Abstract
Invasive species are a global threat to ecosystem biodiversity and function; non-native grass invasion has been particularly problematic in sparsely vegetated ecosystems such as open dunes. Native plant population responses to invasion, however, are infrequently translated to landscape scales, limiting the effectiveness of these data for addressing conservation issues. We quantified population density, total population size, and age class distribution of the federally-endangered plant species Antioch Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides subsp. howellii), at sites along a non-native grass invasion gradient in California, USA. We then scaled relationships between invasion and plant density across the species’ range using spatial models and remote sensing data. Adult and juvenile O. deltoides subsp. howellii densities were more than 10 times higher in non-invaded areas (grids with 10% total plant cover) when compared to highly-invaded areas (grids with 80% total plant cover). The ratio of O. deltoides subsp. howellii juveniles to adults decreased to less than 1 at 54% total cover, highlighting sensitivity of the regeneration niche to invasion. Spatial models mapped hotspots of O. deltoides subsp. howellii abundance and population structure across the landscape at sub-meter scales. Scaling the impacts of increasing invasion on plant species of conservation concern holds promise when coupled with remote sensing approaches, especially in naturally low-cover ecosystems where readily available metrics (e.g., Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) can be used to quantify invasion. These spatial models inform how future invasive species management may influence population size and spatial distribution of species of conservation concern.
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Data availability
Data are available from Jones et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PRVA0M.
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Acknowledgements
Funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay-Delta Office; and the Friends of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We would like to thank A. Mankowski and S. Detwiler from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their support. We are thankful for those that provided site information and assisted with field logistics, including J. de la Cruz and J. McMurray (City of Oakley); L. Terrazas, D. Brubaker, and S. Euing (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service); D. Lake (California Native Plant Society); M. Hammond and C. Lare-Masters (East Bay Regional Park District). This research was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, UC Davis Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture, and the John Muir Institute of the Environment. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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SFJ and KT conceived the ideas and designed methodology; SFJ and AK collected data; SFJ and CF analyzed the data; SFJ led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the text and gave final approval for publication.
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Jones, S.F., Kennedy, A., Freeman, C.M. et al. Intensity of grass invasion negatively correlated with population density and age structure of an endangered dune plant across its range. Biol Invasions 23, 2451–2471 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02516-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02516-5