Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2011 May;86(2):407-19. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00152.x.
The invasive spread of exotic plants in native vegetation can pose serious threats to native faunal assemblages. This is of particular concern for reptiles and amphibians because they form a significant component of the world's vertebrate fauna, play a pivotal role in ecosystem functioning and are often neglected in biodiversity research. A framework to predict how exotic plant invasion will affect reptile and amphibian assemblages is imperative for conservation, management and the identification of research priorities. Here, we present a new predictive framework that integrates three mechanistic models. These models are based on exotic plant invasion altering: (1) habitat structure; (2) herbivory and predator-prey interactions; (3) the reproductive success of reptile and amphibian species and assemblages. We present a series of testable predictions from these models that arise from the interplay over time among three exotic plant traits (growth form, area of coverage, taxonomic distinctiveness) and six traits of reptiles and amphibians (body size, lifespan, home range size, habitat specialisation, diet, reproductive strategy). A literature review provided robust empirical evidence of exotic plant impacts on reptiles and amphibians from each of the three model mechanisms. Evidence relating to the role of body size and diet was less clear-cut, indicating the need for further research. The literature provided limited empirical support for many of the other model predictions. This was not, however, because findings contradicted our model predictions but because research in this area is sparse. In particular, the small number of studies specifically examining the effects of exotic plants on amphibians highlights the pressing need for quantitative research in this area. There is enormous scope for detailed empirical investigation of interactions between exotic plants and reptile and amphibian species and assemblages. The framework presented here and further testing of predictions will provide a basis for informing and prioritising environmental management and exotic plant control efforts.
外来植物在本地植被中的入侵扩散可能会对本地动物群构成严重威胁。这对于爬行动物和两栖动物尤其重要，因为它们是世界脊椎动物群的重要组成部分，在生态系统功能中起着关键作用，并且在生物多样性研究中经常被忽视。一个预测外来植物入侵如何影响爬行动物和两栖动物群的框架对于保护、管理和确定研究重点至关重要。在这里，我们提出了一个新的预测框架，该框架整合了三个机制模型。这些模型基于外来植物入侵改变：(1) 栖息地结构；(2) 食草和捕食者-猎物相互作用；(3) 爬行动物和两栖动物物种和集合的繁殖成功率。我们从这些模型中提出了一系列可测试的预测，这些预测是由三种外来植物特征（生长形式、覆盖面积、分类独特性）和六种爬行动物和两栖动物特征（体型、寿命、栖息地范围大小、栖息地专业化、饮食、繁殖策略）之间随时间的相互作用产生的。文献综述提供了强有力的经验证据，证明了三种模型机制中的每一种都对外来植物对爬行动物和两栖动物的影响。与体型和饮食有关的证据并不那么明确，这表明需要进一步研究。文献对许多其他模型预测的支持有限。这并不是因为研究结果与我们的模型预测相矛盾，而是因为该领域的研究较少。特别是，专门研究外来植物对两栖动物影响的研究数量较少，突出了在这一领域进行定量研究的迫切需要。详细研究外来植物与爬行动物和两栖动物物种和集合之间的相互作用具有巨大的潜力。本文提出的框架和进一步测试预测将为提供信息和确定环境管理和外来植物控制工作的优先事项提供基础。
