Effects of Hedera helix L. removal on the understory early regeneration in an oak temperate forest in Mexico City

BACKGROUND: Hedera helix L. is an invasive weed species introduced in several regions of the world, so it is relevant to study its effects on the plant community and the changes occurring after its eradication. We established invaded (with/without removal of H. helix) and non-invaded (with/without removal of the understory) plots to compare some community attributes in an oak forest in Mexico City and monitored them every 2 months for 1 year, taking soil samples to compare some edaphic variables between the plots. If invasive species negatively affect natural regeneration, seedlings of native species would be less abundant in plots invaded by H. helix than in the non-invaded ones. As invasive species modify the soil microbiota through exudates and often allelochemicals, soil chemical variables would differ between invaded and non-invaded plots. RESULTS: The abundance of native species was lower in the invaded plots, but the richness and diversity of species were not statistically different. The composition of the two invaded plots was similar to each other and more alike to that of the non-invaded plots. The species composition of the invaded plots was associated with soil potassium and phosphorus concentrations, whereas that of the non-invaded plots was more associated with soil nitrogen concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Following the removal of H. helix, several native species were registered, leading to a similar species composition as in the non-invaded plots, suggesting that some vegetation recovery can be expected following H. helix removal in 1 year.