Rapid recovery of soil arthropod assemblages after exotic plantation tree removal from hydromorphic soils in a grassland‐timber production mosaic. Issue 6 (1st July 2019)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Rapid recovery of soil arthropod assemblages after exotic plantation tree removal from hydromorphic soils in a grassland‐timber production mosaic. Issue 6 (1st July 2019)
- Main Title:
- Rapid recovery of soil arthropod assemblages after exotic plantation tree removal from hydromorphic soils in a grassland‐timber production mosaic
- Authors:
- Eckert, Michelle
Gaigher, René
Pryke, James S.
Samways, Michael J. - Abstract:
- Abstract : Many wetland systems are being lost or degraded by human activities such as plantation forestry. Therefore, efforts to restore these wetland systems are important for biodiversity recovery. We assess the recovery of arthropod assemblages that occupy hydromorphic grassland topsoil and leaf litter after the removal of exotic pine trees. We sampled arthropods in three biotopes (natural untransformed hydromorphic grasslands, restored hydromorphic grasslands, and commercial pine plantations) replicated across a large‐scale timber‐grassland mosaic in the KwaZulu‐Natal Midlands, South Africa. In the restored sites, overall species richness, as well as species richness of spiders, ants, and orthopterans, was significantly higher than in plantations, and was as high as in natural, untransformed sites. Additionally, overall assemblage structure along with spider, beetle, ant, and orthopteran assemblages showed no significant differences between restored and natural grasslands. Therefore, pine tree removal enables recovery of these arthropod taxa to levels similar to those in natural hydromorphic grassland. Recovery was rapid, with the assemblages in some restored sites resembling those in untransformed sites after only 6 years, indicating a high level of resilience and recovery in these systems. Contrary to expectations, time since pine removal had a negative effect on arthropod recovery. This was due to the strongly negative effect of alien invasive American bramble (Abstract : Many wetland systems are being lost or degraded by human activities such as plantation forestry. Therefore, efforts to restore these wetland systems are important for biodiversity recovery. We assess the recovery of arthropod assemblages that occupy hydromorphic grassland topsoil and leaf litter after the removal of exotic pine trees. We sampled arthropods in three biotopes (natural untransformed hydromorphic grasslands, restored hydromorphic grasslands, and commercial pine plantations) replicated across a large‐scale timber‐grassland mosaic in the KwaZulu‐Natal Midlands, South Africa. In the restored sites, overall species richness, as well as species richness of spiders, ants, and orthopterans, was significantly higher than in plantations, and was as high as in natural, untransformed sites. Additionally, overall assemblage structure along with spider, beetle, ant, and orthopteran assemblages showed no significant differences between restored and natural grasslands. Therefore, pine tree removal enables recovery of these arthropod taxa to levels similar to those in natural hydromorphic grassland. Recovery was rapid, with the assemblages in some restored sites resembling those in untransformed sites after only 6 years, indicating a high level of resilience and recovery in these systems. Contrary to expectations, time since pine removal had a negative effect on arthropod recovery. This was due to the strongly negative effect of alien invasive American bramble ( Rubus cuneifolius ), which was most common in older restored sites, causing deviation from their restoration trajectory. The potential for arthropod recovery in these hydromorphic grasslands is high, but successful restoration is dependent on ongoing appropriate grassland management, especially removal of bramble. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Restoration ecology. Volume 27:Issue 6(2019)
- Journal:
- Restoration ecology
- Issue:
- Volume 27:Issue 6(2019)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 27, Issue 6 (2019)
- Year:
- 2019
- Volume:
- 27
- Issue:
- 6
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2019-0027-0006-0000
- Page Start:
- 1357
- Page End:
- 1368
- Publication Date:
- 2019-07-01
- Subjects:
- assemblages -- biodiversity -- hydromorphic soils -- invasive alien species -- plantations -- restoration
Restoration ecology -- Periodicals
Reclamation of land -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals
333.7153 - Journal URLs:
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1526-100X ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1111/rec.12991 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1061-2971
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 7777.835000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 12120.xml