WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
At Homer Lake Forest Preserve, researchers compared ash/non-ash understories with and without recent invasive shrub treatment. Their models showed few short-term direct effects on understory plants, although lower Amur honeysuckle cover was associated with greater native richness and abundance.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
Removing an invader or opening canopy may be a necessary intervention without producing immediate community recovery; outcomes need repeated monitoring rather than a one-year verdict.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
One forest and one-year treatment aftermath; observational and treatment comparisons cannot establish long-term trajectories.
SOURCE
Schmitz & Matthews · Biological Invasions (2 Nov 2026)
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