Logging, exotic plant invasions, and native plant reassembly in a lowland tropical rain forest

Habitat modification and biological invasions are key drivers of global environmental change. However, the extent and impact of exotic plant invasions in modified tropical landscapes remains poorly understood. We examined whether logging drives exotic plant invasions, and whether their combined influences alter understory plant community composition in lowland rain forests in Borneo. We tested the relationship between understory communities and local- and landscape-scale logging intensity, using leaf area index (LAI) and above-ground biomass (AGB) data from 192 plots across a logging-intensity gradient from primary to repeatedly-logged forests. Overall, we found relatively low levels of exotic plant invasions, despite an intensive logging history. Exotic species were more speciose, had greater cover, and more biomass in sites with more local-scale canopy loss. Surprisingly, though, exotic species invasion was not related to either landscape-scale canopy loss nor road configuration. More...