Sylvie de Blois

Temporal (1958–1993) and spatial patterns of land use changes in Haut-Saint-Laurent (Quebec, Canada) and their relation to landscape physical attributes

In the last few years, landscape researchers have sought to understand temporal and spatial patterns of landscape changes in order to develop comprehensive models of land cover dynamics. To do so, most studies have used similar methods to quantify structural patterns, usually by comparing various landscape structural indices through time. Whereas the necessity for complementary approaches which might provide insights into landscape dynamics at some finer scale relevant to local managers has been expressed, few studies have proposed alternative methodologies. Moreover, the important relationship between the physical constraints of the landscape and land use dynamics has been seldom emphasized. Here we propose a methodological outline which was applied to the study of a rural landscape of Southern Quebec, Canada, to detect spatial and temporal (1958 to 1993) patterns of land cover changes at field, patch and landscape level. We then relate these patterns to the underlying physical structure of landscape elements using GIS and canonical correspondence analyses. We use the different geomorphological deposit types as stable discriminant factors which may constrain land use.Canonical correspondence analyses showed relations of land use and land use changes to the physical attributes of the landscape elements, whereas spatial analyses revealed very dynamic patterns at finer spatial and temporal scales. They highlighted the fact that not only the physical attributes of the landscape elements but also their spatial configuration were important determinants of land use dynamics in this area. Thus more land use changes occurred at the boundary between geomorphological deposit types than in any other locations. This trend is apparent for specific small-size changes (e.g. forest to crop), but not for the large-size ones (e.g. abandoned land to forest). Although land use changes are triggered by socioeconomic forces in this area, these changes are nevertheless constrained by the underlying physical landscape structure. A thorough comprehension of historical changes will enhance our capability to predict future landscape dynamics and devise more effective landscape management strategies.

Plant functional group identity and diversity determine biotic resistance to invasion by an exotic grass

Summary 1. Biotic resistance, the ability of species in a community to limit invasion, is central to our understanding of how communities at risk of invasion assemble after disturbances, but it has yet to translate into guiding principles for the restoration of invasion-resistant plant communities. We combined experimental, functional, and modelling approaches to investigate processes of community assembly contributing to biotic resistance to an introduced lineage of Phragmites australis, a model invasive species in North America. We hypothesized that (i) functional group identity would be a good predictor of biotic resistance to P. australis, while species identity effect would be redundant within functional group (ii) mixtures of species would be more invasion resistant than monocultures. 2. We classi! ed 36 resident wetland plants into four functional groups based on eight functional traits. We conducted two competition experiments based on the additive competition design with P. australis and monocultures or mixtures of wetland plants. As an indicator of biotic resistance, we calculated a relative competition index (RCIavg) based on the average performance of P. australis in competition treatment compared with control. To explain diversity effect further, we partitioned it into selection effect and complementarity effect and tested several diversity‐interaction models. 3. In monoculture treatments, RCIavg of wetland plants was signi! cantly different among functional groups, but not within each functional group. We found the highest RCIavg for fast-growing annuals, suggesting priority effect. 4. RCIavg of wetland plants was signi! cantly greater in mixture than in monoculture mainly due to complementarity‐diversity effect among functional groups. In diversity‐interaction models, species interaction patterns in mixtures were described best by interactions between functional groups when ! tted to RCIavg or biomass, implying niche partitioning. 5. Synthesis. Functional group identity and diversity of resident plant communities are good indicators of biotic resistance to invasion by introduced Phragmites australis, suggesting niche preemption (priority effect) and niche partitioning (diversity effect) as underlying mechanisms. Guiding principles to understand and/or manage biological invasion could emerge from advances in community theory and the use of a functional framework. Targeting widely distributed invasive plants in different contexts and scaling up to ! eld situations will facilitate generalization.

Environmental, historical, and contextual determinants of vegetation cover: a landscape perspective

We formulated and tested models of relationships among determinants of vegetation cover in two agroforested landscapes of eastern North America (Haut Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada) that differed by the spatial arrangement of their geomorphic features and intensity of agricultural activities. Our landscape model compared the woody plots of each landscape in terms of the relative influence of environmental attributes, land use history (1958 – 1997), and spatial context (i.e., proximity of similar or contrasting land cover). Our vegetation model evaluated the relative contribution of the same sets of variables to the distributions of herbs, trees, and shrubs. Relationships were assessed using partial Mantel tests and path analyses. Significant environmental and contextual differences were found between the vegetation plots of the two landscapes, but disturbance history was similar. Our vegetation model confirms the dominant effect of historical factors on vegetation patterns. Whereas land-use history overrides environmental and contextual control for trees, herbaceous and shrub species are more sensitive to environmental conditions. Context is determinant only for understory species in older, less-disturbed plots. Results are discussed in relevance to vegetation dynamics in a landscape perspective that integrates interactions between environmental and human influences.

Factors affecting plant species distribution in hedgerows of southern Quebec.

Abstract Woody linear features of farmlands have received much attention as pools of diversity in European countries, but they have, in comparison, been little considered in eastern North American ecological studies. Here, we evaluate the relative contribution of environmental conditions, history of management practices within hedgerows, and adjacent land-use on herb and shrub species distribution in woody hedgerows of agricultural landscapes of southern Quebec, Canada. We pay particular attention to the distribution of forest herbs and weed species and identify the main factors that explain their presence. We also evaluate the amount of spatial structuring in the species data and explanatory variables. Our results show significant differences in species composition related to the unique influence of all sets of factors considered. Adjacent land-use (from intensive crop to fallow land) remains the best predictor of overall species distribution, followed by environmental conditions and history of management practices. The probability of finding forest herbs in hedgerows increases as intensity of adjacent agricultural practices (from intensive crop to fallow land) decreases. Potential weed species, on the other hand, are more likely to be found within narrow hedgerows adjacent to the more intensively managed fields. We discuss the results in terms of the interactions between the different determinants of plant diversity in hedgerows and demonstrate the necessity to distinguish between multiple structuring factors to devise proper conservation strategies. Such strategies will have to take into account the ecological as well as the agricultural exploitation context in which linear features are found to be effective.

Roadside as Invasion Pathway for Common Reed (Phragmites australis)

Abstract The rapid progression of an invasive genotype of common reed along roads and other linear infrastructures in North America provides one of the most spectacular examples of the role of transportation corridors as invasion pathways. In this paper, we discuss ecological patterns and processes in roadside habitats important for understanding the invasion dynamics of common reed from coastal areas inland. Frequent disturbances in roadsides combined with potentially high levels of nutrients from adjacent land and stress conditions (from deicing salt and other pollutants) mimic the conditions unfortunately found more and more in natural wetlands. The novel contribution of roads is the creation of linear wetlands with an unprecedented level of connectivity. Genetic evidence shows that invasion inland coincides with the intensification of the road network. Time series analysis of remote sensing data reveals impressive rates of invasion of roadsides and other linear infrastructures, suggesting prime conditions for common reed in these novel habitats. Whereas reed dispersal along roads was thought to be largely due to rhizome transport, new evidence suggests a significant contribution of sexual reproduction and seedling establishment, likely enhanced by climate warming at northern latitudes. There is little evidence that other wetland plants can slow down vegetative expansion of common reed in roadside habitats, but plant cover could prevent seedling establishment and shading by shrubs and trees limit lateral clonal expansion. The fact that common reed possibly provides water treatment and other ecosystem services in roadsides must be carefully weighed against the threat to biodiversity in natural systems. All this begs for investigating urgently if, where, and how we should intervene without compromising the great value of wetlands of conservation interest intersected by roads. Nomenclature: Common reed, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud

Moving from a regional to a continental perspective of Phragmites australis invasion in North America

Here we describe the results of a regional comparison of introduced Phragmites australis and two other P. australis lineages found in North America. The regional similarities and differences in introduced P. australis invasion highlight the importance of continental-scale studies for decoding plant invasions.

Shorter fallow cycles affect the availability of noncrop plant resources in a shifting cultivation system.

Shifting cultivation systems, one of the most widely distributed forms of agriculture in the tropics, provide not only crops of cultural significance, but also medicinal, edible, ritual, fuel, and forage resources, which contribute to the livelihoods, health, and cultural identity of local people. In many regions across the globe, shifting cultivation systems are undergoing important changes, one of the most pervasive being a shortening of the fallow cycle. Although there has been much attention drawn to declines in crop yields in conjunction with reductions in fallow times, little if any research has focused on the dynamics of noncrop plant resources. In this paper, we use a data set of 26 fields of the same age, i.e., ~1.5 yr, but differing in the length and frequency of past fallow cycles, to examine the impact of shorter fallow periods on the availability of noncrop plant resources. The resources examined are collected in shifting cultivation fields by the Yucatec Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. These included firewood, which is cut from remnant trees and stumps spared at the time of felling, and 17 forage species that form part of the weed vegetation. Firewood showed an overall decrease in basal area with shorter fallow cycles, which was mostly related to the smaller diameter of the spared stumps and trees in short-fallow milpas. In contrast, forage species showed a mixed response. Species increasing in abundance in short-fallow milpas tended to be short-lived herbs and shrubs often with weedy habits, whereas those declining in abundance were predominantly pioneer trees and animal-dispersed species. Coppicing tree species showed a neutral response to fallow intensity. Within the cultural and ecological context of our study area, we expect that declines in firewood availability will be most significant for livelihoods because of the high reliance on firewood for local fuel needs and the fact that the main alternative source of firewood, forest patches, has also declined in short- fallow areas. Declines in some forage species can likely be compensated for by the use of other species or by adaptive responses such as managing declining species in home gardens. However, the loss of pioneer tree species in short-fallow milpas suggests that the regenerative capacity of the fallows may be reduced with implications for maintaining effective fallow cycles in this shifting cultivation system. Our findings indicate that the dynamics of noncrop plant resources and their implications for local livelihoods require further consideration in the debate over improving the productivity of shifting cultivation systems.

