Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An assessment of the invasive alien tree, Robinia pseudoacacia canopy traits and its effect on grassland microclimates and subsequent arthropod assemblages

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Journal of Insect Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Invasive alien trees transform landscapes and subsequent ecosystem function. For grassland ecosystems, fragmentation following invasion by alien woody species is of concern. In this study, we examined how an invasive alien tree, Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae) impacts grassland microclimates and the subsequent assemblages of endemic arthropods. The phenological trajectory of R. pseudoacacia, temperature and light intensity, as well as arthropod abundances in both invaded and uninvaded habitats, were monitored. Results showed that R. pseudoacacia significantly lowers average understory temperatures and light penetration in grassland ecosystems. Average temperatures were at least 2 °C lower in understory habitats than open grasslands while light intensity was lower by more than 1200 lumens/ft2. In addition, arthropod communities differed between invaded and uninvaded habitats. The most affected taxa were Acridids from the order Orthoptera as they were excluded from understory habitats while Coleopterans were more abundant under R. pseudoacacia. Apart from absence of main host plants, invasion mediated differences in microenvironments appeared to be the main driver of this shift in affected arthropod taxa.

Implications for insect conservation

These results highlight the need to sustainably manage R. pseudoacacia invasions especially in grassland ecosystems. In addition to their conservation value due to their role in nutrient cycling, grassland arthropods also serve as important indicators of ecosystem health. Hence, they can be used to monitor ecosystem recovery post invasive alien tree management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics,CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. (Color figure online)

Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

References

  • Ahn JJ, Son Y, He Y, Lee E, Park Y-L (2016) Effects of temperature on development and voltinism of Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae): Implications for climate change impacts. PLoS ONE 11(8):e0161319

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Alerding AB, Hunter RM (2013) Increased springtail abundance in a garlic mustard-invaded forest. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 20:275–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen EM, Cambrelin MN, Steidl RJ (2019) Responses of grassland arthropods to an invasion by nonnative grasses. Biol Invasions 21:405–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Augspurger CK (2011) Frost damage and its cascading negative effects on Aesculus glabra. Plant Ecol 212:1193–1203

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck HE, Zimmermann NE, McVicar TR, Vergopolan N, Berg A, Wood EF (2018) Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution. Sci Data 5:180214

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Breshears DD, Nyhan JW, Heil CE, Wilcox BP (1998) Effects of woody plants on microclimate in a semiarid woodland: soil temperature and evaporation in canopy and intercanopy patches. Int J Plant Sci 159:1010–1017

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown TB, Hultine KR, Steltzer H, Denny EG, Denslow MW, Granados J, Henderson S, Moore D, Nagai S, San Clements M, Sanchez-Azofeifa A, Sonnentag O, Tazik D, Richardson AD (2016) Using phenocams to monitor our changing earth: toward a global phenocam network. Front Ecol Environ 14(2):84–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbutt C (2012) The emerging invasive alien plants of the Drakensberg Alpine Centre, Southern Africa. Bothalia 42(2):71–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Chidawanyika F, Nyamukondiwa C, Strathie L, Fischer K (2017) Effects of thermal regimes, starvation and age on heat tolerance of the Parthenium Beetle Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) following dynamic and static protocols. PLoS ONE 12(1):e0169371

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chidawanyika F, Chikowore G, Mutamiswa R (2020) Thermal tolerance of the biological control agent Neolema abbreviata and its potential geographic distribution together with its host Tradescantia fluminensis in South Africa. Biol Control 149:104315

    Google Scholar 

  • Chikowore G, Mutamiswa R, Sutton GF, Chidawanyika F, Martin GD (2021) Reduction of grazing capacity in high elevation rangelands following Black locust invasion in South Africa. Rangel Ecol Manage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2021.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chown SL, Nicolson SW (2004) Insect physiological ecology: mechanisms and patterns. Oxford university, Oxford. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515494.001.0001

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chown SL, Terblanche JS (2006) Physiological diversity in insects: ecological and evolutionary contexts. Adv Insect Phys 33:50–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Cierjacks A, Kowarik I, Joshi J, Hempel S, Ristow M, von der Lippe M, Weber E (2013) Biological flora of the British Isles: Robinia pseudoacacia. J Ecol 101:1623–1640

