Abstract
Lowland grassy woodlands in Australia’s south-east face reductions in native plant diversity because of invasion by non-native plants. We compared the relative abundance and diversity of plant species among sites dominated by the native Kangaroo grass (KG) Themeda triandra with sites co-dominated by the non-native African lovegrass (ALG) Eragrostis curvula and KG. We found significant differences in plant species composition depending on the dominant species. Furthermore, our results revealed differences in several diversity parameters such as a lower species richness and forb diversity on sites co-dominated by ALG and KG. This was the case despite the functional similarity of both ALG and KG—both C4 perennial tussock grasses of a similar height. Therefore, our results highlight the critical function of the native KG in maintaining and enhancing the target plant species composition and diversity within these grassy woodlands. Herbivore grazing potentially impacts on the abundance of the dominant grass and forb species in various ways, but its impact likely differs depending on their evolutionary origin. Therefore, disentangling the role of individual herbivore groups (native-, non-native mammals, and invertebrates) on the plant community composition of the lowland grassy woodlands is essential to find appropriate grazing regimes for ALG management in these ecosystems.
Highlights
The accidental or intentional introduction of non-native plants alters ecosystems by changing nutrient cycling [1,2], modifying disturbance regimes [3,4], and displacing native plant species [5,6]
The goal of this study is to identify differences in plant species composition and richness among sites dominated by native Kangaroo grass (i.e., Themeda triandra Forssk, hereafter KG) and sites co-dominated by KG and African lovegrass (ALG)
We have found that sites co-dominated by ALG and KG have a lower plant species richness and diversity compared to sites dominated by native KG
Summary
The accidental or intentional introduction of non-native plants alters ecosystems by changing nutrient cycling [1,2], modifying disturbance regimes [3,4], and displacing native plant species [5,6] Australian ecosystems, such as lowland grassy woodlands, are threatened by non-native species. Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees (African lovegrass, hereafter ALG), a C4 perennial grass originating from subtropical southern and eastern Africa [9], was introduced from the early 1900s to the 1980s [10] Today, it can be found in every state and territory of Australia, but it is widespread and abundant mainly in the southern regions and parts of Queensland [9,11]. ALG has been shown to change plant species composition by forming dense tussocks and dominating the ground layer, reducing plant diversity [15,16]
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