Interactions between abiotic constraint, propagule pressure, and biotic resistance regulate plant invasion

With multiple species introductions and rapid global changes, there is a need for comprehensive invasion models that can predict community responses. Evidence suggests that abiotic constraint, propagule pressure, and biotic resistance of resident species each determine plant invasion success, yet their interactions are rarely tested. To understand these interactions, we conducted community assembly experiments simulating situations in which seeds of the invasive grass species Phragmites australis (Poaceae) land on bare soil along with seeds of resident wetland plant species. We used structural equation models to measure both direct abiotic constraint (here moist vs. flooded conditions) on invasion success and indirect constraint on the abundance and, therefore, biotic resistance of resident plant species. We also evaluated how propagule supply of P. australis interacts with the biotic resistance of resident species during invasion. We observed that flooding always directly reduced invasion success but had a synergistic or antagonistic effect on biotic resistance depending on the resident species involved. Biotic resistance of the most diverse resident species mixture remained strong even when abiotic conditions changed. Biotic resistance was also extremely effective under low propagule pressure of the invader. Moreover, the presence of a dense resident plant cover appeared to lower the threshold at which invasion success became stable even when propagule supply increased. Our study not only provides an analytical framework to quantify the effect of multiple interactions relevant to community assembly and species invasion, but it also proposes guidelines for innovative invasion management strategies based on a sound understanding of ecological processes.

The invasion of a large lake by the Eurasian genotype of common reed: The influence of roads and residential construction

ABSTRACT The Eurasian genotype of common reed (Phragmites australis) is one of the most aggressive plant invading North American wetlands. There is, however, little published evidence on establishment patterns of populations along lakes of the St. Lawrence River—Great Lakes watershed. We tested the hypothesis that the recent invasion of Great Lake Saint-François (Québec, Canada) by common reed was facilitated by a dense road system and by an intense residence construction activity along lakeshores. A total of 345 and 2914 reed stands were mapped along lakeshores, and along the road system of the study area, respectively. The probability of finding a reed stand on a lakeshore increases with the proximity of the lakes outlet, and of a paved road, but decreases with the proximity of a residence built since 1990. It is likely that common reed first spread along the road system, and that wind dispersal of seeds then favored the establishment of populations on lakeshores. Our model does not support the hypothesis that residential construction facilitated the establishment of reed stands, probably because the recent residential construction boom occurred essentially in the southern part of the lake, where the number of roadside reed populations is much lower than in the northern part (lower seed rain). The invasion of Great Lake Saint-François shows that the spread of the plant is not restricted to major river or road systems. Large or small lakes, if submitted to intense diaspore pressure, can also be at risk.

Balancing shifting cultivation and forest conservation: lessons from a “sustainable landscape” in southeastern Mexico

Shifting cultivation is often perceived to be a threat to forests, but it is also central to the culture and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. Balancing agriculture and forest conservation requires knowledge of how agricultural land uses evolve in landscapes with forest conservation initiatives. Based on a case study from Quintana Roo, Mexico, and remote sensing data, we investigated land use and land cover change (LUCC) in relation to accessibility (from main settlement and road) in search of evidence for agricultural expansion and/or intensification after the initiation of a community forestry program in 1986. Intensification was through a shortening of the fallow period. Defining the sampling space as a function of human needs and accessibility to agricultural resources was critical to ensure a user-centered perspective of the landscape. The composition of the accessible landscape changed substantially between 1976 and 1997. Over the 21-year period studied, the local population saw the accessible landscape transformed from a heterogeneous array of different successional stages including mature forests to a landscape dominated by young fallows. We detected a dynamic characterized by intensification of shifting cultivation in the most accessible areas with milpas being felled more and more from young fallows in spite of a preference for felling secondary forests. We argue that the resulting landscape provides a poorer resource base for sustaining agricultural livelihoods and discuss ways in which agricultural change could be better addressed through participatory land use planning. Balancing agricultural production and forest conservation will become even more important in a context of intense negotiations for carbon credits, an emerging market that is likely to drive future land changes worldwide.