Historic deforestation and non‐native plant invasions determine vegetation trajectories across an oceanic archipelago

A 77-year study of the Ogasawara Islands reveals that the recovery of subtropical oceanic island ecosystems is heavily influenced by historic deforestation and invasions of non-native plants, rather than simply time alone. The research found that islands with higher remaining proportions of native forest showed greater recoverability, while those with significant invasive species introductions exhibited altered vegetation trajectories. By comparing vegetation maps from 1935, 1979, and 2012, the study highlights the critical role of anthropogenic disturbances in shaping ecological restoration needs on these globally significant islands.

Ohashi, H., Kato, H., Murao, M., Kato, H., Kawakami, K., Kurokawa, H., Oguro, M., Kimura, F., Niiyama, K., Matsui, T., & Shibata, M. (2024). Historic deforestation and non‐native plant invasions determine vegetation trajectories across an oceanic archipelago. Applied Vegetation Science, 27(1). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12767