95 research outputs found
The UK risk assessment scheme for all non-native species
1. A pest risk assessment scheme, adapted from the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation) scheme, was developed to assess the risks posed to UK species, habitats and ecosystems by non-native taxa.
2. The scheme provides a structured framework for evaluating the potential for non-native organisms, whether intentional or unintentional introductions, to enter, establish, spread and cause significant impacts in all or part of the UK. Specialist modules permit the relative importance of entry pathways, the vulnerability of receptors and the consequences of policies to be assessed and appropriate risk management options to be selected. Spreadsheets for summarising the level of risk and uncertainty, invasive attributes and economic impact were created. In addition, new methods for quantifying economic impact and summarising risk and uncertainty were explored.
3. Although designed for the UK, the scheme can readily be applied elsewhere
Explaining the variation in impacts of non-native plants on local-scale species richness: the role of phylogenetic relatedness
Aim To assess how the magnitude of impacts of non-native plants on species richness of resident plants and animals varies in relation to the traits and phylogenetic position of the non-native as well as characteristics of the invaded site.
Location Global.
Methods Meta-analysis and phylogenetic regressions based on 216 studies were
used to examine the effects of 96 non-native plant species on species richness of resident plants and animals while considering differences in non-native species
traits (life-form, clonality or vegetative reproduction, and nitrogen-fixing ability)
and characteristics of the invaded site (ecosystem type, insularity and climatic
region).
Results Plots with non-native plants had lower resident plant (–20.5%) and animal species richness (–26.4%) than paired uninvaded control plots. Nitrogenfixing
ability, followed by phylogeny and clonality were the best predictors of the magnitude of impacts of non-native plants on native plant species richness. Non-nitrogen-fixing and clonal non-native plants reduced species richness more than nitrogen-fixing and non-clonal invaders. However, life-form and characteristics of the invaded sites did not appear to be important. In the case of resident animal species richness, only the phylogenetic position of the non-native and whether invaded sites were islands or not influenced impacts, with a more pronounced
decrease found on islands than mainlands.
Main conclusions The presence of a phylogenetic signal on the magnitude of the
impacts of non-native plants on resident plant and animal richness indicates that
closely related non-native plants tend to have similar impacts. This suggests that the
magnitude of the impact might depend on shared plant traits not explored in our
study. Our results therefore support the need to include the phylogenetic similarity
of non-native plants to known invaders in risk assessment analysis
Small mammal herbivory and plant recruitment in grassland
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX194370 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
- …