Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Alterations in flood frequency increase exotic and native species richness of understorey vegetation in a temperate floodplain eucalypt forest

  • Published:
Plant Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The delivery of environmental flows for biodiversity benefits within regulated river systems can potentially contribute to exotic weed spread. This study explores whether exotic plants of a floodplain forest in Victoria, Australia, are characterised by specific functional groups and associated plant traits linked to altering hydrological conditions over time. Permanently marked 20 × 20 m2 plots from five wetland sites in Eucalyptus camaldulensis floodplain forest were sampled twice, first in the early 1990s (1993–1994) and then 15 years later (2007–2008). Species cover abundance data for understorey vegetation communities were segregated by season and analysed using ordination analysis. Exotic species richness was modelled as a function of site flooding history and native species richness using general linear models. Site ordinations by detrended correspondence analysis showed differential community compositions between survey dates, but native and exotic species were not clearly differentiated in terms of DCA1 scores. Most exotics belonged to functional groups containing annual species that germinate and reproduce under drier conditions. Exotics reproducing under wetter conditions were in the minority, predominantly perennial and capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. Site flooding history and native species richness significantly predicted exotic species richness. Vegetation changes are partially structured by reduced flood frequency favouring increased abundance of exotic, sexually reproducing annuals at drier sites. Sites of low flood frequency are more sensitive to future exotic weed invasion and will require targeted management effort. Flow restoration is predicted to benefit propagule dispersal of species adopting dual regeneration strategies, which are predominantly natives in this system.

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
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel N, Roberts J, Reid J, Overton I, O’Connell D, Harvey J, Bickford S (2006) Barmah Forest: a review of its values, management objectives and knowledge base. Report to the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority. CSIRO, Canberra, 204 pp

  • Boedeltje G, Bakker JP, Ten Brinke A, Van Groenendal 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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bren LJ (1988) Flooding characteristics of a riparian red gum forest. Aust For 51:57–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Bren LJ (1992) Tree invasion of an intermittent wetland in relation to changes in the flooding frequency of the River Murray, Australia. Aust J Ecol 17:395–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brock MA, Casanova MT (1997) Plant life at the edge of wetlands: ecological responses to wetting and drying patterns. In: Klomp N, Lunt I (eds) Frontiers in ecology: building the links. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 181–192

    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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesterfield E (1986) Changes in the vegetation of the river red gum forests at Barmah, Victoria. Aust For 49:4–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Chong J, Ladson AR (2003) Analysis and management of unseasonal flooding in the Barmah-Millewa Forest, Australia. River Res Appl 19:161–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CSIRO (2008) Water availability in the Murray. A report to the Australian Government from the CSIRO Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project. CSIRO, Australia, 217 pp

  • Cunningham SC, MacNally R, White M, Read J, Baker PJ, Thomson J, Griffioen P (2009) A robust technique for mapping vegetation condition across a major river system. Ecosystems 12:207–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dexter BD (1978) Silviculture of the river red gum forests of the Central Murray floodplain. Proc R Soc Vic 90:175–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurnell A, Thompson K, Goodson J, Moggridge H (2008) Propagule deposition along river margins: linking hydrology and ecology. J Ecol 96:553–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris MB, Tomas W, Mourão G, Da Silva CJ, Guimarães E, Sonoda F, Fachim E (2005) Safeguarding the Patanal wetlands: threats and conservation initiatives. Conserv Biol 19:714–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hood GW, Naiman RJ (2000) Vulnerability of riparian zones to invasion by exotic vascular plant species. Plant Ecol 148:105–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell J, Benson D (2000) Predicting potential impacts of environmental flows on weedy riparian vegetation of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, south-eastern Australia. Austral Ecol 25:463–475

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurskis V (2009) River red gun and white cypress forests in south-western New South Wales, Australia: ecological history and implications for conservation of grassy woodlands. For Ecol Manage 258:2593–2601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon C, Rutherfurd ID (1999) Preliminary evidence for pollen as an indicator of recent floodplain accumulation rates and vegetation changes: the Barmah-Millewa Forests, SE Australia. Environ Manage 24:359–367

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003) Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Lunt ID, Jansen A, Binns DL, Kenny SA (2007) Long-term effects of exclusion of grazing stock on degraded herbaceous communities in a riparian Eucalyptus camaldulensis forest in south-eastern Australia. Austral Ecol 32:937–949

