Effects of the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora on insect diversity in Jiuduansha wetlands in the Yangtze River Estuary

Gao, Hui; Xiao-wei, Peng; Li, Bo; Qianhong, Wu; Dong, Hua

doi:10.1360/biodiv.060025

Cited by 13 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Because summer is the season of the greatest abundance and diversity of insects and other arthropods, sampling in the saltmarshes is suggested to be performed between June and September (Davis and Gray 1966;Gao et al 2006). To make our singleseason sampling meaningful, samples were collected from 28th June to 3rd July and from 18th to 22nd August, 2006 during the growing season of Phragmites and Spartina.…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of saltmarsh invasion by Spartina alterniflora on arthropod community structure and diets

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2008

Biol Invasions

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Invasive plants strongly affect physical and biotic environments of native ecosystems. Insects and other arthropods as one of the major components of many ecosystems are very sensitive to subtle changes in abiotic and biotic environments. We examined the effects of exotic Spartina alterniflora invasion on community structure and diets of arthropods in a saltmarsh previously dominated by native Phragmites australis in Yangtze River estuary through net sweeping and plant harvesting methods and stable isotope analysis. Our results showed that diversity indices were not significantly different between exotic and native plant communities, but the total abundance of insects estimated through plant harvesting method was found to be lower in Spartina monoculture than that in Phragmites monoculture. Community structure of insects in Spartina monoculture was dissimilar to that in Phragmites monoculture and Phragmites-Spartina mixture. Moreover, stable carbon isotope patterns of arthropods were significantly different between Phragmites and Spartina monocultures. Although some native arthropods (perhaps generalists) shifted their diets, many native taxa did prefer Phragmites to Spartina even in Spartina monoculture. Spartina invasions resulted in reduced abundances of some arthropds, and increased dominance of others feeding preferably on Spartina. This study provides evidence that invasive plants can change the community structure and diets of native arthropods, which will eventually alter the arthropod food web, and affect the integrity and functioning of native ecosystems within a nature reserve that has been set aside for conserving the native biodiversity and maintaining the ecosystem integrity. In this sense, Spartina invasions in the Yangtze River estuary need to be managed appropriately.

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Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of saltmarsh invasion by Spartina alterniflora on arthropod community structure and diets

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2008

Biol Invasions

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“…It can be seen that the rapid expansion of the sand bar at Jiuduansha Wetland provided more suitable habitats for S. alterniflora to spread and we anticipate a further expansion of this invasive species. In the meanwhile, the high proliferation capability as well as competitive advantage for S. alterniflora inhibited the growth of other adjacent plant species at Jiuduansha Wetland and threatened the local native ecosystem stability and biodiversity [24,25]. It is necessary to take some effective measures to control the spreading of S. alterniflora.…”

Section: Temporal Changes In Plant Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote-Sensed Monitoring of Dominant Plant Species Distribution and Dynamics at Jiuduansha Wetland in Shanghai, China

et al. 2015

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Spartina alterniflora is one of the most hazardous invasive plant species in China. Monitoring the changes in dominant plant species can help identify the invasion mechanisms of S. alterniflora, thereby providing scientific guidelines on managing or controlling the spreading of this invasive species at Jiuduansha Wetland in Shanghai, China. However, because of the complex terrain and the inaccessibility of tidal wetlands, it is very difficult to conduct field experiments on a large scale in this wetland. Hence, remote sensing plays an important role in monitoring the dynamics of plant species and its distribution on both spatial and temporal scales. In this study, based on multi-spectral and high resolution (<10 m) remote sensing images and field observational data, we analyzed spectral characteristics of four dominant plant species at different green-up phenophases. Based on the difference in spectral characteristics, a decision tree classification was built for identifying the distribution of these plant species. The results indicated that the overall classification accuracy for plant species was 87.17%, and the Kappa Coefficient was 0.81, implying that our classification method could effectively identify the four plant species. We found that the area of Phragmites australi showed an increasing trend from 1997 to S. alterniflora has the biggest area (3302.20 ha) as compared to other species, accounting for 51% of total vegetated area at the study region in 2012. It showed an increasing trend from 1997 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2012, with an annual spreading rate of 130.63% and 28.11%, respectively. As a result, the native species P. australi was surrounded and the habitats of S. mariqueter were occupied by S. alterniflora. The high proliferation ability and competitive advantage for S. alterniflora inhibited the growth of other plant species and we anticipate a continuous expansion of this invasive species at Jiuduansha Wetland. Effective measures should be taken to control the invasion of S. alterniflora.

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“…Some endangered birds are threatened because the density of S. alterniflora communities is too high and the altered habitats are no longer suitable for them [16]. Therefore, the habitats of native plants, birds and benthic animals are affected by S. alterniflora, and biodiversity is reduced [17,18]. In addition, the invasion of S. alterniflora impedes the development of local aquaculture and tourism and hinders water-based transportation [19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring of the invasion of Spartina alterniflora from 1985 to 2015 in Zhejiang Province, China

Li²,

Zhang

et al. 2020

BMC Ecol

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Background: Spartina alterniflora is an invasive plant on the coast of China that replaces native vegetation and has a serious negative impact on local ecosystems. Monitoring the spatial distribution of S. alterniflora and its changes over time can reveal its expansion mechanism, which is crucial for the management of coastal ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of S. alterniflora in Zhejiang Province from 1985 to 2015 using a time series of Landsat TM/OLI images and analyze the temporal and spatial patterns of expansion of this species. Results: After analyzing the distribution of coastal vegetation, the vegetation index was calculated based on Landsat images for 4 years (1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015). According to a threshold determined based on expert knowledge, the distribution of S. alterniflora in Zhejiang Province was extracted, and the temporal and spatial changes in the distribution of S. alterniflora were analyzed. The classification accuracy was 90.3%. S. alterniflora has expanded rapidly in recent decades after being introduced into southern Zhejiang. Between 1985 and 2015, S. alterniflora increased its area of distribution by 10,000 hm 2 , and it replaced native vegetation to become the most abundant halophyte in tidal flats. Overall, S. alterniflora expanded from south to north over the decades of the study, and the fastest expansion rate was 463.64 hm 2 /year, which occurred between 1995 and 2005. S. alterniflora was widely distributed in the tidal flats of bays and estuaries and expanded outward as sediment accumulated. Conclusions: This study reveals the changes over time in S. alterniflora cover in Zhejiang and can contribute to the control and management of this invasive plant.

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Effects of the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora on insect diversity in Jiuduansha wetlands in the Yangtze River Estuary

Cited by 13 publications

References 12 publications

Effects of saltmarsh invasion by Spartina alterniflora on arthropod community structure and diets

Effects of saltmarsh invasion by Spartina alterniflora on arthropod community structure and diets

Remote-Sensed Monitoring of Dominant Plant Species Distribution and Dynamics at Jiuduansha Wetland in Shanghai, China

Monitoring of the invasion of Spartina alterniflora from 1985 to 2015 in Zhejiang Province, China

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