T, Dietz H, Billeter R, Buschmann H, Edwards PJ (2005) Altitudinal distribution of alien plant species in the Swiss Alps. Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst 7:173–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belote RT, Jones RH, Hood SM, Wender BW (2008) Diversity-invasibility across an experimental disturbance gradient in Appalachian forests. Ecology 89:183–192

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer JS (2011) Per capita community-level effects of an invasive grass, Microstegium vimineum, on vegetation in mesic forests in northern Mississippi (USA). Biol Invasions 13:701–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RL, Peet RK (2003) Diversity and invasibility of southern Appalachian plant communities. Ecology 84:32–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavieres LA, Badano EI, Sierra-Almeida A, Molina-Montenegro MA (2007) Microclimatic modifications of cushion plants and their consequences for seedling survival of native and non-native herbaceous species in the high Andes of central Chile. Arct Antarct Alp Res 39:229–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavieres LA, Quiroz CL, Molina-Montenegro MA (2008) Facilitation of the non-native Taraxacum officinale by native nurse cushion species in the high Andes of central Chile: are there differences between nurses? Funct Ecol 22:148–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen X, Yang RY, Mei LX, Tang JJ (2007) Allelopathic effects of invasive Solidago canadensis L. on germination and growth of native Chinese plant species. Allelopathy J 19:241–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Clifford HT (1959) Seed dispersal by motor vehicles. J Ecol 47:311–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collier MH, Vankat JL, Hughes MR (2002) Diminished plant richness and abundance below Lonicera maackii, an invasive shrub. Am Midl Nat 147:60–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crimmins TM, Crimmins MA, Bertelsen CD (2009) Flowering range changes across an elevation gradient in response to warming summer temperatures. Global Change Biol 15:1141–1152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis MA, Grime JP, Thompson K (2000) Fluctuating resources in plant communities: a general theory of invasibility. J Ecol 88:528–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ens EJ, French K, Bremner JB (2009) Evidence for allelopathy as a mechanism of community composition change by an invasive exotic shrub Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata. Plant Soil 316:125–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming J (2008) Comparison of relocatable commercial vehicle washing systems. United States Department of Agriculture FS, Technology and Development Program, Document Number 0851-1809-SDTDC, pp 23

  • Flory SL, Clay K (2010) Non-native grass invasion alters native plant composition in experimental communities. Biol Invasions 12:1285–1294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French K, Mason TJ, Sullivan N (2011) Recruitment limitation of native species in invaded coastal dune communities. Plant Ecol 212:601–609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith-Kent SL, Handel SN (2008) Invasive Acer platanoides inhibits native sapling growth in forest understorey communities. J Ecol 96:293–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ (2003) The structure and dynamics of geographic ranges. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelbard JL, Belnap J (2003) Roads as conduits for exotic plant invasions in a semiarid landscape. Conserv Biol 17:420–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith AB, Loik ME (2010) Effects of climate and snow depth on Bromus tectorum population dynamics at high elevation. Oecologia 164:821–832

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hager HA (2004) Differential effects of Typha litter and plants on invasive Lythrum salicaria seedling survival and growth. Biol Invasions 6:433–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haider S, Alexander J, Dietz H, Trepl L, Edwards PJ, Kueffer C (2010) The role of bioclimatic origin, residence time and habitat context in shaping non-native plant distributions along an altitudinal gradient. Biol Invasions 12:4003–4018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen MJ, Clevenger AP (2005) The influence of disturbance and habitat on the presence of non-native plant species along transport corridors. Biol Conserv 125:249–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickson C, Bell T, Butler K, Hermanutz L (2005) Disturbance-enabled invasion of Tussilago farfara (L.) in Gros morne National Park, Newfoundland: management implications. Nat Areas J 25:263–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight KS, Reich PB (2005) Opposite relationships between invasibility and native species richness at patch versus landscape scales. Oikos 109:81–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (2003) Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C, Paulsen J, Spehn E (2011) A definition of mountains and their bioclimatic belts for global comparisons of biodiversity data. Alp Bot 121:73–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson DL, Anderson PJ, Newton W (2001) Alien plant invasion in mixed-grass prairie: effects of vegetation type and anthropogenic disturbance. Ecol Appl 11:128–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lonsdale WM (1999) Global patterns of plant invasions and the concept of invasibility. Ecology 80:1522–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDougall AS, Turkington R (2005) Are invasive species the drivers or passengers of change in degraded ecosystems. Ecology 86:42–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marini L, Gaston KJ, Prosser F, Hulme PE (2009) Contrasting response of native and alien plant species richness to environmental energy and human impact along alpine elevation gradients. Global Ecol Biogeogr 18:652–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maron J, Marler M (2007) Native plant diversity resists invasion at both low and high resource levels. Ecology 88:2651–2661

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maskell LC, Firbank LG, Thompson K, Bullock JM, Smart SM (2006) Interactions between non-native plant species and the floristic composition of common habitats. J Ecol 94:1052–1060

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall KL, Morgan JW, Walsh NG, Williams RJ (2005) Plant invasions in treeless vegetation of the Australian Alps. Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst 7:159–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall K, Haider S, Seipel T, Kueffer C, MIREN Consortium (2009) Spread of non-native plant species into mountains: now is the time to act. Mt Forum Bull 9:23–25

    Google Scholar 

  • McDougall KL, Alexander JM, Haider S, Pauchard A, Walsh NG, Kueffer C (2011) Alien flora of mountains: global comparisons for the development of local preventive measures against plant invasions. Divers Distrib 17:103–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naeem S, Knops JMH, Tilman D, Howe KM, Kennedy T, Gale S (2000) Plant diversity increases resistance to invasion in the absence of covarying extrinsic factors. Oikos 91:97–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortega YK, Pearson DE (2005) Weak versus strong invaders of natural plant communities: assessing invasibility and impact. Ecol Appl 15:651–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paiaro V, Cabido M, Pucheta E (2011) Altitudinal distribution of native and alien plant species in roadside communities from central Argentina. Austral Ecol 36:176–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pauchard A, Kueffer C, Dietz H et al (2009) Ain’t no mountain high enough: plant invasions reaching new elevations. Front Ecol Environ 9:479–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickering C, Mount A (2010) Do tourists disperse weed seed? A global review of unintentional human-mediated terrestrial seed dispersal on clothing, vehicles and horses. J Sustain Tour 18:239–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollnac FW, Seipel T, Repath C, Rew LJ (2012) Plant invasion at landscape and local scales along roadways in the mountainous region of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Biol Invasions 14:1753–1763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollnac FW, Maxwell BD, Taper M, Rew LJ (2013) The demography of native and non-native plant species in mountain systems: examples in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Popul Ecol. doi:10.1007/s10144-013-0391-4

  • Prieur-Richard AH, Lavorel S, Grigulis K, Dos Santos A (2000) Plant community diversity and invasibility by exotics: invasion of mediterranean old fields by Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis. Ecol Lett 3:412–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R-Development-Core-Team (2011) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Reinhart KO, Maestre FT, Callaway RM (2006) Facilitation and inhibition of seedlings of an invasive tree (Acer platanoides) by different tree species in a mountain ecosystem. Biol Invasions 8:231–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek M (1989) Invasibility of plant communities. In: Drake JA (ed) Biological Invasions. Wiley and Sons, New York, pp 369–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Rew LJ, Maxwell BD, Aspinall R (2005) Predicting the occurrence of nonindigenous species using environmental and remotely sensed data. Weed Sci 53:236–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robocker WC (1970) Seed characteristics and seedling emergence of Dalmatian toadflax. Weed Sci 18:720–725

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross LC, Lambdon PW, Hulme PE (2008) Disentangling the roles of climate, propagule pressure and land use on the current and potential elevational distribution of the invasive weed Oxalis pes-caprae L. on crete. Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst 10:251–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schramm JW, Ehrenfeld JG (2010) Leaf litter and understory canopy shade limit the establishment, growth and reproduction of Microstegium vimineum. Biol Invasions 12:3195–3204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seipel T, Kueffer C, Rew LJ et al (2012) Processes at multiple scales affect richness and similarity of non-native plant species in mountains around the world. Global Ecol Biogeogr 21:236–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tassin J, Riviere JN (2003) Species richness altitudinal gradient of invasive plants on Reunion Island (Mascareigne archipelago, Indian Ocean). Revue D Ecologie-La Terre Et La Vie 58:257–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor K, Brummer T, Taper ML, Wing A, Rew LJ (2012) Human-mediated long-distance dispersal: an empirical evaluation of seed dispersal by vehicles. Divers Distrib 18:942–951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Ruijven J, De Deyn GB, Berendse F (2003) Diversity reduces invasibility in experimental plant communities: the role of plant species. Ecol Lett 6:910–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veldman JW, Putz FE (2010) Long-distance dispersal of invasive grasses by logging vehicles in a tropical dry forest. Biotropica 42:697–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vila M, Basnou C, Pysek P et al (2010) How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan-European, cross-taxa assessment. Front Ecol Environ 8:135–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von der Lippe M, Kowarik I (2007) Long-distance dispersal of plants by vehicles as a driver of plant invasions. Conserv Biol 21:986–996

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walker S, Wilson JB, Lee WG (2005) Does fluctuating resource availability increase invasibility? Evidence from field experiments in New Zealand short tussock grassland. Biol Invasions 7:195–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wardle DA (2001) Experimental demonstration that plant diversity reduces invasibility: evidence of a biological mechanism or a consequence of sampling effect? Oikos 95:161–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wichmann MC, Alexander MJ, Soons MB et al (2009) Human-mediated dispersal of seeds over long distances. P R Soc B 276:523–532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwaenepoel A, Roovers P, Hermy M (2006) Motor vehicles as vectors of plant species from road verges in a suburban environment. Basic Appl Ecol 7:83–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP, RC-1545), National Research Initiative (NRI, 2009-55320-0533), and the National Science Foundation (NSF, 0440594) for providing funding for this project. We would also like to thank the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service for their cooperation and access to field sites. Thanks to Dr. Bruce Maxwell, Dr. Matt Lavin, Dr. Mark Taper, the MIREN consortium and the MSU Weed and Invasive Plant Ecology and Management group for their input and support. Finally, we would also like to thank Adam, Barb, Alex, Kim, Landon, Curtis, Jordan, and Mel C for assistance in the field.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Fredric W. Pollnac

  2. Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA

    Lisa J. Rew

Authors
  1. Fredric W. Pollnac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa J. Rew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fredric W. Pollnac.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 23 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (PDF 117 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pollnac, F.W., Rew, L.J. Life after establishment: factors structuring the success of a mountain invader away from disturbed roadsides. Biol Invasions 16, 1689–1698 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-013-0617-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-013-0617-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation