Distribution Of Plant Diversity Research Articles

Effects of boundary constraints and climatic factors on plant diversity along an altitudinal gradient

Despite the long-standing ecological interest in elevational-diversity gradients, it remains unclear whether different life forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) show the same diversity patterns along the gradient. The distribution of plants observed along an altitudinal elevation in the Lancang River Nature Reserve (Yunnan, China) was used to explore this question. We also explored the effects of boundary constraints and climatic factors on the distribution of plant diversity. Our results showed that: (1) All life forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) showed significant and similar elevational trends in richness, with the trend the most significant for trees (R2 = 0.708, p < 0.001), where species richness first increases and then decreases with increasing altitude. (2) Raw tree, shrub and herb richness are significantly correlated with each other, and shrub layer richness and herb layer richness have the greatest correlation (R2 = 0.715). (3) MAT (mean annual temperature), WMT (maximum temperature of the hottest month) and CMT (minimum temperature of the coldest month) better explained the richness patterns (raw and estimated) of different plant life forms along the elevational gradient than other climatic factors. (4) Estimated species (boundary constraint reduced) richness patterns along an elevational gradient can be better explained by climatic variables than by raw species richness for all life forms. Our findings reveal that the richness patterns of different life-forms were similar along the altitudinal gradient.

Quantitative apportionment of slope aspect and altitude to soil moisture and temperature and plant distribution on alpine meadow

For understanding the effect of aspect and altitude of hill on soil moisture and temperature as well as the vegetation community, we selected an alpine meadow located on a hill in north-eastern Tibet Plateau as our study area. Data on soil moisture and temperature, as well as plant distribution pattern in this mountain ecosystem were collected. We used regression analysis, CCA ordination and variance decomposition, to determine the impacts of the key factors (aspect, altitude, soil temperature and moisture) on plant diversity distribution in 189 sample sites of the hill. The results showed that the plant diversity of shady aspect and bottomland was highest and lowest, respectively. The plant diversity of the shady aspect and on the ridge of the hill increased initially and then decreased with the increasing altitude, but the plant diversity of the sunny aspect increased with the increasing altitude. At 0-30 cm soil layer, the soil temperature of the sunny aspect was higher than that of other aspects, but the soil temperature at 0-20 cm soil layer did not change with the increa-sing altitude. The soil moisture of shady aspect was higher than that of other aspects, and increased with the increasing altitude. The aspect and altitude explained 100% of soil temperature changes and 51.8% of soil moisture variation. Aspect alone explained 72.2% of soil temperature variation and altitude alone explained 51.8% of soil moisture variation, which had the highest contribution rate individually. Most plants were distributed on the shady aspect and on the ridge, and at medium altitude. Sedges mainly grew on the shady aspect, while Gramineae grew on the sunny aspect, the ridge was an ecotone. Cyperaceae, Gramineae and Leguminosae were mainly distributed in low altitude zone. Hill aspect and altitude totally explained 28.6% of plant abundance variation, hill aspect alone explained 19.9% of plant abundance variation. The management of grassland production and ecological restoration in alpine meadow ecosystem should consider the effect of landform on soil and vegetation, and the hill aspect should be priority factor instead of altitude when planning management interventions.

Diversity in neotropical dry forests

Forest Ecology Dry forests in the American tropics are not as extensive as rain forests and are more severely threatened by human activity. The DRYFLOR network compiled a floristic inventory of the entire neotropical dry forest biome and used this database of nearly 5000 woody species to analyze the geographical distribution of plant diversity that it hosts. Large variation in floristic composition between different sites and regions implies that effective conservation of dry forest plant diversity will require the protection of numerous priority areas across neotropical nations. Science , this issue p. [1383][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaf5080

Paisajes urbanos leñosos en el Neotrópico: Riqueza y composición de especies de árboles y arbustos en Xalapa

Woody neotropical streetscapes: a case study of tree and shrub species richness and composition in XalapaThe urbanization process goes far beyond the replacement of preexisting non-urban systems, transforming the land in such way that represents worrisome ecological threats. In the novel urban systems, original vegetation is removed and/or replaced with a combination of native and exotic species. In this study, our aim was to generate an updated species list of the trees and shrubs that thrive in the streetscape of Xalapa (Veracruz, Mexico), describing their native/exotic ratio. For this, we followed a city-wide approach comprised by a grid of 106 sampling sites. We recorded a total of 140 tree and shrub species, of which 32 had not been previously reported for the city. Exotics represented more than half of the recorded species, which together with native ones were distributed unevenly throughout the city. Most frequent species include: Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina), Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Paperflower (Bougainvillea glabra), Rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.), Mexican Cypress (Cupressus lusitanica), and Little-leaf Boxwood (Buxus microphylla). It is noticeable that sites at which we recorded no trees or shrubs were located near downtown and peripheral areas of the city. Our findings should be considered carefully, as the unequal distribution of plant diversity in urban areas can compromise the benefits that vegetation provides to citizens, as well as their ecological functions.

古尔班通古特沙漠南部植物多样性的区域差异

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 古尔班通古特沙漠南部植物多样性的区域差异 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201402270338 作者: 作者单位: 新疆石河子大学,石河子大学生命科学学院,石河子大学,石河子大学生命科学学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金——新疆联合基金重点项目(U1130304);国家自然科学基金资助项目(41061004) Regional differences in plant diversity in the southern Gurbantonggut desert Author: Affiliation: College of Life Science, Shihezi University,,College of Life Science, Shihezi University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:植物多样性分布受环境影响,具有尺度依赖性,研究不同区域植物多样性的差异和分布规律有助于剖析群落多样性的整体形成和变化原因,进而为实施有效的保护和利用提供科学依据。以古尔班通古特沙漠植物多样性集中分布的南部为研究区,沿经向方向划分3条样带(绿洲边缘样带、克拉玛依至吉木萨尔的沙漠公路样带以及距离二者之间的沙漠腹地样带),同时根据沙垄高度、走向和生境差异将研究区划分为5个分区,对比研究各样带、各分区的α、β多样性特征及物种共性和差异性。结果表明:3条样带的α多样性变化为绿洲边缘样带 > 沙漠公路样带 > 沙漠腹地样带。随经度的增加,各样带的物种相似性和替代性特征表现相似的变化趋势。物种分析发现沙漠公路样带内短命植物分布较多,绿洲边缘样带以多年生草本和灌木群落为主,而沙漠腹地样带介于二者之间。各分区间的物种组成存在一定差异。沙漠西部、东部、莫索湾垦区附近、沙漠腹地等分区物种丰富度均较高,而古玛纳斯湖区的植物丰富度较低,与其余4个分区间的物种相似性小,相互替代性较强。总结认为古尔班通古特沙漠南部各分区间植物多样性受地史过程的影响较大,而样带间植物多样性受土壤质地、降水量等环境因素影响较大;沙漠东部似是整个南部沙漠的物种扩散中心。 Abstract:The distribution of plant diversity is influenced by the environment, such that one area is species-rich, another area species-poor and intermediate areas of moderate richness, so it is scale-dependent, so it is scale-dependent. Studying the variety and distributed regularity of plant diversity in different regions can help us understand the underlying reasons for plant community diversity and changes to this diversity, and determine how to effectively protect and use these plant resources. In this study, we focused on the south Gurbantonggut desert, a known center of plant diversity. We divided the study site along the meridional direction into the following three transects:the oasis edge, the desert highroad from Karamay to Jimusaer, and the desert hinterland. We also divided the study site into five regions, according to the height and trend of dunes and differences in habitats. We analyzed the α-diversity and β-diversity in all transects and regions, and summarized the similarities and differences in species composition. These results showed that the α-diversity in the three transects differed, with the order as follows:oasis edge transect > desert highway transect > desert hinterland transect. The β-diversity (species similarity and substitution) of the transects varied similarly with increasing longitude. According to the species composition analysis, the desert highway transect consisted mostly of ephemeral plants, the oasis edge transect had mostly perennial herbs and shrubs, and the diversity in the desert hinterland transect had a mix of ephemeral plants, perennial herbs, and shrubs. We also observed a difference in species composition among the regions. Species richness in the western part of the desert, the Mosuowan reclamation area, desert interior, and the eastern part of the desert was high, whereas that of the Manasi Lake area was relatively low. Although species similarity of the Manasi Lake was low, its species substitution rate was high, when compared with other regions. We concluded that plant diversity among the regions is driven by the geological processes of the species pool, and that plant diversity among the transects is driven by environmental factors such as soil texture and precipitation. The eastern part of the study area was determined to be the species diffusion center of the south Gurbantonggut desert. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Spatial distribution of plant diversity and functional groups in the Liaohe estuary

Spatial distribution of plant diversity and functional groups in the Liaohe estuary

The global distribution of diet breadth in insect herbivores

Understanding variation in resource specialization is important for progress on issues that include coevolution, community assembly, ecosystem processes, and the latitudinal gradient of species richness. Herbivorous insects are useful models for studying resource specialization, and the interaction between plants and herbivorous insects is one of the most common and consequential ecological associations on the planet. However, uncertainty persists regarding fundamental features of herbivore diet breadth, including its relationship to latitude and plant species richness. Here, we use a global dataset to investigate host range for over 7,500 insect herbivore species covering a wide taxonomic breadth and interacting with more than 2,000 species of plants in 165 families. We ask whether relatively specialized and generalized herbivores represent a dichotomy rather than a continuum from few to many host families and species attacked and whether diet breadth changes with increasing plant species richness toward the tropics. Across geographic regions and taxonomic subsets of the data, we find that the distribution of diet breadth is fit well by a discrete, truncated Pareto power law characterized by the predominance of specialized herbivores and a long, thin tail of more generalized species. Both the taxonomic and phylogenetic distributions of diet breadth shift globally with latitude, consistent with a higher frequency of specialized insects in tropical regions. We also find that more diverse lineages of plants support assemblages of relatively more specialized herbivores and that the global distribution of plant diversity contributes to but does not fully explain the latitudinal gradient in insect herbivore specialization.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Plant Diversity in the Yukarıgökdere Forest District of the Mediterranean Region

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity is of crucial importance for ecosystem health and functioning. It is thus one of the most important topics in forest ecology. This study focuses on modelling the spatial distribution of vascular plant diversity (H), richness (S) and evenness (E) in the Yukarigokdere forest district (14667 ha) located in transition zone between Mediterranean and continental climates in the Mediterranean region, Turkey. Species abundance was sampled at 95 sample plots extending from 1000 to 1900 m a.s.l. in order to calculate the response variables (H, S, E). Climatic and topographical data served as explanatory variables. Multiple regression (ML) and classification and regression tree technique (CART) were used to obtain the distribution models of response variables. The better results were provided by CART. That is why visual assessments of the predicted values of the response variables based on (CART) were performed. The explained variances of the model trees were 63.4, 63.1 and 44.5% for H, S and ...

Improving Species Diversity and Biomass Estimates of Tropical Dry Forests Using Airborne LiDAR

The spatial distribution of plant diversity and biomass informs management decisions to maintain biodiversity and carbon stocks in tropical forests. Optical remotely sensed data is often used for supporting such activities; however, it is difficult to estimate these variables in areas of high biomass. New technologies, such as airborne LiDAR, have been used to overcome such limitations. LiDAR has been increasingly used to map carbon stocks in tropical forests, but has rarely been used to estimate plant species diversity. In this study, we first evaluated the effect of using different plot sizes and plot designs on improving the prediction accuracy of species richness and biomass from LiDAR metrics using multiple linear regression. Second, we developed a general model to predict species richness and biomass from LiDAR metrics for two different types of tropical dry forest using regression analysis. Third, we evaluated the relative roles of vegetation structure and habitat heterogeneity in explaining the observed patterns of biodiversity and biomass, using variation partition analysis and LiDAR metrics. The results showed that with increasing plot size, there is an increase of the accuracy of biomass estimations. In contrast, for species richness, the inclusion of different habitat conditions (cluster of four plots over an area of 1.0 ha) provides better estimations. We also show that models of plant diversity and biomass can be derived from small footprint LiDAR at both local and regional scales. Finally, we found that a large portion of the variation in species richness can be exclusively attributed to habitat heterogeneity, while biomass was mainly explained by vegetation structure.

Elevational patterns of plant richness in the Taibai Mountain, China.

The elevational distribution of plant diversity is a popular issue in ecology and biogeography, and several studies have examined the determinants behind plant diversity patterns. In this study, using published data of the local flora of Taibai Mountain, we explored the effects of spatial and climatic factors on plant species richness. We also evaluated Rapoport's elevational rule by examining the relationship between elevational range size and midpoint. Species richness patterns were regressed against area, middle domain effect (MDE), mean annual temperature (MAT), and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The results showed that richness of overall plants, seed plants, bryophytes, and ferns all showed hump-shaped patterns along the elevational gradient, although the absolute elevation of richness peaks differed in different plant groups. Species richness of each plant group was all associated strongly with MAT and MAP. In addition to climatic factors, overall plants and seed plants were more related to area in linear regression models, while MDE was a powerful explanatory variable for bryophytes. Rapoport's elevational rule on species richness was not supported. Our study suggests that a combined interaction of spatial and climatic factors influences the elevational patterns of plant species richness on Taibai Mountain, China.

English

In this paper, we analyse the spatial distribution of plant diversity in the Pyrenean area of Catalonia and Andorra, in parallel to the distribution of landscape descriptors that have been proven to be related to species distribution. We used a wide range of synthetic parameters that refer to physiography (area, main outcrops), bioclimate (length of the growing season, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration), and landscape structure (habitats richness and diversity). Plant diversity was mainly assessed through the data gathered in the Biodiversity Data Bank of Catalonia, which consists of over 300,000 records of 2,335 species of vascular plants. Spatial variation in all the aspects covered here was analysed separately for eight sectors in the study area, and along the altitudinal gradient. Among the abiotic factors, bioclimatic parameters stood out for their regular variation –increasing or decreasing– along the altitudinal gradient. Noticeable differences were found between sectors, and were related to their physiographic particularities or location within the Pyrenees. Along the altitudinal gradient we found consistent shifts in the distribution of functional, ecological and phytogeographic plant groups. As for species richness, all the Pyrenean sectors gave a roughly similar pattern in the altitudinal gradient, with the maximum values found at low-medium altitudes and a regular decreasing trend towards the summits, coinciding with a steep decrease in habitats richness. Differences between sectors in plant diversity mostly depended on the altitude span of each and of other mid-scale landscape singularities, and were more evident between axial Pyrenean and pre-Pyrenean sectors. However, these regional differences also respond to historical biogeography, which is the foundation for understanding the altitudinal distribution of plants through species migration, extinction, and diversification over major Quaternary climatic variation.

Distorted perception of the spatial distribution of plant diversity through uneven collecting efforts: the example of Asteraceae in Australia

AbstractAim Our aims were (1) to compare observed, estimated and predicted patterns of species richness using the Australian native Asteraceae as an example, (2) to identify candidates for hotspots of diversity for the study group, and (3) to examine the distortion of our perception of the spatial distribution of species richness through uneven or misdirected sampling efforts.Location Australia.Methods Based on data from Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, we calculated and visualized observed species richness, the Chao1 estimate of richness, the C index of collecting completeness, and an estimate of richness derived from environmental niche modelling for grid cells at a resolution of 1°. The 20 cells with the highest diversity values were used to define hotspots of diversity.Results Uneven collecting activity results in misleading diversity patterns for the family Asteraceae. While observed species richness is much higher in central Australia than in other parts of the arid interior, this is an artefact resulting from the area being a hotspot of collecting activity. The mountain ranges of south‐eastern Australia and Tasmania are candidates for unbiased hotspots of species richness.Main conclusions Vast areas of the Australian interior are insufficiently sampled on a local scale, although most of them can be expected to be relatively species poor. Some areas in the south‐east and south‐west of the continent remain undersampled relative to their high species richness. Observed species numbers, estimators and environmental niche‐modelling all have their unique advantages and disadvantages for the inference of patterns of diversity.

Partitioning the effects of environmental and spatial heterogeneity on distribution of plant diversity in the Yellow River Estuary

For successful conservation and restoration of biodiversity, it is important to understand how diversity is regulated. In the ecological research community, a current topic of interest is how much of the variation in plant species richness and composition is explained by environmental variation (niche-based model), relative to spatial processes (neutral theory). The Yellow River Estuary (YRE) is a newly formed and fragile wetland ecosystem influenced by both the Yellow River and Bohai Bay. Here, we applied variance partitioning techniques to assess the relative effects of spatial and environmental variables on species richness and composition in the YRE. We also conducted a species indicator analysis to identify characteristic species for three subestuaries within the YRE. Partial redundancy analysis showed that the variations in species richness and composition were explained by both environmental and spatial factors. The majority of explained variation in species richness and composition was attributable to local environmental factors. Among the environmental variables, soil salinity made the greatest contribution to species abundance and composition. Soil salinity was the most important factor in the Diaokou subestuary, while soil moisture was the most important factor influencing species richness in the Qingshui and Chahe subestuaries. The combined effects of soil salinity and moisture determined species richness and composition in the wetlands. These results increase our understanding of the organization and assembly of estuarine plant communities.

