Patterns of Native and Invasive Lianas of Virginia's Ridge and Valley Forests in Relation to Land Use History

abstract: Lianas, or woody vines, are an often-overlooked component of forested ecosystems. Studies exploring how lianas are influenced by historical land use are scarce, particularly in temperate regions. We aimed to 1) characterize the composition, abundance, and diversity of native and non-native lianas in southwest Virginia, and 2) explain variations in the number of lianas per plot based on historical land use categories and edge or interior location. We collected data on 1303 lianas across 102 study plots, within four historical land use categories: mining, logging, agriculture, or rural townsite. We used historical records and legacy U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Maps from the Historical Topographic Map Collection to define the spatial extents of each land use type. We found 42.5% of measured trees hosted at least one liana. Native lianas were more abundant and diverse than non-native lianas within our study plots. Furthermore, historical land use, particularly in formerly logged plots, was associated with lower liana counts compared to other land use classes. Although knowledge about lianas in the mountainous regions of the Southeastern United States remains limited, it is evident that the complex historical land use legacy in our study region significantly impacts liana prevalence.