TITLE:
Invasive Species Echinochloa colona Reduces Abundance and Diversity of Resident Plant Communities in Tropical Wetland
AUTHORS:
Samora M. Andrew
KEYWORDS:
Native Species, Evenness, Richness, Diversity, Functional Groups, Resident Species
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.8 No.9,
September
12,
2018
ABSTRACT:
Although
the relationship between invasive alien species (IAS) and plant community
structure has attracted considerable interest, the impacts of IAS on abundance
and diversity of resident plant communities in species rich-ecosystems, such as tropical wetlands are poorly understood. Consequently, this has impeded development of
improved management strategies and successful restoration of invaded tropical
wetlands. Therefore, data on vegetation were collected from 60 plots of 20 × 50 m to study the impacts of alien invasive
grass Echinochloa colona (L.) Link
abundance on plant community abundance, richness, evenness and diversity of
resident plant species within grasslands of the Kilombero Valley wetland,
Tanzania. Moreover, the impacts of abundance of E. colona on plant
functional groups (i.e. graminoids,
forbs and shrubs) richness were also explored. Generalized linear models showed
that community richness, evenness, diversity and abundance of resident species
were negatively related to the E. colona abundance. There was a negative relationship between richness of graminoids and
shrubs and the abundance of E. colona.
Similarly, the abundance of graminoids, forbs and shrubs is related negatively to the abundance of E. colona. Given that most of the community and functional group
attributes of resident plants is related negatively to E. colona abundance, improved management strategies should be developed to minimize the
abundance and further spread of E. colona to restore and conserve wetland
biodiversity.