Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert

Urban habitats such as coastal road verges can host a wide range of non-native plant species, which can increase urban biodiversity but also have the potential to impact natural ecosystems. However, the mechanism through which these novel habitats facilitate alien species establishment/invasion in a...

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Main Authors: Moisés A. Aguilera, Víctor Pastén, Felipe Espinoza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-10-01
Series:Global Ecology and Conservation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235198942300272X
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author Moisés A. Aguilera
Víctor Pastén
Felipe Espinoza
author_facet Moisés A. Aguilera
Víctor Pastén
Felipe Espinoza
author_sort Moisés A. Aguilera
collection DOAJ
description Urban habitats such as coastal road verges can host a wide range of non-native plant species, which can increase urban biodiversity but also have the potential to impact natural ecosystems. However, the mechanism through which these novel habitats facilitate alien species establishment/invasion in arid coastal systems is not well known. Here, we assessed the potential of roadsides and gardens to facilitate the spread of non-native clonal succulent species to coastal natural ecosystems. We surveyed urban habitats and rural wetlands located from 18°S to 23°S, in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Using generalized mixed linear models (GLMMs), we explored the effects of habitat extent and distance to urban sources as the main factors contributing to non-native species propagation. Non-native-to-native species spatial association were also examined. We found the occurrences of Sesuvium portulacastrum were higher in roadsides and gardens located from 18°S to 22°S, followed by Malephora crocea, Carpobrotus edulis and Mesembryanthemum (Aptenia) × vascosilvae. S. portulacastrum, followed by C. edulis and, to a lesser extent, M. × vascosilvae, were recorded in urban and rural crypto-wetlands. Increase in species occurrences with built habitat perimeter and a linear reduction by distance to urban sources were detected. Positive association of S. portulacastrum and M. crocea with the native Heliotropium curassavicum was recorded. These results highlight the importance of the coastal landscape composition (diversity and extent of habitat types) and configuration (distance from built to natural habitats) in the process of non-native plant species’ expansion. Given many coastal ecosystems are already damaged by different human-derived impacts, planting non-native succulents in urban habitats should be carefully managed to balance the services/disservices they provide/provoke to urban and natural habitats.
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spelling doaj.art-f7dd2a5ef96f4e24b0f63ecdd156cc462023-09-24T05:15:38ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-10-0146e02637Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama DesertMoisés A. Aguilera0Víctor Pastén1Felipe Espinoza2Corresponding author.; Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, 2640 Peñalolén, Santiago, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, 2640 Peñalolén, Santiago, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, 2640 Peñalolén, Santiago, ChileUrban habitats such as coastal road verges can host a wide range of non-native plant species, which can increase urban biodiversity but also have the potential to impact natural ecosystems. However, the mechanism through which these novel habitats facilitate alien species establishment/invasion in arid coastal systems is not well known. Here, we assessed the potential of roadsides and gardens to facilitate the spread of non-native clonal succulent species to coastal natural ecosystems. We surveyed urban habitats and rural wetlands located from 18°S to 23°S, in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Using generalized mixed linear models (GLMMs), we explored the effects of habitat extent and distance to urban sources as the main factors contributing to non-native species propagation. Non-native-to-native species spatial association were also examined. We found the occurrences of Sesuvium portulacastrum were higher in roadsides and gardens located from 18°S to 22°S, followed by Malephora crocea, Carpobrotus edulis and Mesembryanthemum (Aptenia) × vascosilvae. S. portulacastrum, followed by C. edulis and, to a lesser extent, M. × vascosilvae, were recorded in urban and rural crypto-wetlands. Increase in species occurrences with built habitat perimeter and a linear reduction by distance to urban sources were detected. Positive association of S. portulacastrum and M. crocea with the native Heliotropium curassavicum was recorded. These results highlight the importance of the coastal landscape composition (diversity and extent of habitat types) and configuration (distance from built to natural habitats) in the process of non-native plant species’ expansion. Given many coastal ecosystems are already damaged by different human-derived impacts, planting non-native succulents in urban habitats should be carefully managed to balance the services/disservices they provide/provoke to urban and natural habitats.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235198942300272XCoastal managementNon-native speciesRoadsidesSucculent plantsUrban habitatsWetlands
spellingShingle Moisés A. Aguilera
Víctor Pastén
Felipe Espinoza
Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
Global Ecology and Conservation
Coastal management
Non-native species
Roadsides
Succulent plants
Urban habitats
Wetlands
title Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
title_full Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
title_fullStr Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
title_full_unstemmed Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
title_short Roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non-native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the Atacama Desert
title_sort roadsides and gardens facilitate the expansion of non native clonal succulent plants to wetlands in the coastal fringe of the atacama desert
topic Coastal management
Non-native species
Roadsides
Succulent plants
Urban habitats
Wetlands
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235198942300272X
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