Rapid altitudinal migration of mountain plants in Taiwan and its implications for high altitude biodiversity

Mountain systems throughout the globe are characterized by high levels of species richness and species endemism. Biodiversity, however, is not distributed evenly with altitude, but often declines from mid to high altitudes. Conversely, endemic species may be over‐represented at high altitudes. Upward elevational range shifts of mountain species have been reported in response to ongoing changes in climate, yet the reports are dominated by studies on woody species and mountains at high latitudes. We investigated spatial and temporal changes in the mountain biodiversity in the subtropical island of Taiwan, based on historical survey and resurvey data during the period 1906–2006. We found that upper altitudinal limits of mountain plant distributions have risen by ca 3.6 m yr−1 during the last century, in parallel with rising temperatures in the region. Although species, genus, and family richness decline with altitude, ca 55% of species at the highest altitudes are endemic to the island. Given the steep decline in land area with increasing elevation, these high altitude areas are disproportionately important for plant biodiversity when richness and endemism are standardized by available land area. We argue that the distributional shift that we report, in combination with the altitudinal distribution of plant diversity, is likely to pose a major threat to high mountain species of this highly biodiverse island, a threat that is becoming increasingly evident for high mountain plants throughout the globe.

Projected impacts of climate change on regional capacities for global plant species richness.

Climate change represents a major challenge to the maintenance of global biodiversity. To date, the direction and magnitude of net changes in the global distribution of plant diversity remain elusive. We use the empirical multi-variate relationships between contemporary water-energy dynamics and other non-climatic predictor variables to model the regional capacity for plant species richness (CSR) and its projected future changes. We find that across all analysed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emission scenarios, relative changes in CSR increase with increased projected temperature rise. Between now and 2100, global average CSR is projected to remain similar to today (+0.3%) under the optimistic B1/+1.8°C scenario, but to decrease significantly (−9.4%) under the ‘business as usual’ A1FI/+4.0°C scenario. Across all modelled scenarios, the magnitude and direction of CSR change are geographically highly non-uniform. While in most temperate and arctic regions, a CSR increase is expected, the projections indicate a strong decline in most tropical and subtropical regions. Countries least responsible for past and present greenhouse gas emissions are likely to incur disproportionately large future losses in CSR, whereas industrialized countries have projected moderate increases. Independent of direction, we infer that all changes in regional CSR will probably induce on-site species turnover and thereby be a threat to native floras.

Coupling effects of altitude and human disturbance on landscape and plant diversity in the vicinity of mountain villages of Beijing, China

Villages represent the source of human disturbance in mountain regions, but how they alter surrounding landscapes and further affect plant diversity distribution along altitudinal gradient is still not well documented. Although the unimodal pattern along latitudinal gradient and the hypothesis of immediate disturbance (IDH) have been supported in many studies, their coupling effects on plant diversity distribution have been given less attention. In this paper, the coupling effects surrounding mountain villages were detected: (1) altitude determined the mountain landscape at regional scale, while human disturbance altered landscape fragmentation and diversity at local scale surrounding villages. (2) With the reducing human disturbance away from villages, plant diversity decreased, then increased, and finally decreased in different land uses. The plant diversity of shrubs reached the lowest. With the increasing altitude, plant diversity of the forest represented the unimodal trend, but other land use types had different properties. (3) The mechanism of the coupling effects is that the combination of topographic and soil factors determines plant diversity distribution at both landscape and plant community levels surrounding villages.

