SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) invasion on decomposition and litter-dwelling invertebrates in Southeastern U.S. floodplain forests

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is one of the most problematic invasive plants in many parts of the world where it often dominates the shrub layer in riparian forests. We aimed to evaluate the role of privet invasion on litter inputs, rates of litter decomposition and litter-dwelling arthropods in the Southeastern United States. To do this we: (1) evaluated the relative contribution of privet to total litter-fall, (2) compared breakdown of artificial leaves (filter paper) in plots which had or had not been subjected to experimental privet removal, and (3) compared litter breakdown and arthropod communities among the following litter types: (a) native sweetgum, (b) invasive Chinese privet, and (c) a mixed sweetgum–privet litter treatment. Privet accounted for 10% of annual litter-fall at our study sites and leaf fall phenology differed from native species. Filter paper decomposed about twice as quickly in reference compared to removal plots but there were no differences between plot types in litter decomposition. This difference may relate to flooding during the litter bag experiment. In both plot types, privet litter decomposed faster than sweetgum or mixed litter but there were no differences in decay rates between the latter two litter types, suggesting that sweet gum may slow the rate of decomposition in mixed bags. There were no differences among litter or plot types in invertebrate community composition or overall abundances, but detritivores were marginally more abundant in the reference plots. Our findings suggest that flooding may affect the impact of privet invasion on litter decay rates and associated invertebrate communities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allison SD, Vitousek PM (2004) Rapid nutrient cycling in leaf litter from invasive plants in Hawai’i. Oecologia 141:612–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson-Teixeira KJ et al (2015) CTFS-ForestGeo: a worldwide network monitoring forests in an era of global change. Glob Change Biol 21:528–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton IW, Hyatt LA, Howe KM, Gurevitch J, Lerdau MT (2005) Invasive species accelerate decomposition and litter nitrogen loss in a mixed deciduous forest. Ecol Appl 15:1263–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron GN, Spencer SR (1989) Rapid leaf decay and nutrient release in a Chinese tallow forest. Oecologia 80:222–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke K, Gorley R (2006) Primer v6: user manual/tutorial. PRIMER-E, Plymouth

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen JS, Rainford SKD, Blossey B (2014) Community-weighted mean functional effect traits determine larval amphibian responses to litter mixtures. Oecologia 174:1359–1366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwell WK et al (2008) Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide. Ecol Lett 11:1065–1071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costanza R et al (2014) Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Glob Environ Change 26:152–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EDDMapS (2018) Early detection & distribution map** system. The University of Georgia—Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. http://www.eddmaps.org/. Last accessed 25 Sep 2018

  • Ehrenfeld GJ (2003) Effects of exotic plant invasions on soil nutrient cycling processes. Ecosystems 6:503–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan NE, Richardson CJ, Ho M (2015) Connecting differential responses of native and invasive riparian plants to climate change and environmental alteration. Ecol Appl 25:753–767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GA-EPPC (2010) Georgia exotic pest plan council list of non-native invasive plants in Georgia. The University of Georgia—Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. http://www.gaeppc.org/list/. Last accessed 26 Sep 2018

  • Gartner TB, Cardon ZG (2004) Decomposition dynamics in mixed-species leaf litter. Oikos 104:230–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greene BT, Blossey B (2012) Lost in the weeds: Ligustrum sinense reduces native plant growth and survival. Biol Invasions 14:139–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greene BT, Blossey B (2014) Patterns of privet: urbanizing watersheds, invasive Ligustrum sinense, and performance of native plant species in piedmont floodplain forests. Ecosystems 17:990–1001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanula JL, Horn S (2011a) Removing an exotic shrub from riparian forests increases butterfly abundance and diversity. For Ecol Manag 262:674–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanula JL, Horn S (2011b) Removing an invasive shrub (Chinese privet) increases native bee diversity and abundance in riparian forests of the Southeastern United States. Insect Conserv Divers 4:275–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanula JL, Horn S, Taylor JW (2009) Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) removal and its effect on native plant communities of riparian forests. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 2:292–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison M (2013) Standard operating procedure: forest litter-fall. Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project, Palangka Raya

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson JR, Hanula JL, Horn S (2013) Removing Chinese privet from riparian forests still benefits pollinators five years later. Biol Conserv 167:355–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson JR, Hanula JL, Horn S (2014) Impacts of removing Chinese privet from riparian forests on plant communities and tree growth five years later. For Ecol Manag 324:101–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jo I, Fridley JD, Frank DA (2016) More of the same? In situ leaf and root decomposition rates do not vary between 80 native and nonnative deciduous forest species. New Phytol 209:115–122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Junk WJ, Bayley PB, Sparks RE (1989) The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. In: Dodge DP (ed) International large river symposium. Canadian Special Publications Fisheries Aquatic Sciences, Ottawa, pp 110–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneko N, Salamanca E (1999) Mixed leaf litter effects on decomposition rates and soil microarthropod communities in an oak–pine stand in Japan. Ecol Res 14:131–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keddy PA (2010) Wetland ecology: principles and conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Korboulewsky N, Perez G, Chauvat M (2016) How tree diversity affects soil fauna diversity: a review. Soil Biol Biochem 94:94–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Length R (2019) emmeans: estimated marginal means, aka least-squares means. R package version 1.4.3.01. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package = emmeans

  • Lobe JW (2012) Effects of the removal of the invasive shrub, Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), on soil properties and earthworm communities. Thesis, The University of Georgia

  • McArthur JV, Aho JM, Rader RB, Mills GL (1994) Interspecific leaf interactions during decomposition in aquatic and floodplain ecosystems. J N Am Benthol Soc 13:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller JH, Chambliss EB, Oswalt CM (2008) Maps of occupation and estimates of acres covered by nonnative invasive plants in southern forests using SRS FIA data. http://www.invasive.org/fiamaps. Last accessed 26 Sep 2018

  • Mitchell JD, Lockaby BG, Brantley EF (2011) Influence of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) on decomposition and nutrient availability in riparian forests. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 4:437–447

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pavao-Zuckerman MA, Coleman DC (2005) Decomposition of chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) leaves and nitrogen mineralization in an urban environment. Biol Fertil Soils 41:343–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro J, Bates D, DebRoy S, Sarkar D, R Core Team (2017) Nlme: linear and nonlinear mixed effects models. R package version 3.1-131. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=nlme

  • R Core Development Team (2017) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org/

  • Shrestha J et al (2014) Flood pulses control soil nitrogen cycling in a dynamic river floodplain. Geoderma 228–229:14–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tockner K, Malard F, Ward JV (2000) An extension of the flood pulse concept. Hydrol Processes 14:2861–2883

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulyshen MD, Horn S, Hanula JL (2010) Response of beetles (coleoptera) at three heights to the experimental removal of an invasive shrub, Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), from floodplain forests. Biol Invasions 12:1573–1579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward RW (2002) Extent and dispersal rates of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) invasion on the Upper Oconee River floodplain, north Georgia. Southeast Geogr 42:29–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zedler JB, Kercher S (2004) Causes and consequences of invasive plants in wetlands: opportunities, opportunists, and outcomes. Crit Rev Plant Sci 23:431–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the USDA Forest Service and the University of Georgia for the use of forest and university lands, and Scott Horn, Yared Aklilu, Brittany Clark, and William Bush for field and laboratory help. This project was funded by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 413 Biological Sciences Building, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Bryana M. Bush & Darold P. Batzer

  2. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Michael D. Ulyshen

  3. Department of Biology, Oxford College of Emory University, 801 Emory Street, Oxford, GA, 30054, USA

    Bryana M. Bush

Authors
  1. Bryana M. Bush
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael D. Ulyshen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Darold P. Batzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bryana M. Bush.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 1569 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bush, B.M., Ulyshen, M.D. & Batzer, D.P. Effects of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) invasion on decomposition and litter-dwelling invertebrates in Southeastern U.S. floodplain forests. Biol Invasions 22, 1957–1965 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02228-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02228-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation