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The Effects of Wildland Fire and Other Disturbances on the Nonnative Tree Paulownia Tomentosa and Impacts on Native Vegetation

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The Effects of Wildland Fire and Other Disturbances on the Nonnative Tree Paulownia Tomentosa and Impacts on Native Vegetation The Effects of Wildland Fire and Other Disturbances on the Nonnative Tree Paulownia tomentosa and Impacts on Native Vegetation THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Angela R. Chongpinitchai Graduate Program in Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University 2012 Master's Examination Committee: Roger Williams, Advisor Joanne Rebbeck David Hix Stephen Matthews Copyrighted by Angela Rose Chongpinitchai 2012 Abstract Increases in nonnative plant species to ecosystems of the United States have become a concern for the management of natural vegetation and ecological processes. Many exotic plant species are invasive, rapidly colonizing an area and spreading beyond the point of introduction. Nonindigenous plants can change the dynamics of soil properties, alter fire regimes, and interrupt ecological processes, such as nutrient and hydrologic cycles. These exotic plants often have a competitive edge over native species, due to adaptations in their native geographical range or because of a lack of natural predators in introduced habitats. Changes to microclimate conditions and direct competition from exotic plants often lead to a decrease in species richness in a habitat. Although this has been an issue for decades, little is known about many exotic plant species, particularly how they interact with natural vegetation in introduced habitats. Increased anthropogenic activity, such as logging, road construction, and prescribed burns, tends to facilitate invasions of exotic species by creating disturbed areas and reducing biodiversity. Paulownia tomentosa, a tree native to China, was first introduced to the U.S. in the 1840s as an ornamental; in recent decades the species has expanded its range since escaping cultivation. There is a lack of knowledge on the role Paulownia plays in introduced habitats – how large and small-scale disturbances facilitate the spread of the species, and how the tree affects natural vegetation composition. This study ii investigated the response of Paulownia to several disturbances at Shawnee State Forest, Ohio – decades of logging, tree damage from a 2003 ice storm, a 2009 wildfire, and targeted herbicide control of Paulownia tomentosa and Ailanthus altissima. This study also investigated the impact of Paulownia on vegetation composition and species richness. Herbaceous and woody vegetation was sampled in June-September 2011 across 122 plots to identify which disturbances affected Paulownia colonization and how Paulownia presence impacted native vegetation composition. Paulownia seedling and sapling stem densities were positively correlated with areas impacted by the 2009 wildfire and the 2003 ice storm. Paulownia tree stem density was positively correlated with areas of greater canopy closure not recently impacted by large disturbances. In areas not impacted by the 2009 wildfire, native vegetation composition was significantly altered when all size classes of Paulownia were present, and species richness was lowest in these areas. Results of this study indicate that Paulownia spreads after natural disturbances and human activity, and that the exotic tree is changing native vegetation species composition. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Roger Williams, and my thesis committee members Dr. Joanne Rebbeck, Dr. David Hix, and Dr. Stephen Matthews, for their help and feedback during my research. I give a special thanks to Dr. Williams for letting me focus my project on what interests me most, and to Dr. Rebbeck for helping me access important data. I’m also grateful for the help and ideas given by Norm Bourg when I encountered field work challenges. I thank all my SENR friends, who I’ve come to know the past 1.5 years, and my friends back home for the much needed good laughs, listening ears, and encouragement along the way. Finally, a shout-out to my family for, well, being my family. iv Vita May 2009 ......................................................B.S. Biology, Italian Minor, Gettysburg College, PA June-August 2009 ..........................................U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, Biology Intern January-August 2010 ....................................Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Ecology Intern 2010 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Environment and Natural Resources v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Review of the Literature .................................................................................... 1 Botanical and Silvical Characteristics ............................................................................. 1 Germination and Seed Bank Viability ............................................................................ 3 Paulownia and Disturbance ............................................................................................. 6 Paulownia and Fire .......................................................................................................... 6 Invasive Properties .......................................................................................................... 8 Means of Control ........................................................................................................... 10 Value and Uses .............................................................................................................. 12 Chapter 2: The Response of Paulownia tomentosa to Disturbances and its Invasive Potential ............................................................................................................................ 14 vi Introduction ................................................................................................................... 14 Study Area ..................................................................................................................... 17 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 20 Paulownia Density Statistical Analysis ..................................................................... 22 Results ........................................................................................................................... 23 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 25 Seedlings .................................................................................................................... 25 Saplings ..................................................................................................................... 29 Trees .......................................................................................................................... 32 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 3: Effects of Paulownia tomentosa on Natural Vegetation ................................. 44 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 44 Study Area ..................................................................................................................... 47 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 50 Paired Plots Statistical Analysis................................................................................ 52 Natural Vegetation Statistical Analysis ..................................................................... 53 Results ........................................................................................................................... 54 Paired Plots ............................................................................................................... 54 MRPP......................................................................................................................... 55 Jackknife Species Richness ........................................................................................ 55 vii Indicator Species Analysis ......................................................................................... 55 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 57 Paired Plots ............................................................................................................... 57 MRPP-understory
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