Nasir Shad

By Nasir Shad, Ling Zhang, Ghulam Mujtaba Shah, Fang Haifu, Muhammad Ilyas, Abbas Ali and Salman Ali Khan

Nitrogen (N) is a key factor for any ecosystem and has been found limited for biomass production. More N in forest ecosystem and their efficient utilization will contribute to the maximization in their growth, competition, and reproduction. Invasive plants capture and utilize more N than native plants and accelerate N cycles through altering the structure and community of soil microbes and the litter decomposition rates, under microclimate conditions, resulting in an increase of N availability. All these factors are promoting the invasiveness of plants and cause further ecological and economic damage and decline in native biodiversity. Plant invasions affect soil microbial community, soil physiochemical properties, and litter decomposition rates, promoting N cycle and releasing more nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere, further facilitating global warming, causing changes in the geographic ranges of some invasive species. Also, a better understanding of the mechanism, affecting factors, impacts, and control of the invasive species will lead to proper forest management. Proper and effective management will ensure the control of invasive species which includes invasive plant inventory, early deduction and rapid response, management plan and implication, and government support.

Part of the book: Advances in Forest Management under Global Change

By Nasir Shad, Zohra Nasheen, Rabia Afza and Ling Zhang

Litter decomposition plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements in ecosystems. Plant trait differences especially between invasive and native species lead to changes in litter decomposition rates. The litter decomposition rate is influenced by climatic factors such as seasonal variations, humidity, temperature, and rainfall, where species litter may have different responses. This review aims to better understand how litter decomposes in ecosystems associated with plant invasion and global changes. It also reviews the effects of various factors on litter degradation as well as how quickly invasive litter decomposes and contributes to greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. Single species litter or only aboveground litter studies may not sufficiently represent ecosystem dynamics; therefore, the co-determination of above- and belowground litter in a mixture of species diversity is required in different biomes interaction with global change factors. As a result, comprehensive litter degradation studies must be conducted in order to understand the turnover rate of nutrients and other elements in these sensitive ecosystems.

Part of the book: Resource Management in Agroecosystems