Can we design urban forest corridors to resist invasion by exotic plant species?

Vidra, Rebecca1, Hess, George1, Shear, Theodore1, 1 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC ABSTRACT- Management and restoration of native ecological communities would be greatly enhanced with knowledge of characteristics that make them resistant to exotic species invasion. This is particularly important in urban areas, where remnant habitats provide important ecological functions but are often degraded by invasive species. While many studies have addressed the influences of disturbance, resource availability, and species richness on invasibility, certain structural features of habitat patches are also thought to control patterns of exotic species invasion. For example, larger patches of intact habitat are thought to be less susceptible to invasion than small isolated fragments with high edge to area ratios. The character of the surrounding landscape may also affect invasion dynamics. We studied the influence of landscape structure and context on the invasion of forested ...  more