    Google Scholar 

  • Clusella-Trullas S, Garcia RA (2017) Impacts of invasive plants on animal diversity in South Africa: a synthesis. Bothalia 47(2):a2166

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis KT, Dobrowski SZ, Holden ZA, Higuera PE, Abatzoglou JT (2019) Microclimatic buffering in forests of the future: the role of local water balance. Ecography 42:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Erviner VT, Garbach K, Baty JH, Hoskinson SA (2012) Measuring the effects of invasive plants on ecosystem services: challenges and prospects. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 5:125–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrell KA, Harpole WS, Stein C, Suding KN, Borer ET (2015) Grassland arthropods are controlled by direct and indirect interactions with cattle but are largely unaffected by plant provenance. PLoS ONE 10(7):e0129823

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Filippa G, Cremonese E, Migliavacca M, Galvagno M, Forkel M, Wingate L, Tomelleri E, di Cella UM, Richardson AD (2016) Phenopix: a R package for image-based vegetation phenology. Agric For Meteorol 220:141–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallardo B, Bacher S, Bradley B, Comín FA, Gallien L, Jeschke JM, Sorte CJB, Vilà M (2019) InvasiBES: understanding and managing the impacts of Invasive alien species on biodiversity and ecosystem services. NeoBiota 50:109–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudio N, Gendre X, Saudreau M, Seigner V, Balandier P (2017) Impact of tree canopy on thermal and radiative microclimates in a mixed temperate forest: a new statistical method to analyse hourly temporal dynamics. Agric For Meteorol. 237–238:71–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerlach J, Samways M, Pryke J (2013) Terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators: an overview of available taxonomic groups. J Insect Conserv 17:831–850

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson MR, Pauw A, Richardson DM (2013) Decreased insect visitation to a native species caused by an invasive tree in the Cape Floristic Region. Biol Conserv 157:196–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Hejda M, Pysek P, Jarosík V (2009) Impact of invasive plants on the species richness. diversity and composition of invaded communities. J Ecol 97:393–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson L, Wilson JRU (2017) Changes in the composition and distribution of alien plants in South Africa: an update from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas. Bothalia 47(2):a2172

    Google Scholar 

  • Highland SA, Miller JC, Jones JA (2013) Determinants of moth diversity and community in a temperate mountain landscape: vegetation, topography, and seasonality. Ecosphere 4:1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Humphrey L, Fraser G, Martin G (2019) The economic implications of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) on agricultural production in South Africa. Agrekon 58(2):216–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaworski T, Hilszczanski J (2013) The effect of temperature and humidity changes on insects development and their impact on forest ecosystems in the context of expected climate change. For Res Pap 74(4):345–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson NF, Triplehorn CA (2004) Borror and DeLong’s introduction to the study of insects, 7th edn. Thomson, Brooks/Cole, Belmont

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec T, Strobl M, Hanzelka J, Hejda M, Reif J (2018) Differences in the community composition of nocturnal Lepidoptera between native and invaded forests are linked to the habitat structure. Biodivers Conserv 27:2661–3268

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadochova S, Frouz J (2014) Thermoregulation strategies in ants in comparison to other social insects, with a focus on red wood ants (Formica rufa group). F1000Research 2:280

    PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lazzaro L, Mazza G, d’Errico G, Fabiani A, Giuliani C, Inghilesi AF, Lagomarsino A, Landi S, Lastrucci L, Pastorelli R, Roversi PF, Torrini G, Tricarico E, Foggi B (2018) How ecosystems change following invasion by Robinia pseudoacacia: insights from soil chemical properties and soil microbial, nematode, micro-arthropod and plant communities. Sci Total Environ 622:1509–1518

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Le Maitre DC, van Wilgen BW, Gelderblom CM, Bailey C, Chapman RA, Nel JA (2002) Invasive alien trees and water resources in South Africa: case studies of the costs and benefits of management. For Ecol Manage 160(1–3):143–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Lister BC, Garcia A (2018) Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web. PNAS 115(44):201722477

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchante E, Kjoller A, Struwe S, Freitas H (2008) Short- and long-term impacts of Acacia longifolia invasion on the belowground processes of a mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem. Appl Soil Ecol 40(2):210–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin GD (2019) Addressing geographical bias: A review of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) in the Southern Hemisphere. S Afr J Bot 125:481–492

    Google Scholar 

  • Milanovic M, Knapp S, Pysek P, Kuhn I (2020) Trait–environment relationships of plant species at different stages of the introduction process. NeoBiota 58:55–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney KA, Gruner DS, Barber NA, Van Bael SA, Philpott SM, Greenberg R (2010) Interactions among predators and the cascading effects of vertebrate insectivores on arthropod communities and plants. PNAS 107:7335–7340

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Motitsoe SN, Coetzee JA, Hill JM, Hill MP (2020) Biological control of Salvinia molesta (D.S. Mitchell) drives aquatic ecosystem recovery. Diversity 12:204. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12050204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mucina L, Rutherford MC (2006) The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor TG, van Wilgen BW (2020) The impact of invasive alien plants on rangelands in South Africa. In: van Wilgen B, Measey J, Richardson D, Wilson J, Zengeya T (eds) Biological invasions in South Africa. Springer, Cham, pp 459–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohler LM, Lechleitner M, Junker RR (2020) Microclimatic effects on alpine plant communities and flower-visitor interactions. Sci Rep 10:1366

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer AR, Ainslie AM (2005) Grasslands of South Africa. In: Suttie JM, Reynolds SG, Batello C (eds) Grasslands of the world. Plant production and protection series no. 34. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, pp 77–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Pawson SM, McCarthy JK, Ledgard NJ, Didham RK (2010) Density-dependent impacts of exotic conifer invasion on grassland invertebrate assemblages. J Appl Ecol 47:1053–1062

    Google Scholar 

  • Picker M, Griffiths C, Weaving A (2004) Field guide to insects of South Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town, South Africa, 444 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Pincebourde S, Murdock CC, Vickers M, Sears MW (2016) Fine-scale microclimatic variation can shape the responses of organisms to global change in both natural and urban environments. Integr Comp Biol 56(1):45–61

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2020) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/. Accessed 26 Mar 2020

  • Rada S, Stepanova L, Losik J, Sipos J, Holusa J, Kuras T (2015) How does Oedipoda germanica (Orthoptera: Acrididae) cope on the northern edge of its distribution? A demographical study of a completely isolated population. Eur J Entomol 112(3):486–492

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson AD (2019) Tracking seasonal rhythms of plants in diverse ecosystems with digital camera imagery. New Phytol 222:1742–1750

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson DM, Van Wilgen BW (2004) Inv asive alien plants in South Africa: how well do we understand the ecological impacts? S Afr J Sci 100:45–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson AD, Braswell BH, Hollinger DY, Jenkins JP, Ollinger SV (2009) Near-surface remote sensing of spatial and temporal variation in canopy phenology. Ecol Appl 19(14):17–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson AD, Hufkens K, Milliman T, Aubrecht DM, Chen M, Gray JM, Johnston MR, Keenan TF, Klosterman ST, Kosmala M, Melaas EK, Friedl MA, Frolking S (2018) Tracking vegetation phenology across diverse North American biomes using PhenoCam imagery. Sci Data 5:180028

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Samways MJ (1990) Land forms and winter habitat refugia in the conservation of montane grasshoppers in Southern Africa. Biol Conserv 4(4):375–382

    Google Scholar 

  • Schirmel J, Bundschuh M, Entling MH, Kowarik I, Buchholz S (2016) Impacts of invasive plants on resident animals across ecosystems, taxa, and feeding types: a global assessment. Glob Change Biol 22:594–603

    Google Scholar 

  • Sendall KM, Reich PB, Zhao C, Jihua H, Wei X, Stefanski A, Rice K, Rich RL, Montgomery RA (2015) Acclimation of photosynthetic temperature optima of temperate and boreal tree species in response to experimental forest warming. Glob Change Biol 21:1342–1357

    Google Scholar 

  • Shackleton RT, Shackleton CM, Kull CA (2019) The role of invasive alien species in shaping local livelihoods and human well-being: a review. J Environ Manage 1(229):145–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva PSD, Bieber AGD, Correa MM, Leal IR (2011) Do leaf-litter attributes affect the richness of leaf-litter ants? Neotrop Entomol 40(5):542–547

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Strobl M, Saska P, Seidl M, Kocian M, Tajovsky K, Rezac M, Skuhrovec J, Marhoul P, Zbuzek B, Jakubec P, Knapp M, Kadlec T (2019) Impact of an invasive tree on arthropod assemblages in woodlots isolated within an intensive agricultural landscape. Divers Distrib 00:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttie JM, Reynolds SG, Batello C (2005) Grasslands of the world. Plant production and protection series no. 34. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiébaut G, Tarayre M, Rodríguez-Pérez H (2019) Allelopathic effects of native versus invasive plants on one major invader. Front Plant Sci 10:854

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Van Kleunen M, Weber E, Fischer M (2010) A meta-analysis of trait differences between invasive and non-invasive plant species. Ecol Lett 13:235–245

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Wilgen BW, Reyers B, Le Maitre DC, Richardson DM, Schonegevel L (2008) A biome-scale assessment of the impact of invasive alien plants on ecosystem services in South Africa. J Environ Manage 89(4):336–349

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Wilgen B, Measey J, Richardson D, Wilson J, Zengeya T (2020) Biological invasions in South Africa. Springer, Cham

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitkova M, Tonika J, Mullerova J (2015) Black locust—successful invader of a wide range of soil conditions. Sci Total Environ 505:315–328

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Von Arx G, Pannatier EG, Thimonier A, Rebetez M (2013) Microclimate in forests with varying leaf area index and soil moisture: potential implications for seedling establishment in a changing climate. J Ecol 101:1201–1213

    Google Scholar 

  • Walther G-R (2010) Community and ecosystem responses to recent climate change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B 365(1549):2019–2024

    Google Scholar 

  • Walther G-R, Roques A, Hulme PE, Sykes MT, Pysek P, Kuhn I, Zobel M, Bacher S, Botta-Dukat Z, Bugmann H, Czucz B, Dauber J, Hickler T, Jarosik V, Kenis M, Klotz S, Minchin D, Moora M, Nentwig W, Ott J, Panov VE, Reineking B, Robinet C, Semenchenko V, Solarz W, Thuiller W, Vila M, Vohland K, Settele J (2009) Alien species in a warmer world: risks and opportunities. Trends Ecol Evol 24(12):687–693

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Naumann U, Wright ST, Warton DI (2012) mvabund—an R package for model-based analysis of multivariate abundance data: the mvabund R package. Methods Ecol Evol 3:471–474

    Google Scholar 

  • Watling JI, Hickman CR, Orrock JL (2011) Invasive shrub alters native forest amphibian communities. Biol Conserv 144:2597–2601

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigley BJ, Bond WJ, Hoffman MT (2010) Thicket expansion in a South African savanna under divergent land use: local vs. global drivers? Glob Change Biol 16:964–976

    Google Scholar 

  • Yelenik SG, Stock WD, Richardson DM (2007) Functional group identity does not predict invader impacts: differential effects of nitrogen-fixing exotic plants on ecosystem function. Biol Invasions 9:117–125

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge DEFF-EPWM for funding through the Centre for Biological Control- Rhodes University. We also thank Reyard Mutamiswa for assistance with fieldwork, University of the Free State for administrative and research support, and owners of Clifton and Sunnyside farms for permission to conduct research on their farms.

Funding

This study was funded by South Africa`s Department of Environmental Forestry and Fisheries- Expanded Public Works Programme (DEFF-EPWP). The funders had no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data and writing of the report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P O Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, Republic of South Africa

    Gerald Chikowore & Frank Chidawanyika

  2. Centre for Biological Control, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P O Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, Republic of South Africa

    Gerald Chikowore & Grant D. Martin

  3. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Frank Chidawanyika

Authors
  1. Gerald Chikowore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Grant D. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Frank Chidawanyika
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank Chidawanyika.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chikowore, G., Martin, G.D. & Chidawanyika, F. An assessment of the invasive alien tree, Robinia pseudoacacia canopy traits and its effect on grassland microclimates and subsequent arthropod assemblages. J Insect Conserv 25, 429–439 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-021-00311-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-021-00311-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation