High risk of plant invasion in the understory of eucalypt plantations in South China.

ABSTRACT: Eucalypt plantations expand rapidly out of their natural distribution zones, thus inducing a concern on their effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. We compare the understory plant diversity of 46 plots of eucalypt plantations, including early and later stages in rotation, with that of 21 plots of contrast vegetation, including other types of plantations and secondary shrub grassland, in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, South China. Although the overall plant diversity did not change significantly in eucalypt plantations relative to the contrast vegetation, the community structures changed dramatically. The Asteraceae family, which is the most important source of destructive invasive plant species in China, is ranked 3(rd) (7.42%) and 7(th) (3.14%) in species importance in the ea

SUBMITTER: Jin D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4685264 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature