Acceleration of Exotic Plant Invasion in a Forested Ecosystem by a Generalist Herbivore
Eschtruth AK and Battles JJ. 2009. Acceleration of Exotic Plant Invasion in a Forested Ecosystem by a Generalist Herbivore. Conservation Biology. 23(2):388-399
The successful invasion of exotic plant is often attributed to the absence of coevolved enemies in the introduced range (i.e., the enemy release hypothesis). nevertheless, several componenets of this hypothesis, including the role of generalist herbivores, remain generally unexplored. We used repeated censuses of exclosures and paired controls to investigate the role of a generalist herbivore, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), in the invasion of 3 exotic plant species (Microstegium vimincum, Alliaria petiolata, and Berberis thunbergii) in eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (USA). ... Our results suggest that white-tailed deer herbivory can accelerate the invasion of exotic plants and that canopy disturbance can interact with herbvivory to magnify the impact.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Eschtruth, Anne; Battles, John
- Units
- UPDE
- Keywords
- canopy disturbance, Enemy Release Hypothesis, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Herbivory, Invasive Plants, Maximum Liklelihood Estimation, Odocoileus virginians