Invasive Glossy Buckthorn (<i>Frangula alnus</i>) Has Weak Impact on Native Understory Plant and Saprophagous Macroarthropod Communities
Glossy buckthorn (<i>Frangula alnus</i> Miller) is an invasive alien plant species (IAPS) rapidly expanding in North America but is largely understudied compared to the common buckthorn (<i>Rhamnus cathartica</i>). Our study investigated the effects of a 27-year-old <i>...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/9/584 |
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| Summary: | Glossy buckthorn (<i>Frangula alnus</i> Miller) is an invasive alien plant species (IAPS) rapidly expanding in North America but is largely understudied compared to the common buckthorn (<i>Rhamnus cathartica</i>). Our study investigated the effects of a 27-year-old <i>F. alnus</i> invasion on native understory plant and saprophagous macroarthropod communities in a wet deciduous woodland in Southern Québec, Canada. We hypothesized a decreased taxonomic diversity and a change in community composition of both indicator taxa with increasing <i>F. alnus</i> density. The understory plant and saprophagous macroarthropod communities were characterized, respectively, through vegetation surveys and pitfall trapping across a density gradient of 43 plots invaded by <i>F. alnus.</i> Our results demonstrated that <i>F. alnus</i> did not exert a strong influence on species community composition, although the homogenization of understory plant communities was observed. Despite several decades of <i>F. alnus</i> invasion at our study site, the consequences on the selected indicator taxa were overall relatively small, suggesting that the magnitude of effects is variable. We suggest that further investigation at a larger scale should be performed to evaluate the effect of <i>F. alnus</i> on a broad diversity of indicators and understand any context dependency. |
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| ISSN: | 1424-2818 |