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Ligustrum lucidum is a highly invasive East Asian tree that successfully colonizes several subtropical and temperate areas around the world. Its invasion capacity results from a widespread human use mostly in urban and periurban settings, very abundant fruit and seed production, small bird-dispersed fruits, high germination rates, resprouting capacity, fast growth rates, low herbivory levels and tolerance to a wide range of light, temperature and soil. All these traits contribute to its ability to rapidly increase in abundance, alter biodiversity, landscape ecology and limit its management. This paper reviews the current knowledge on L. lucidum with particular focus on its uses, distribution, invasiveness, ecological and economic impacts and control measures. Most relevant aspect of the review highlight the negative ecological impacts of L. lucidum, its potential to continue expanding its range of distribution and the need of further studies on the eco-physiology of the species, economic impact and social perception of its invasion and early warning systems. Keywords Biological invasions * Ecological impacts * Glossy privet * Invasive tree species * Invasive plant control, Introduction Invasive organisms are a distinctive feature of biological communities in the Anthropocene, particularly in peri-urban and human-disturbed ecosystems. Invasive tree species are especially important because they may dominate primary [...]

Permanent forest plots are sampling areas where tree identity, abundance and size are recorded periodically, in order to study how forests change with climate, natural disturbances, uses and management. So far, patterns of change observed with permanent plots in Argentina have been local or regional. To promote scientific collaborations between different research groups within and among regions of Argentina, we created the Network of Permanent Plots of Native Argentinian Forests (RAPP), which includes the regions of Bosques Andino-Patagónicos, Chaco Seco, Chaco Húmedo, Monte de Sierras y Bolsones, Monte de Llanuras y Mesetas, Selva Paranaense and Yungas. Here we synthesize and characterize the information of 317 permanent plots (328.9 ha) included in the RAPP, describing their geographic distribution, objectives, main methodological aspects, and characteristics of the forests where they are established (e.g., disturbance, land tenure, structure, species richness), and after that, discuss the complementarity between the RAPP and the national inventories of native forests. Permanent plots are established over a wide range of latitude (22.02-54.89° S) and elevation (19 a 2304 m a. s. l.), but they are mainly concentrated in Subtropics (Chaco Seco, Chaco Húmedo, Selva Paranaense, and Yungas) and in Bosques Andino-Patagónicos. In all plots, trees are taxonomically identified and different dasometric variables are remeasured, which are the basis for potential collaborations to answer ecological questions at a larger scale. We hope to continue incorporating working groups in the RAPP and encouraging the establishment of plots, mainly in regions with a low number of permanent plots such as Monte, Espinal, and Delta e Islas del Paraná. The goal is that the RAPP advances in the long-term study of all native forests in Argentina, achieving a greater national cover and more interactions among research teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban trees provide multiple benefits for the citizens such as shadow provision and climate regulation. In addition, it can contribute to the conservation of native plants from the ecoregion where the city is located, although there is not much information about it. In this study, species richness, cover and composition of vascular epiphytes were analyzed in urban trees of Gran San Miguel de Tucumán. We sampled epiphytes over 240 trees in 24 sites located in the localities of Horco Molle, El Corte, Yerba Buena and San Miguel de Tucumán. We recorded characteristics of trees (i.e., diameter at breast height [DBH], bark type and number of pruned branches) and sites (distance from the nearest source of epiphyte propagules such as sierra San Javier and urban green spaces, temperature and humidity using satellite images). Significant increases of species richness and cover of epiphytes were recorded with tree DBH and rough barks. Both features are important for vascular epiphyte establishment because they allow more surface and time available for colonization and a rough bark accumulates water and organic matter. In addition, epiphyte richness increased in trees closer to Sierra de San Javier, and in sites with lower temperature and higher humidity. The locality of Horco Molle, closer to sierra de San Javier, had a different composition of epiphytes compared to the other localities. Interactions between host trees and vascular epiphytes were similar to those observed in pristine forests of sierra de San Javier. These results are relevant for urban vegetation management because they allow us to consider urban trees as an important contribution to the conservation of native Yungas epiphytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]