HOW DO INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL CHANGES AFFECT THE IMPACT OF INVASIVE PLANTS?

All of Earth’s biomes are simultaneously experiencing multiple anthropogenic global change drivers, including invasion by nonnative species, urbanization, habitat disturbance by logging, mining or other extractive industries, and climate change from anthropogenic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The spread and impact of invasive nonnative species can be exacerbated or mitigated by co-occurring global changes, but studies on the impact of invaders rarely account for the influence of these other disturbances. Here are some current and past projects that explore how plant invasion interacts with

climate warming and plant invasion

As the climate warms, most plants are altering the timing of important life events—or their phenology—life when they leaf out in the spring, flower, fruit, and loose their leaves. Our lab is exploring how and when native and nonnative plants differ in their sensitivity to warming climates and what these differences might mean for the future composition of plant communities.

We currently have on-going manipulative field experiments in old-field and forest ecosystems to study differences in native and nonnative plant phenology, the mechanistic basis of shifting plant phenology, and the ecological implications of native and nonnative phenological responses. We also utilize herbarium collections and community science phenology platforms to compliment our field experiments. Our work is currently funded though grants from the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology and the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology.

Want to learn more? Check out our newest lab publication!

Reeb, R. et al. 2020. Nonnative old-field species inhabit early season phenological niches and exhibit unique sensitivity to climate. Ecosphere.

habitat disturbance, urbanization, and plant invasion

Humans farm, mine, log, and develop natural areas, which each leaves unique land-use legacies that can influence the composition of current plant communities as well as how these ecosystems function. Our lab explores how the variety of historical and contemporary land-use patterns shape patterns of invasion and moderate the impact of invasive species. Our prior research has used chronosequences of forest logging sites to disentangle the impacts of logging and invasion on a suite of ecosystem processes. We are currently establishing study sites at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve to explore how patterns of native and nonnative forest plant diversity shift depending on whether the forest was historical mined, logged, or cultivated. We also are teaming up with conservation partners at Tree Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to study patterns of invasion with various types of urban green spaces

Want to learn more? Check out these publications:

• Ward et al. 2020. Invasive lianas are drivers of and passengers to altered soil nutrient availability in urban forests. Biological Invasions.

• Sokol et al. 2017. Impacts of an invasive plant are fundamentally altered by a co-occurring forest disturbance. Ecology.

how do interactions between co-occurring invasive plant species affect plant community structure and ecosystem function?

Most studies of invasive plants consider single species invasions even though many ecosystems contain multiple invasive species. Our lab is interested in understanding what types of interactions are most common between invaders and how asymmetry in the strength of plant interactions may lead to accumulation of nonnative species at the expense of native species within plant communities. Our previous research indicates that interactions between nonnative species can differ from interactions among closely related native species, and that these interactions can drive differences in plant community structure and function. We are currently excited to collaborate with Dr. Samantha Catella to develop theoretical models and we are designing field and greenhouse experiments to test our ideas about how multi species interactions may promote nonnative species accumulation.

Want to learn more? Check out these publications:

• Kuebbing 2021. How direct and indirect non-native interactions can promote plant invasions, lead to invasion meltdown, and inform management decisions in Plant Invasions: The Role of Biotic Interactions. CAB International.

• Kuebbing and Nuñez. 2016. Invasive non-native plants have a greater effect on neighboring natives than other non-natives. Nature Plants.

• Kuebbing and Nuñez. 2014. Negative, neutral, and positive interactions among nonnative plants: patterns, processes, and management implications. Global Change Biology.

• Kuebbing et al. 2014. Two co-occuring invasive woody shrubs alter soil properties and promote subdominant invasive species. Journal of Applied Ecology.

• Kuebbing et al. 2013. Current mismatch between research and conservation efforts: the need to study co-occurring invasive plant species. Biological Conservation.