Temporal variability in native plant composition clouds impact of increasing non-native richness along elevational gradients in Tenerife
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In: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Vol. 66, 125845, 01.03.2025.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal variability in native plant composition clouds impact of increasing non-native richness along elevational gradients in Tenerife
AU - Buhaly, Meike
AU - Ratier Backes, Amanda
AU - Arévalo, José Ramón
AU - Haider, Sylvia
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
PY - 2025/3/1
Y1 - 2025/3/1
N2 - Introductions of non-native plant species and their rates of expansion into novel environments are rapidly climbing, and their impact on recipient community composition is currently not well documented. Under the influence of rapidly intensifying human activity, pathways such as roads support such range expansions, especially in vulnerable mountain regions. Using species composition and abundance data collected in disturbed and natural habitats along three mountain roads covering almost 2500 m in elevation, we investigate how non-native plant species impact temporal change in community composition and spatial community dissimilarity on the island of Tenerife over 14 years. We found that, within communities, the number of both native and non-native species increased over time in disturbed habitats, while non-native species richness decreased in natural habitats. While species composition of communities changed over time, this change was not greater with or without non-native species, though any signal of non-native species’ influence was likely lost due to the surprisingly high variability in the native community. In disturbed roadside habitats, turnover of species over time played a larger role in temporal change in community composition than changes in species’ abundances. Despite increases in richness and occurrences along the elevation gradient, non-native species did not spatially homogenize communities. Although impacts of non-native species on temporal changes in community dissimilarity were presently not found, increases in the number of non-native species and their occurrences illustrate the need for long-term monitoring of altitudinal spread in mountain plant communities, especially in anthropogenically disturbed habitats.
AB - Introductions of non-native plant species and their rates of expansion into novel environments are rapidly climbing, and their impact on recipient community composition is currently not well documented. Under the influence of rapidly intensifying human activity, pathways such as roads support such range expansions, especially in vulnerable mountain regions. Using species composition and abundance data collected in disturbed and natural habitats along three mountain roads covering almost 2500 m in elevation, we investigate how non-native plant species impact temporal change in community composition and spatial community dissimilarity on the island of Tenerife over 14 years. We found that, within communities, the number of both native and non-native species increased over time in disturbed habitats, while non-native species richness decreased in natural habitats. While species composition of communities changed over time, this change was not greater with or without non-native species, though any signal of non-native species’ influence was likely lost due to the surprisingly high variability in the native community. In disturbed roadside habitats, turnover of species over time played a larger role in temporal change in community composition than changes in species’ abundances. Despite increases in richness and occurrences along the elevation gradient, non-native species did not spatially homogenize communities. Although impacts of non-native species on temporal changes in community dissimilarity were presently not found, increases in the number of non-native species and their occurrences illustrate the need for long-term monitoring of altitudinal spread in mountain plant communities, especially in anthropogenically disturbed habitats.
KW - Alien
KW - Altitudinal gradient
KW - Beta-diversity
KW - Disturbance
KW - Homogenization
KW - Species richness
KW - Management studies
KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212559206&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ppees.2024.125845
DO - 10.1016/j.ppees.2024.125845
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:85212559206
VL - 66
JO - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics
JF - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics
SN - 1433-8319
M1 - 125845
ER -