Range size variation and diversity distribution in the vascular plant flora of the Eurasian Arctic

The distribution ranges of Eurasian arctic vascular plants are studied to identify and characterise significant range types and their distribution along longitudinal and latitudinal gradients, and to analyse the range size distribution of arctic plants. We also address the distribution of plant diversity in the Eurasian Arctic and possible environmental reasons for the patterns observed. Cluster and correlation analyses are conducted on a distribution database established for 1690 vascular plants observed in the Eurasian Arctic. The database records occurrences of the species separately for each of 184 partial areas encompassing almost the entire Holarctic. Highest species numbers of Eurasian arctic plants were observed outside the Arctic, namely in the high mountain ranges of Europe, Siberia and the Far East. Within the Eurasian Arctic, highest species numbers were observed in the European Arctic and Chukotka. The species of the entire Eurasian Arctic could be affiliated with 15 range types. These range types revealed that the Eurasian arctic flora has three major constituents: endemics and sub-endemics, species of three southern high mountain ranges, and widespread species. A principal ‘source of origin’ contributing to the diversity of the Eurasian arctic flora was not evident. Widespread species are more abundant in the western than in the eastern Eurasian arctic flora, where endemics and sub-endemics prevail. The current climate of the northern hemisphere, not only vegetation history, is identified as an important factor in shaping these patterns.

A phylogenetic perspective on the distribution of plant diversity

Phylogenetic studies are revealing that major ecological niches are more conserved through evolutionary history than expected, implying that adaptations to major climate changes have not readily been accomplished in all lineages. Phylogenetic niche conservatism has important consequences for the assembly of both local communities and the regional species pools from which these are drawn. If corridors for movement are available, newly emerging environments will tend to be filled by species that filter in from areas in which the relevant adaptations have already evolved, as opposed to being filled by in situ evolution of these adaptations. Examples include intercontinental disjunctions of tropical plants, the spread of plant lineages around the Northern Hemisphere after the evolution of cold tolerance, and the radiation of northern alpine plants into the Andes. These observations highlight the role of phylogenetic knowledge and historical biogeography in explanations of global biodiversity patterns. They also have implications for the future of biodiversity.

The calcareous riddle: Why are there so many calciphilous species in the Central European flora?

The pool of the Central European flora consists of a majority of vascular plant taxa that are restricted to very base rich and calcareous soils. Ellenberg indicator values for Germany indicate that this floristic pattern is one of the potentially most powerful determinants of the richness of modern temperate plant communities. Considering the example of the forest flora, which, as the putative natural core of the species pool, exhibits the same skew, it is shown that neither the frequency of suitable soil types nor other correlated ecological factors can explain this striking pattern. Also, the ramification of higher taxa offers no indication of higher evolution speeds in calciphilous plants. As an alternative, it is hypothesized that Pleistocene range contractions have caused the extinction of more acidophilous than calciphilous species, because acid soils were much rarer when refugial areas were at their minimum. If this is correct, one of the most significant ecological patterns in the contemporary distribution of plant diversity must be regarded as a result of ecological drift imposed by a historical bottleneck.

Using a Dynamic Landscape Model for Planning the Management of Alien Plant Invasions

Biological invasions are widespread phenomena that threaten the integrity and functioning of natural ecosystems. In this paper we develop a model that is designed to be a decision-making tool for planning and managing alien plant control operations. Most decision tools adopt a static approach; in this application we integrate a dynamic simulation model of alien plant spread with decision-making tools commonly used for reserve design. The model is a landscape-scale implementation of a fine-grained individual-based spread model. We first describe the scaling up of the fine-scaled model into a landscape extent model. Comparisons between the fine-grained local-scale and coarse-grained landscape-scale model show that the scaling-up process did not introduce significant artifacts into the behavior of the model. The landscape model is used to explore a range of strategies and funding schedules for clearing alien plants. These strategies are evaluated in terms of the cost of the clearing operation, the time it takes to eradicate the plants, and the impact the plants have on three components of native plant diversity (all species, rare and threatened species, endemic species). Clearing strategies that prioritize low-density sites dominated by juvenile alien plants proved to be the most cost effective. Strategies that used information on the distribution of plant diversity were not much more expensive than the most cost-effective strategy, and they substantially reduced the threat to native plant diversity. Delaying the initiation of clearing operations had a strong effect on both the eventual costs of the clearing operation and the threat to native plant diversity. We conclude that the integration of dynamic modeling with decision-making tools, as illustrated here, will be useful for the management of biodiversity under global change.