Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Global Change and Photosynthesis Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313016
Title: Evaluating the role of landscape in the spread of invasive species: the case of the biomass crop

Author
item MUTHUKRISHNAN, RANJAN - University Of Minnesota
item West, Natalie
item Davis, Adam
item JORDAN, NICHOLAS - University Of Minnesota
item FORESTER, JAMES - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2015
Publication Date: 12/1/2015
Citation: Muthukrishnan, R., West, N.M., Davis, A.S., Jordan, N.R., Forester, J. 2015. Evaluating the role of landscape in the spread of invasive species: the case of the biomass crop. Journal of Applied Ecology. 317:6-15.

Interpretive Summary: Management of weedy and invasive plant species is often approached of as a process of selecting and implementing specific control tactics applied after an invasion is noticed. If, however, there is advance information suggesting that a particular plant species is likely to become invasive, proactive management can be much more cost-effective. One such case is the development and cultivation of new bioeconomy crops and in particular biofuel feedstocks. The traits being selected for in biofuel crops are highly aligned with those of invasive species leading to high risks of escape and spread. Evaluating the risks of spread of invasive species is an inherently spatial challenge that needs to be considered at the landscape scale; however, there are limited tools for such analyses. Here, we develop a new spatial population dynamics model to predict the spread of invasive species over real landscapes. We use this model to evaluate the potential spread of a fertile variety of Miscanthus giganteus as a case study of how the model can be used to aid decision making when managing bioeconomy landscapes. We show that M. giganteus has the ability to invade large landscapes, but the rate and extent of that spread is strongly dependent on the community composition of the landscape and the spatial arrangement of habitat patches that are more or less resistant to invasion. Lastly, we discuss the potential application and value of spatial models in risk analysis and management of agricultural systems.

Technical Abstract: As the development and cultivation of new bioeconomy crops and in particular biofuel feedstocks expands there is a pressing need for objective and quantitative methods to evaluate risks and benefits of their production. In particular, the traits being selected for in biofuel crops are highly aligned with those of invasive species leading to high risks of escape and spread. Evaluating the risks of spread of invasive species is an inherently spatial challenge that needs to be considered at the landscape scale; however, there are limited tools for such analyses. Here, we develop a new spatially explicit integro-difference equation model to predict the spread of invasive species over real landscapes. We use this model to evaluate the potential spread of a fertile variety of Miscanthus giganteus as a case study of how the model can be used to aid decision making when managing bioeconomy landscapes. We show that M. giganteus has the ability to invade large landscapes, but the rate and extent of that spread is strongly dependent on the community composition of the landscape and the spatial arrangement of habitat patches that are more or less resistant to invasion. Lastly, we discuss the potential application and value of spatial models in risk analysis and management of agricultural systems.