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mabry CM, Fraterrigo JM (2008) Species traits as generalized predictors of forest community response to human disturbance. For Ecol Manage 257:723–730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney JM, Rood SB (1998) Streamflow requirements for cottonwood seedling recruitment—an integrative model. Wetlands 18:634–645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MDBC (Murray-Darling Basin Commission) (2005) The Living Murray Foundation Report on the significant ecological assets targeted in the first step decision. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Naiman RJ, Décamps H (1997) The ecology of interfaces: riparian zones. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 28:621–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neatrour MA, Jones RH, Golladay SW (2007) Responses of three floodplain tree species to spatial heterogeneity in soil oxygen and nutrients. J Ecol 95:1274–1283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nias DJ, Alexander P, Herring M (2003) Watering private property wetlands in the Murray Valley, New South Wales. Ecol Manag Rest 4:5–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicol JM, Ganf GG, Pelton GA (2003) Seed banks of a southern Australian wetland: the influence of water regime on final floristic composition. Plant Ecol 168:191–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poff N, Allan JD, Bain MB, Karr JR, Prestegaard KL, Richter BD, Stromberg JC (1997) The natural flow regime: a paradigm for river conservation and restoration. Bioscience 47:769–784

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quétier F, Lavorel S, Thullier W, Davies I (2007) Plant-trait-based modeling assessment of ecosystem-service sensitivity to land-use change. Ecol Appl 17:2377–2386

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reid MA, Quinn GP (2004) Hydrologic regime and macrophyte assemblages in temporary floodplain wetlands: implications for detecting responses to environmental water allocations. Wetlands 24:586–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson D, Holmes PM, Elser KJ, Galatowitsch SM, Stromberg JC, Kirkman SP, Pyšek P, Hobbs RJ (2007) Riparian vegetation: degradation, alien plant invasions, and restoration prospects. Divers Distrib 13:126–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson HA, James KR (2007) Plant establishment from the seed bank of a degraded floodplain wetland: a comparison of two alternative management scenarios. Plant Ecol 188:145–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson AI, Rowling RW (2000) Effects of livestock on riparian zone vegetation in an Australian dryland river. Regul River 16:527–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross JH, Walsh NG (2003) A census of the vascular plants of Victoria, 7th edn. National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens, South Yarra

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzler A, Hale BW, Alsum EM (2007) Examining native and exotic species diversity in European riparian forests. Biol Conserv 138:146–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze DJ, Walker KF (1997) Riparian eucalypts and willows and their significance for aquatic invertebrates in the River Murray, South Australia. Regul River 13:557–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shafroth PB, Stromberg JC, Patten DT (2002) Riparian vegetation response to altered disturbance and stress regimes. Ecol Appl 12:107–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah JJF, Dahm CN (2008) Flood regime and leaf fall determine soil inorganic nitrogen dynamics in semiarid riparian forests. Ecol Appl 18:771–788

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stokes KE (2008) Exotic invasive black willow (Salix nigra) in Australia: influence of hydrological regimes on population dynamics. Plant Ecol 197:91–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stromberg JC, Lite SJ, Marler R, Paradzick C, Shafroth PB, Shorrock D, White JM, White JS (2007) Altered stream-flow regimes and invasive plant species: the Tamarix case. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 16:381–393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson C (1992) The impact of river regulation on the natural flows of the Murray-Darling Basin. Technical report 92/5.1. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra

  • Truscott AM, Soulsby C, Palmer SCF, Newell L (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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VEAC (2006) River Red Gum Forests investigation discussion paper. Chapter 15, Water resource use and environmental flows. Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Holle B, Simberloff D (2005) Ecological resistance to biological invasion overwhelmed by propagule pressure. Ecology 86:3212–3218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward KA (1994) Flood requirements of wetland flora in the Barmah forest, Victoria. Draft report. Floodplain Ecology Group, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Shepparton

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward JV (1998) Riverine landscapes: biodiversity patterns, disturbance regimes and aquatic conservation. Biol Conserv 83:269–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward PA (2007) Monitoring understorey vegetation response to flooding in Barmah Forest: 2006/07 final report. Living Murray Project MD815 for the Murray Darling Basin Commission, Canberra, 108 pp

  • Ward KA, Leitch C, Lloyd LN, Atkins BP (1994) Interim water management strategy for Barmah Forest, Victoria. Natural Resources Management Strategy of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, Canberra

  • Williams L, Reich P, Capon SJ, Raulings E (2008) Soil seed banks of degraded riparian zones in southeastern Australia and their potential contribution to the restoration of understorey vegetation. River Res Appl 24:1002–1017

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Land and Water Australia under their 'Defeating the Weed Menace' programme. Many thanks to Paula Ward for assistance in the extensive data collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Kate Stokes & Matthew Colloff

  2. Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority, 168 Welsford Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia

    Keith Ward

Authors
  1. Kate Stokes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keith Ward
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matthew Colloff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kate Stokes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stokes, K., Ward, K. & Colloff, M. Alterations in flood frequency increase exotic and native species richness of understorey vegetation in a temperate floodplain eucalypt forest. Plant Ecol 211, 219–233 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9833-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9833-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation