Evidence of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasion in degraded Bornean forests

Waddell, Emily H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2555-6390; Chapman, Daniel S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1836-4112; Hill, Jane K.; Hughes, Mark; Sailim, Azlin Bin; Tangah, Joseph; Banin, Lindsay F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1168-3914. 2023 Evidence of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasion in degraded Bornean forests. Biotropica, 55 (4). 767-778. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13227

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Abstract/Summary

Intact tropical forests are generally considered to be resistant to invasions by exotic species, although the shrub Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) is highly invasive in tropical forests outside its native range. Release from natural enemies (e.g., herbivores and pathogens) contributes to C. hirta invasion success where native melastomes are absent, and here we examine the role of enemies when C. hirta co-occurs with native Melastomataceae species and associated herbivores and pathogens. We study 21 forest sites within agricultural landscapes in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, recording herbivory rates in C. hirta and related native Melastoma spp. plants along two 100-m transects per site that varied in canopy cover. Overall, we found evidence of enemy release; C. hirta had significantly lower herbivory (median occurrence of herbivory per plant = 79% of leaves per plant; median intensity of herbivory per leaf = 6% of leaf area) than native melastomes (93% and 20%, respectively). Herbivory on C. hirta increased when closer to native Melastoma plants with high herbivory damage, and in more shaded locations, and was associated with fewer reproductive organs on C. hirta. This suggests host-sharing by specialist Melastomataceae herbivores is occurring and may explain why invasion success of C. hirta is lower on Borneo than at locations without related native species present. Thus, natural enemy populations may provide a “biological control service” to suppress invasions of exotic species (i.e., biotic resistance). However, lower herbivory pressures in more open canopy locations may make highly degraded forests within these landscapes more susceptible to invasion.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13227
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects (Science Area 2017-) Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-) Unaffiliated
ISSN:	0006-3606
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	biological control, Clidemia hirta, enemy release, host-sharing, invasive species, Melastomataceae, Miconia crenata, phytophagous herbivores, tropical forests
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Botany
Related URLs:	Dataset
Date made live:	07 Nov 2023 14:25 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535597

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