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Sharmin M, Tjoelker MG, Esperon-Rodriguez M, Katlav A, Gilpin AM, Rymer PD, Power SA. Urban greening with shrubs can supercharge invertebrate abundance and diversity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8735. [PMID: 38627432 PMCID: PMC11021404 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58909-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In urban areas, diverse and complex habitats for biodiversity are often lacking. This lack of diversity not only compromises essential ecological processes, such as pollination and nutrient cycling, but also diminishes the resilience of urban ecosystems to pests and diseases. To enhance urban biodiversity, a possible solution is to integrate shrubs alongside trees, thereby increasing the overall amount of vegetation, structural complexity and the associated resource diversity. Here, using a common garden experiment involving a variety of trees and shrubs planted alone and in combination, we evaluate how canopy-associated invertebrate assemblages are influenced by vegetation type. In particular, we test whether the presence of shrubs, alone or with trees, results in increased abundance and taxonomic richness of invertebrates, compared to trees on their own. We found that the overall abundance of invertebrates, and that of specific functional groups (e.g., herbivores, pollinators, detritivores), was higher on shrubs, compared to trees, and when trees and shrubs were planted in combination (relative to trees on their own). Our results suggest that planting shrub and tree species with wide and dense crowns can increase the associated abundance and taxonomic and functional group richness of invertebrate communities. Overall, our findings indicate that urban planning would benefit from incorporating shrubs alongside urban trees to maximise invertebrate abundance, diversity and function in urban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmuda Sharmin
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh.
| | - Mark G Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Alihan Katlav
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Amy-Marie Gilpin
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Paul D Rymer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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Riparian and in-channel habitat properties linked to dragonfly emergence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17665. [PMID: 33077819 PMCID: PMC7573607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74429-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In freshwater ecosystems, habitat alteration contributes directly to biodiversity loss. Dragonflies are sentinel species that are key invertebrate predators in both aquatic (as larvae) and terrestrial ecosystems (as adults). Understanding the habitat factors affecting dragonfly emergence can inform management practices to conserve habitats supporting these species and the functions they perform. Transitioning from larvae to adults, dragonflies leave behind larval exoskeletons (exuviae), which reveal information about the emergent population without the need for sacrificing living organisms. Capitalizing on Atlantic Canada's largest freshwater wetland, the Grand Lake Meadows (GLM) and the associated Saint John/Wolastoq River (SJWR), we studied the spatial (i.e., across the mainstem, tributary, and wetland sites) and temporal (across 3 years) variation in assemblages of emergent dragonflies (Anisoptera) and assessed the relative contribution of aquatic and terrestrial factors structuring these assemblages. The GLM complex, including the lotic SJWR and its tributaries and associated lentic wetlands, provided a range of riparian and aquatic habitat variability ideal for studying dragonfly emergence patterns across a relatively homogenous climatic region. Emergent dragonfly responses were associated with spatial, but not temporal, variation. Additionally, dragonfly communities were associated with both aquatic and terrestrial factors, while diversity was primarily associated with terrestrial factors. Specific terrestrial factors associated with the emergence of the dragonfly community included canopy cover and slope, while aquatic factors included water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and baseflow. Our results indicate that management of river habitats for dragonfly conservation should incorporate riparian habitat protection while maintaining aquatic habitat and habitat quality.
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Pearse IS, LoPresti E, Schaeffer RN, Wetzel WC, Mooney KA, Ali JG, Ode PJ, Eubanks MD, Bronstein JL, Weber MG. Generalising indirect defence and resistance of plants. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1137-1152. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Ave #C Ft Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Eric LoPresti
- Department of Plant Biology Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | | | - William C. Wetzel
- Department of Entomology and Ecology Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Kailen A. Mooney
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine, CA USA
| | - Jared G. Ali
- Department of Entomology Penn State University State College PA USA
| | - Paul J. Ode
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Department of Bioagricultural Science and Pest Management Colorado State University Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Micky D. Eubanks
- Department of Entomology Texas A&M University College Station TX USA
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Marjorie G. Weber
- Department of Plant Biology Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
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Grof-Tisza P, LoPresti E, Heath SK, Karban R. Plant structural complexity and mechanical defenses mediate predator-prey interactions in an odonate-bird system. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1650-1659. [PMID: 28261473 PMCID: PMC5330893 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat-forming species provide refuges for a variety of associating species; these refuges may mediate interactions between species differently depending on the functional traits of the habitat-forming species. We investigated refuge provisioning by plants with different functional traits for dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata: Anisoptera and Zygoptera) nymphs emerging from water bodies to molt into their adult stage. During this period, nymphs experience high levels of predation by birds. On the shores of a small pond, plants with mechanical defenses (e.g., thorns and prickles) and high structural complexity had higher abundances of odonate exuviae than nearby plants which lacked mechanical defenses and exhibited low structural complexity. To disentangle the relative effects of these two potentially important functional traits on nymph emergence-site preference and survival, we conducted two fully crossed factorial field experiments using artificial plants. Nymphs showed a strong preference for artificial plants with high structural complexity and to a lesser extent, mechanical defenses. Both functional traits increased nymph survival but through different mechanisms. We suggest that future investigations attempt to experimentally separate the elements contributing to structural complexity to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of refuge provisioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Grof-Tisza
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Eric LoPresti
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis CA USA; Ecology Graduate Group University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Sacha K Heath
- Ecology Graduate Group University of California Davis CA USA; Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Richard Karban
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis CA USA
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