Allen, Jenica
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Jenica
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Jenica Allen
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Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Prioritizing range-shifting invasive plants High-impact species coming to the Northeast(2020) Bradley, Bethany; Allen, Jenica; Griffin, Bridget; Laginhas, Brittany B.; Rockwell-Postel, MeiPrevention of new invasions is a cost-effective way to manage invasive species and is most effective when emerging invaders are identified and prioritized before they arrive. Climate change is projected to bring nearly 100 new invasive plants to the Northeast. However, these plants are likely to have different types of impacts, making some a higher concern than others. Here, we summarize the results of original RISCC research that identifies high priority, range-shifting invasive plants based on their potential impacts.Publication Plant regulatory lists in the U.S. are reactive and inconsistent - Appendix 1(2021-01-01) Beaury, Evelyn M.; Fusco, Emily J.; Allen, Jenica; Bradley, BethanyThis file includes supplemental information for Beaury, E.M.*, Fusco, E.J., Allen, J.M., Bradley, B.A. Plant regulatory lists in the U.S. are reactive and inconsistent. Journal of Applied Ecology. The file contains the sources for regulated plant lists, the lists themselves, and summarized findings of the study (whether taxa are listed proactively or as climate change proactive). Metadata are included in the file. *corresponding author: Evelyn M. Beaury (ebeaury@umass.edu), 312B Holdsworth Hall, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01002.Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Research to Practice Paper: Climate-Smart Gardening 2.0(2025) Fertakos, Matthew; Nuhfer, Thomas; Beaury, Evelyn; Singh, Kabeera; Brincka, Matt; Birch, Suvi; Bradley, Bethany; Marschner, Caroline; Allen, JenicaGardening with native and near-native plants can help gardens and nearby ecosystems adapt to our changing climate, supporting their future biodiversity and resilience. Here, we provide updated and expanded state lists of “climate-smart” commercially available native and near-native plants that are expected to grow in the Northeast with continued climate change.Publication Invasion and Global Change Meta-analysis Data(2021-01-01) Lopez, Bianca E.; Allen, Jenica; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Lenoir, Jonathan; Vilà, Montserrat; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Beaury, Evelyn M.; Fusco, Emily J.; Morelli, Toni Lyn; Sorte, Cascade J. B.; Bradley, BethanyWe conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate invasions, abiotic global environmental changes, and their combined effects on native species, communities, and ecosystems.We searched the Web of Science Core Collection for articles and reviews that were available in English through September 30, 2020. Search terms were chosen to identify papers reporting impacts of invasions with one of six abiotic global environmental changes (GECs: warming, nitrogen deposition, O2 depletion, drought, CO2 addition, and altered pH). We assessed the titles and abstracts of the 5,662 returned papers and retained those that reported the ecological effects of: (a) one or more invasive species; (b) one or more GECs; (c) both invasive species and a GEC together; and (d) also reported data for a control treatment (no invasion and at current or ambient environmental conditions). From each study, we recorded data on means and variances of each measured response in the three treatments and control; the response measures (categorized into "response classes"); the introduced invasive species and hypothesized mechanism by which the invasion impacted the ecosystem; the type of GEC factor(s) manipulated; the ecosystem setting where the experiment took place (marine, terrestrial, or freshwater); and the type of experiment (laboratory/greenhouse, field, or mesocosm).Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Do Not Sell! Ornamental invasive plants to avoid with climate change(2022) Allen, Jenica; Beaury, Evelyn M.; Mazzuchi, Julia; Nelson, Michael; O'Uhuru, Ayodelé; Bradley, BethanyClimate change is likely to bring dozens of new invasive plants to the Northeast. Despite their invasive tendencies, many of these species are sold as ornamental plants in slightly warmer climates, but are not yet a large part of nursery sales in the Northeast. By avoiding these species, we protect our native ecosystems from future invasive species impacts. We also present alternative native plants that provide similar aesthetics while also supporting biodiversity.Publication Invasive species risk assessments need more consistent spatial abundance data(2018-01) Bradley, Bethany A; Allen, Jenica; O'Neill, Mitchell W.; Wallace, Rebekah D.; Bargeron, Charles T.; Richburg, Julie A.; Stinson, KristinaSpatial abundance information is a critical component of invasive plant risk assessment. While spatial occurrence data provide important information about potential establishment, abundance data are necessary to understand invasive species’ populations, which ultimately drive environmental and economic impacts. In recent years, the collective efforts of numerous management agencies and public participants have created unprecedented spatial archives of invasive plant occurrence, but consistent information about abundance remains rare. Here, we develop guidelines for the collection and reporting of abundance information that can add value to existing data collection efforts and inform spatial ecology research. In order to identify the most common methods used to report abundance, we analyzed over 1.6 million invasive plant records in the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS). Abundance data in some form are widely reported, with 58.9% of records containing qualitative or quantitative information about invasive plant cover, density, or infested area, but records vary markedly in terms of standards for reporting. Percent cover was the most commonly reported metric of abundance, typically collected in bins of trace (25%). However, percent cover data were rarely reported along with an estimate of area, which is critical for ensuring accurate interpretation of reported abundance data. Infested area is typically reported as a number with associated units of square feet or acres. Together, an estimate of both cover and infested area provides the most robust and interpretable information for spatial research and risk assessment applications. By developing consistent metrics of reporting for abundance, collectors can provide much needed information to support spatial models of invasion risk.Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Gardening with climate-smart native plants in the Northeast(2020) Bradley, Bethany; Bayer, Amanda; Griffin, Bridget; Joubran, Sydni; Laginhas, Brittany B.; Munro, Lara; Talbot, Sam; Allen, Jenica; Barker-Plotkin, Audrey; Beaury, Evelyn M.; Brown-Lima, Carrie; Fusco, Emily J.; Mount, Hailey; Servais, Bailey; Morelli, Toni LynAn estimated 80% of ornamental plants for sale are non-native. This means that the average yard does a poor job of supporting native flora and fauna. By shifting our plantings towards natives, we can dramatically increase the diversity of bees, butterflies, birds and other animals. In contrast, non-native plants do not support local food webs and can become invasive. Native plants increase biodiversity and reduce risks associated with invasive species, which supports resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change.Publication Disentangling the abundance–impact relationship for invasive species(2019-01) Bradley, Bethany A; Laginhas, Brittany B.; Whitlock, Raj; Allen, Jenica; Bates, Amanda E.; Bernatchez, Genevieve; Diez, Jeffrey M.; Early, Regan; Lenoir, Jonathan; Vilà, Montserrat; Sorte, Cascade J.B.To predict the threat of biological invasions to native species, it is critical that we understand how increasing abundance of invasive alien species (IAS) affects native populations and communities. The form of this relationship across taxa and ecosystems is unknown, but is expected to depend strongly on the trophic position of the IAS relative to the native species. Using a global metaanalysis based on 1,258 empirical studies presented in 201 scientific publications, we assessed the shape, direction, and strength of native responses to increasing invader abundance. We also tested how native responses varied with relative trophic position and for responses at the population vs. community levels. As IAS abundance increased, native populations declined nonlinearly by 20%, on average, and community metrics declined linearly by 25%. When at higher trophic levels, invaders tended to cause a strong, nonlinear decline in native populations and communities, with the greatest impacts occurring at low invader abundance. In contrast, invaders at the same trophic level tended to cause a linear decline in native populations and communities, while invaders at lower trophic levels had no consistent impacts. At the community level, increasing invader abundance had significantly larger effects on species evenness and diversity than on species richness. Our results show that native responses to invasion depend critically on invasive species’ abundance and trophic position. Further, these general abundance–impact relationships reveal how IAS impacts are likely to develop during the invasion process and when to best manage them.Publication A synthesis of the effects of cheatgrass invasion on the US Great Basin carbon storage(2020-01) Nagy, R. Chelsea; Fusco, Emily J.; Balch, Jennifer K.; Finn, John T.; Mahood, Adam; Allen, Jenica; Bradley, Bethany ANon‐native, invasive Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) is pervasive in sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin ecoregion of the western United States, competing with native plants and promoting more frequent fires. As a result, cheatgrass invasion likely alters carbon (C) storage in the region. Many studies have measured C pools in one or more common vegetation types: native sagebrush, invaded sagebrush and cheatgrass‐dominated (often burned) sites, but these results have yet to be synthesized. We performed a literature review to identify studies assessing the consequences of invasion on C storage in above‐ground biomass (AGB), below‐ground biomass (BGB), litter, organic soil and total soil. We identified 41 articles containing 386 unique studies and estimated C storage across pools and vegetation types. We used linear mixed models to identify the main predictors of C storage. We found consistent declines in biomass C with invasion: AGB C was 55% lower in cheatgrass (40 ± 4 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (89 ± 27 g C/m2) and BGB C was 62% lower in cheatgrass (90 ± 17 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (238 ± 60 g C/m2). In contrast, litter C was >4× higher in cheatgrass (154 ± 12 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (32 ± 12 g C/m2). Soil organic C (SOC) in the top 10 cm was significantly higher in cheatgrass than in native or invaded sagebrush. SOC below 20 cm was significantly related to the time since most recent fire and losses were observed in deep SOC in cheatgrass >5 years after a fire. There were no significant changes in total soil C across vegetation types. Synthesis and applications. Cheatgrass invasion decreases biodiversity and rangeland productivity and alters fire regimes. Our findings indicate cheatgrass invasion also results in persistent biomass carbon (C) losses that occur with sagebrush replacement. We estimate that conversion from native sagebrush to cheatgrass leads to a net reduction of C storage in biomass and litter of 76 g C/m2, or 16 Tg C across the Great Basin without management practices like native sagebrush restoration or cheatgrass removal.Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Why Native? Benefits of planting native species in a changing climate(2018) Fusco, Emily J.; Allen, Jenica; Beaury, Evelyn M.; Jackson, Michelle R.; Laginhas, Brittany B.; Bradley, Bethany AYards host a variety of native and non-native plants. It is easy to assume all plants play a similar role in supporting wildlife, but native plants dramatically increase the diversity of bees, butterflies, birds and other native animals. Additionally, non-native plants can become invasive or support invasive pests. Native plants increase biodiversity and reduce risks associated with invasive species, which supports resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change.