1. Canals as invasion pathways in tropical dry forest and the need for monitoring and management
- Author
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Rafael Dudeque Zenni, Matheus da Silva Asth, and Renato Garcia Rodrigues
- Subjects
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ,Change over time ,education.field_of_study ,BioMA ,Geography ,Ecology ,Invasion pathways ,Population ,Plant species ,Forestry ,education ,Invasive species ,Clearance - Abstract
Linear infrastructure intrusions are common around the world to meet the needs of a growing and interconnected human population. The implementation of linear infrastructures involves numerous forms and mechanisms of land‐use transformation that can facilitate and serve as pathways to the spread of invasive non‐native species. However, the type and intensity of land transformations change over time and this can affect the frequency and intensity in which linear infrastructures route the spread of invasive species.Here, we present results collected over 5 years of monitoring surveys (2015–2019) to assess the relationship between the construction of one of the largest canals to date in Brazil and the spread of non‐native species. We studied the Integration Project of the Sao Francisco River (PISF), a canal fully inserted in the Caatinga biome, a tropical dry forest ecosystem for which information on invasion dynamics are little known.Our results confirmed PISF canals served as habitat and dispersal corridors for non‐native plant species. Monitoring surveys recorded 26 non‐native species established along the 83.2 km2 PISF deployment area. Eleven years after the canal deployment area was completely cleared of vegetation, 92.3% of its extension had non‐native plant populations. Of the 10 species assessed for their population status, 8 had invasive populations.The time immediately after construction work finished was the critical stage for the spread of non‐native woody plants, which increased their distributions with reduced levels of construction intervention, whereas most of the herbaceous species reduced their distributions. When human intervention was drastically reduced, many populations of non‐native plants rapidly formed at the deployment area.Policy implications. Man‐made linear infrastructures can remove biogeographical barriers and serve as pathways for the spread of invasive species over long distances and across ecosystems. Thus, the planning, construction and management of such infrastructures should include measures and funding for risk assessment, prevention, monitoring and control of biological invasions. Agencies responsible for environmental licensing should mandate invasive species management as part of the installation and operation licensing conditions. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Resumo: Intervencoes provocadas por infraestruturas lineares sao comuns ao redor do mundo para atender as necessidades de uma crescente e interconectada populacao humana. A implantacao de infraestrutura linear envolve inumeras formas e mecanismos de transformacao no uso do solo que podem facilitar e servir como corredores para a disseminacao de especies exoticas invasoras. No entanto, o tipo e intensidade das transformacoes do solo mudam ao longo do tempo e isso pode afetar a frequencia e intensidade com que infraestruturas lineares direcionam a propagacao de especies invasoras.Aqui nos apresentamos resultados coletados ao longo de cinco anos de campanhas de Monitoramento (2015 a 2019) para avaliar a relacao entre a construcao de uma das maiores infraestruturas lineares do Brasil no momento e a dispersao de especies exoticas. Nos estudamos o Projeto de Integracao do rio Sao Francisco (PISF), um canal totalmente inserido no bioma Caatinga.Nossos resultados confirmam que as estruturas do PISF agem como um corredor para a dispersao de especies de plantas exoticas. As campanhas de monitoramento registraram 26 especies exoticas estabelecidas ao longo de 83,2 km² da area de implantacao do PISF. Onze anos apos a area de implantacao ser completamente desmatada, 92,3% de sua extensao tinha populacoes de plantas exoticas. Das dez especies avaliadas quanto ao status populacional oito tinham populacoes invasoras.O periodo logo apos o termino da construcao foi o estagio critico para a disseminacao de arbustos, arvores e uma especie de liana exotica, que aumentaram suas distribuicoes em niveis reduzidos de intervencao no ambiente, enquanto a maioria das especies herbaceas reduziram suas distribuicoes. Quando o nivel de intervencao humana foi drasticamente reduzido muitas especies de plantas exoticas rapidamente formaram populacoes na area de implantacao.Implicacoes para politicas. Projetos de infraestrutura linear podem remover barreiras biogeograficas e atuar como corredores para a disseminacao de especies invasoras por longas distâncias, entre ecossistemas e em um curto periodo de tempo. O planejamento, construcao e manejo dessas estruturas deve incluir medidas e financiamento para avaliacoes de risco, prevencao, monitoramento e controle de especies exoticas invasoras. Agencias responsaveis pelo licenciamento ambiental devem incluir obrigatoriamente o manejo de especies invasoras como condicionantes do licenciamento de instalacao e operacao dos projetos. (Portuguese) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Applied Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2021
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