Meeting Abstract
Invasive species have well-documented negative effects on native communities, but trajectories of community recovery after the removal of invaders are still relatively poorly understood. Kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae) (Willd.), a leguminous invasive vine, has spread throughout the southeastern United States, overgrowing and eliminating native vegetation, primarily through shading. To understand the impacts of P. montana on forest communities in northern Mississippi I quantified vegetation on actively infested, control, and removal sites of varying ages. I compared species richness, herbaceous cover, and abundance of woody seedlings and saplings on infested and control sites to determine how P. montana affected native plant communities. I also compared vegetation on removal sites to determine how long these effects last compared to which management strategy was implemented and whether community composition approaches that of pre-infested sites over time. Preliminary results show that species richness of woody and herbaceous species and herbaceous cover were significantly reduced byP. montana infestation. Abundance of woody seedlings and saplings was not significantly different between infested and control sites. After removal of P. montana, species richness of herbs initially rebounded but declined over time, due to subsequent infestation of the herbaceous weedy species, Echinochloa crus-galli and Lolium perenne. This study shows the plant communities previously invade byP. montana do not revert to a pre-invade state but, consistent with Invasion Meltdown theory, reach an alternative state where other invasive species can dominate the community.
