Rapid recovery of an insect–plant interaction following habitat loss and experimental wetland restoration

Abstract

This study examined the impact of wetland habitat loss and isolation on an insect-plant interaction, and the subsequent rate of recovery of the interaction following experimental habitat restoration. We compared herbivore colonisation rates and herbivory damage by 'Batrachedra' sp. (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) on experimentally placed potted Sporadanthus ferrugineus (Restionaceae) plants at increasing distances (up to 800 m) from an intact habitat (the source population). These tests showed that even a moderate degree of isolation (i.e. greater than 400 m) from the intact wetland habitat caused an almost complete collapse of the insect-plant interaction, at least in the short term. The number of eggs and larvae of colonising 'Batrachedra' sp., as well as average larval size and the proportion of S. ferrugineus stems damaged, all decreased logarithmically with increasing distance from the intact habitat, presumably due to dispersal limitation of the herbivore. Subsequently, to test whether the interaction can recover following habitat restoration, we surveyed herbivore colonisation rates and herbivory damage on naturally regenerated S. ferrugineus plants on experimentally restored 'islands' at increasing distances (up to 800 m) from an intact habitat. The rate of recovery of the interaction was surprisingly rapid (i.e. between 196 and 308 weeks). The degree of difference in the density of eggs and larvae, and in the proportion of stems damaged with increasing isolation from the intact wetland, gradually diminished over 196 weeks. After 308 weeks there was no significant difference in the insect-plant interaction between the intact wetland sites and any of the experimentally restored sites up to 800 m away. These results suggest that some insect-plant interactions can recover rapidly from habitat loss with restoration management.

If we build – they mostly come: partial functional recovery but persistent compositional differences in wetland beetle community restoration

“…Numerous studies have shown the disruption of insect community trophic structure due to habitat loss and isolation (see review in Tscharntke et al ; Watts & Didham ). A few studies have shown that these can recover with restoration (Watts & Didham ; Gregoire Taillefer & Wheeler ). However, a meta‐analysis of wetland restoration sites found that biological structure and biogeochemical functioning remained approximately 25% lower than reference sites, even after a century of restoration (Moreno‐Mateos et al ).…”

The Interactive Effects of Pulsed Grazing Disturbance and Patch Size Vary among Wetland Arthropod Guilds

“…Among control plots, there were essentially no differences between patch sizes in terms of arthropod density. Insect assemblages can be sensitive to isolation from source populations [60]. The similar assemblages in both restored habitat types suggests that mounds and terraces were equally isolated from the reference area, which was presumably the source of new arthropod recruits to the entire restored area.…”

Redes de interação plantas-visitantes florais e a restauração de processos ecológicos em florestas tropicais

“…A restauração funcional de um ecossistema requer o retorno dos links essenciais relacionados à estrutura das redes ecológicas Neste estudo, eles detectaram um aumento significativo em riqueza e do número de grupos funcionais que compõem as redes, assim como incremento na diversidade de interações das redes nas áreas restauradas. Em outros dois estudos, pesquisadores mostraram que a taxa de re-colonização de comunidades de invertebrados é bem rápida em áreas experimentais restauradas cujo foco foi a recomposição da comunidade vegetal (Watts & Didham 2006, Watts et al 2008. Os mesmo autores verificaram o retorno de uma espécie herbívora de borboleta e dos danos causados em uma espécie nativa das áreas úmidas na Nova Zelândia, avaliando o rápido retorno da interação planta-herbívoro (Watts & Didham 2006 …”

“…Em outros dois estudos, pesquisadores mostraram que a taxa de re-colonização de comunidades de invertebrados é bem rápida em áreas experimentais restauradas cujo foco foi a recomposição da comunidade vegetal (Watts & Didham 2006, Watts et al 2008. Os mesmo autores verificaram o retorno de uma espécie herbívora de borboleta e dos danos causados em uma espécie nativa das áreas úmidas na Nova Zelândia, avaliando o rápido retorno da interação planta-herbívoro (Watts & Didham 2006 …”

“…Nesse contexto, o estudo de redes tróficas parece ser um caminho para prover pistas sobre a eficiência de práticas de para restauração (Watts & Didham 2006, Kaiser-Bunbury et al 2009), uma vez que compreendem conjuntos relativamente grandes das interações entre espécies em uma dada comunidade . Dentre as interações interespecíficas que compõem as redes tróficas, as interações entre plantas e visitantes florais estabelecem importante elo funcional para dinâmica e diversidade em comunidades terrestres .…”