Plant Ecology in a Changing World
  • Topics
    • Topic Overview
    • Biomes and Climates in a Changing World >
      • Adaptation, biodiversity, and environment
      • Climate constrains plant distributions
      • Biome and climate relationships
      • Deserts
      • Grassland, savanna, and shrub biomes
      • Forest biomes
      • Alpine and tundra biomes
    • Plant adaptation >
      • Plant microclimate 1
      • Plant microclimate 2
      • Leaf energy budgets
      • Water movement through the soil-plant continuum
      • Principles of photosynthesis
      • Photosynthesis responses to light and temperature
      • Environmental stresses limit resource capture and use
      • Nutrients in the environment
      • Adaptation to environmental stress
    • Resource Allocation Changes with Environment >
      • Architecture and canopy processes
      • Plant phenology and resource allocation enhance performance
      • Leaf economic spectrum
      • Life history and reproduction
      • Defense against herbivory
      • Plant competition
    • Plant Responses to a Changing World >
      • Global changes occurring today
      • Invasive species
      • Atmospheric CO2 impacts plant
      • C3/C4 photosynthesis and climate
      • Climate change and the global carbon cycle
      • Climate warming and its impacts
    • Engineering Plant Communities >
      • Remember Utah's past and envision our future
      • Restoration ecology
      • Managed ecosystems
      • Utah urban ecology
      • Urban ecological futures
  • Assignments
    • Assignment Overview
    • Discussion
    • Problem sets
    • Ecology & Global Changes
    • Plant ecology policy
    • Defense of policy
    • Exam #1
    • Exam #2
  • Campus
    • Campus Overview
    • Grasses
    • Green infrastructure >
      • GI Overview
      • Stormwater >
        • GI 1
        • GI 2
        • GI 3
        • GI 4
        • GI 10
      • Green roof
      • Pollinator >
        • Pollinator species
    • Trees of the Wasatch
    • Shrubs of the Wasatch
    • Invasives
  • Biomes
    • Biome Overview
    • Climate diagrams
    • Vegetation sight-seeing trip
    • Biome images
  • Models
  • Lab
Still in preparation - check back soon
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Topic 23 - Invasive species - increased distributions of introduced species and their ecological consequences


Essential elements from Topic 23:
Here, we discuss the introductions and spread of non-native species that are occurring today that impact the sustainability of today's ecosystems. We discuss six key topic areas in which invasive species affect plant communities, including examples appropriate to our region:
  1. Introduction of native species and their replacement of native species
  2. Common characteristics of an invasive plant species
  3. Bromus tectorum - cheat grass - an introduced annual that is increasing fire frequency and changing ecosystem structure
  4. Tamarix ramosissima - tamarisk - an introduced riparian tree and the recent efforts on its elimination through biological control
  5. Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian olive - an introduced riparian tree 
  6. Agropyron cristatum - crested wheatgrass - an introduced range grass with different competitive characteristics
  7. Why do native species compete so poorly with invasive species?


Click here to download PDF of slides associated with Topic 23
Click here to view YOUTUBE videos on Topic 23
Jim Ehleringer, University of Utah