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Dryad

Alien plant species are precursors for invasion: a case study of Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze in Ile-Ife (Nigeria)

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Mar 26, 2024 version files 32.27 KB

Abstract

The impact of Alternanthera brasiliana on vegetation and soil seed bank was assessed in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Ten sample plots, 10 m x 10 m each, were established in invaded plant communities with high density of Alternanthera brasiliana and adjacent uninvaded plant communities where the weed species has low density. In each sample plot, twenty 1 m x 1 m quadrats were randomly laid and all rooted plant species were identified and counted. Post-dispersal soil seed bank was collected by randomly taking five core samples of top soil per sample plot to estimate the soil seed bank density and floristics of the sites. The species composition of soil seed bank was compared with that of the above-ground vegetation so as to assess the invader’s impact on the vegetation using Sorensen’s index of similarity. The results showed that Alternanthera brasiliana invasion significantly impacted on the species diversity (t = 5.27; df = 18; p = 0.0003) and evenness of species distribution (t = 4.50; df = 18; p = 0.00005) in the aboveground vegetation, and the species diversity (t = 5.37; df = 18; p = 0.00004) and evenness of species distribution (t = 6.19; df = 18; p < 0.0001) in the soil seed bank. This study concluded that Alternanthera brasiliana has significantly caused alterations in key parameters of the aboveground vegetation and those of the soil seed bank. It is likely that with increasing resident time, these alterations might increase more significantly to enhance the spread of Alternanthera brasiliana.