Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii (Rupr), a woody shrub native to northeastern Asia, is a common invasive species in many urban, suburban, and rural environments in North America. L. maackii has significant negative impacts on native communities and requires intensive management efforts by local land managers and landowners. Furthermore, rapid regeneration by L. maackii necessitates that removal efforts be maintained for prolonged periods of time. However, intensive management efforts are not always feasible for homeowners and small landowners. Here we assess the potential for small scale removal of L. maackii to allow for the recolonization of native plants to create small patches that may serve as a source of native plants for future restoration efforts. In 2016, a long-term study was initiated within a 12.1 hectare suburban patch of oak-hickory forest located in Shawnee County, KS, consisting of 20 small plots (113 m2) within dense L. maackii growth. Half of the plots were cleared of all L. maackii on a yearly basis, while the other half was left untouched for the duration of the study. Here we report on the results from the first four years of the study (2016-2019).
Results/Conclusions:
Initial plant surveys prior to L. maackii removal indicated a mean coverage of 18.8% by other species. Mean age of L. maackii infestation, determined by tree rings, indicated an average age of 18 years old, with the oldest plot containing a 35 year old L. maackii. No significant increase in percent cover of native species was observed during the first year (2016). By 2017 we saw moderate increases in native plant species within the L. maackii removal plots, but no differences in the non-removal plots. However, individual removal plots were dominated by a small number of species. For example, three plots had 69.5-92% cover of Carex blanda, and one plot had 100% cover of Asimina triloba. Furthermore, species composition in the plots did not reflect the composition of the surrounding forest or the seed bank. No significant differences were observed in plant count and cover values between 2017 and 2018. In 2019, there was an overall increase in plant count, but no shift in percent cover of dominant species. Our results suggest that active restoration will likely be necessary to ensure that a representative sample of native species can serve as a species reservoir for further restoration of forest habitats.