Rapidly Increasing Invasion of Eastern Texas Forestlands by the Most Prevalent Invasive Shrubs: Chinese and European Privets
2016
Arevilca, Aminta | Elissetche, Luis | Scanlin, Michael | Stephens, Sara | Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan | Grant, William
Based on analyses of an extensive set of field data collected by the US Forest Service, we identified trends in range expansion of Ligustrim sinense (Chinese Privet) and L. vulgare (European Privet), the most prevalent invasive shrubs within forestlands of eastern Texas. Chinese and European privets increased markedly in northeastern Texas from 2004 and 2012. The number of sample plots in which Chinese and European privets were detected increased from 79 (in 25 counties) to 300 (in 40 counties), and the mean percent coverage within those sample plots already invaded in 2004 increased significantly by 2012. The number of sample plots in each of 3 percent-coverage categories (<10, 10–20, >20) increased in each of 2 longitudinal bands (>95°W and ≤95°W) from the first to the second survey. Our empirical results support the general trend of westward and southeastward expansions predicted by existing models, which were based on less -recent data.
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