Exotic plants often dominate areas they are introduced to, and may ultimately alter community composition, ecosystem structure and function. We studied the native plant community response to three different methods of exotic invasive removal – chemical, mechanical, and a combination of the two. The study was conducted on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville over four consecutive summers (2008-2011). We aimed to determine which treatment was most effective in reducing exotic presence and increasing native species abundance and richness. We also identified species that were especially important in shaping the overall community composition. The cover and richness of native plants in the herbaceous community (all non-woody plants) and the tree seedling community (all tree species less than 0.2 m tall) increased significantly during the course of treatment, while the exotic cover and richness declined significantly. However, no treatment had a significant effect. In the tree seedling, herbaceous, and shrub communities, we found that the exotic tree/shrub Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet) was a dominant species, and this information will be useful for future restoration and research projects.
