Pine invasion decreases density and changes native tree communities in woodland Cerrado

ABSTRACT

Background: Invasive plants can negatively impact native communities, but the majority of the effects of these invasions have been demonstrated only for temperate ecosystems. Tropical ecosystems, including the Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot, are known to be invaded by numerous non-native species, but studies of their impacts are largely lacking.

Aims: Our research aimed at quantifying how Pinus spp. presence and density affected Cerrado plant communities.

Methods: We sampled areas invaded and non-invaded by Pinus spp. to determine if pine invasion affected native tree richness, diversity, evenness, and density. We also evaluated if community composition differed between invaded and non-invaded sites.

Results: We found invaded plots had lower native tree densities than non-invaded plots and that Pinus spp. invasions changed native tree communities by reducing native species abundances.

Conclusion: Invasive pines had negative impacts on the native Cerrado tree community by reducing native plant density and changing species abundances. Reduced density and abundance at early invasion stages can result in reduction in biodiversity in the long term.

KEYWORDS:

• Biological invasions
• conifers
• exotic pines
• diversity patterns
• native trees
• neotropical savanna

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Jardim Botânico de Brasília for supporting the research and reviewers for valuable feedbacks that helped to improve the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary Material

Supplemented details of this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [400196/2014-0].

Notes on contributors

Ana Luísa Cazetta

Ana Luísa Cazetta is a biologist interested in gathering data so environmental education and conservation can be more effective and well grounded.

Rafael Dudeque Zenni

Rafael Dudeque Zenni is an invasion ecologist interested in the role of invasive species as factors of global change.