Herbaceous vines - Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus)

Map Key
Invasive Plant Category
Ecological/Cultural Endpoint
Functions Potentially Lost
Supporting Evidence
    - Evidence specific to our study species
    - Evidence from other species within invasive plant category          known to have similar impacts to our study species
Imagemap
  Herbaceous vines 
    Japanese hops
 ( ...Vegetation Structure 
and DiversityLoss of structure and diversity may lead ... - Japanese hops can form dense, monospe ...- Mile-a-minute (p. perfoliata) smothers ...Historic LandscapeHerbaceous vines, in general, will grow  ...
hide Herbaceous vines Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus)
hideVegetation Structure and Diversity
hideLoss of structure and diversity may lead to: - Loss of plant species - Changes in/loss of native ecosystems - Loss of canopy - Changes in midcanopy openness - Changes in views
leaf - Japanese hops can form dense, monospecific stands that outcompete native vegetation. Stands have the potential to displace native riverbank and flood plain vegetation (IPSWAG, 2007), which may eventually cause the loss of native ecosystems.
     - Japanese hops vines are covered in hooked hairs which allow it to climb and form dense stands, outcompeting native vegetation (IPSAWG, 2007). This may lead to changes in views and midcanopy openness as vines fill in the forest understory, and loss of plant species as co-occurring species are shaded out.
leaf- Mile-a-minute (p. perfoliata) smothers native vegetation, reducing diversity, blocking out light and forming monospecific stands (USDA, 2005a; USDA, 2005b; www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/invbio_plan_report_home.html).
    - Competition is of particular concern in wet meadows which may support rare wetland plants (VA DCR, 2001).
    - Mile-a-minute (P. perfoliata) is also known to displace herbaceous perennials and reduce the growth of nursery tree saplings (Kumar & DiTommaso, 2005), which may lead to the loss of canopy trees.
hideHistoric Landscape
leafHerbaceous vines, in general, will grow over and smother ground plants, killing characteristic ground cover plants. (VA DCR, 2001; USDA, 2005ab; IPSAWG, 2007; www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/toc.htm; www.natureserve.org)