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Stream Structural Limitations on Invasive Communities in Urban Riparian Areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert J. Warren II ,
Daniel L. Potts  and
Kelly M. Frothingham
Robert J. Warren II*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
Daniel L. Potts
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
Kelly M. Frothingham
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Planning, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Urban riparian plant communities exist at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and they are rich sources of species biodiversity and ecosystem services. The periodic floods that promote species diversity in riparian plant communities also increase their vulnerability to nonnative plant invasions. Plant invasions are constrained by seed and suitable habitat availability. However, how seed dispersal and establishment limitations interact to shape nonnative plant invasions in riparian communities is poorly understood. We use Stream Visual Assessment Protocol data to evaluate the hydrological and geomorphological parameters that influence the seeding and establishment of six common nonnative species in urban riparian habitats: garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, reed canarygrass, common reed, Japanese knotweed, and multiflora rose. To address this objective, we analyzed stream reach data collected during a basin-wide environmental assessment of the extensively urbanized upper Niagara River watershed. We found limited support for our prediction that propagule limitation constrains the distribution of nonnative riparian species, likely because these species are well established in the study area. Instead, we found that opportune stream reach characteristics better predict the distribution of the common invasive riparian species—most notably open tree canopy. Given that there is widespread investment in urban riparian forest restoration to improve water quality, increase stream-bank stability, enhance wildlife habitat and promote recreation, our data suggest that riparian forests may provide the additional benefit of reducing the abundance of some, but not all, invasive plants.

Keywords

Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grandepurple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L.reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea L.common reed, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc.multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr.Novel communityseed limitationStream Visual Assessment Protocolsuitable habitat
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 353 - 362
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

References

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