Abstract
Invasive alien species (IAS) not only displace nearby indigenous plants and lead to habitat simplification but also cause severe economic damage by invading arable lands. IAS invasion processes involve external forces such as species characteristics, IAS assemblage traits, environmental conditions, and inter-species interactions. In this study, we analyzed the invasion processes associated with the introduction and spread of Ageratina altissima, a representative invasive plant species in South Korea. We investigated 197 vegetation quadrats (2 × 20 m) in regions bordering 47 forests in southern Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A total of 23 environmental variables were considered, which encompassed vegetation, topography, land use, and landscape ecology indices. The model was divided into an edge and an interior model and analyzed using logistic regression and a decision tree (DT) model. The occurrence of Ageratina altissima was confirmed in 61 sites out of a total of 197. According to our analysis, Ageratina altissima easily invaded forest edges with low density. The likelihood of its occurrence increased with lower elevation and gentler slope. In contrast, the spread of Ageratina altissima in the forest interior, especially based on seed spread and permeability, was favored by a lower elevation and gentler slopes. The analysis of Ageratina altissima settlement processes in forest edges coupled with the DT model demonstrated that land characteristics, such as the proximity to urbanized areas and the number of shrub and tree species, play a pivotal role in IAS settlement. In the forest interior, Ageratina altissima did not occur in 68 of the 71 sites where the soil drainage was under 2.5%, and it was confirmed that the tree canopy area had a significant impact on forest spread. Based on these results, it can be assumed that Ageratina altissima has spread in South Korean forests in much the same way as other naturalized species. Therefore, vegetation management strategies for naturalized species should be developed in parallel with land use management policy in regions surrounding forest edges to successfully manage and control Ageratina altissima invasion.
Highlights
IntroductionIntroduction and Spread of the InvasiveAlien SpeciesAgeratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest EcosystemEunyoung Kim 1 , Jaeyong Choi 2 *
Introduction and Spread of the InvasiveAlien SpeciesAgeratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest EcosystemEunyoung Kim 1, Jaeyong Choi 2 *Citation: Kim, E.; Choi, J.; Song, W
Ageratina altissima appeared in multiple sites in areas up to 20 m from the forest edges, population analyses showed that its numbers gradually decreased from the forest edge to the forest interior (Figure 2)
Summary
Introduction and Spread of the InvasiveAlien SpeciesAgeratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest EcosystemEunyoung Kim 1 , Jaeyong Choi 2 *. Ageratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest Ecosystem. Alien Species Ageratina altissima in a Disturbed Forest. We investigated 197 vegetation quadrats (2 × 20 m) in regions bordering 47 forests in southern Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Invasive species spread leads to the homogenization of urban flora, which worsens as the level of human interference increases [3]. Invasive alien species (IAS) lead to socioeconomic and ecological impacts and pose a threat to human and urban ecosystem health. The emergence of new IAS in a growing number of ecosystems poses a serious threat to environmental and even human health. We found that invasive species such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ageratina altissima hinder the photosynthesis of Sustainability 2021, 13, 6152.
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