Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift
The emergence of novel ecosystems, characterized by shifts in species composition and interactions, abiotic conditions and altered ecosystem functioning, is a major and inevitable challenge to contemporary ecosystem management. This study examines the ecological implications of Trachycarpus fortunei...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005079 |
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| author | Vincent Fehr Marco Moretti Gianni Boris Pezzatti Gloria Guidotti Sergio Rasmann Ira Tanya Handa Robert Buitenwerf Jens-Christian Svenning |
| author_facet | Vincent Fehr Marco Moretti Gianni Boris Pezzatti Gloria Guidotti Sergio Rasmann Ira Tanya Handa Robert Buitenwerf Jens-Christian Svenning |
| author_sort | Vincent Fehr |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of novel ecosystems, characterized by shifts in species composition and interactions, abiotic conditions and altered ecosystem functioning, is a major and inevitable challenge to contemporary ecosystem management. This study examines the ecological implications of Trachycarpus fortunei, a non-native evergreen palm, currently involved in a biome shift from deciduous temperate forest to evergreen laurophyllous forest in the Southern European Alps. Specifically, we investigated the effects of T. fortunei encroachment in peri-urban forests on flying and ground-dwelling arthropod communities as well as on leaf-litter decomposition. We found that the presence of T. fortunei altered arthropod community composition, mostly by reducing the number of herbivore species. This effect was likely driven by the lower quality of palm leaves as a food source compared to deciduous, dicotyledonous tree leaves and by a lower plant richness in the herb and shrub layer. Furthermore, we observed higher rates of leaf-litter decomposition associated with increasing abundance of young palm trees, which was not explained by predictors commonly associated with litter decomposition (i.e., detritivore abundance, litter depth and air temperature). Hence, the slow decay of palm leaves appears to be counterbalanced by the favourable conditions for litter decomposition within dense palm stands. Overall, our findings indicate that high densities of the non-native palm species (T. fortunei) impacts herbivore arthropod communities in the Southern European Alps, providing first evidence of possible effects on ecosystem functioning of this ongoing biome shift. These outcomes are integral components of the broader process of laurophyllisation in the study region, a phenomenon linked to climate warming and land use change, encompassing both native and non-native species. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-56e6d35004124e0c8cb908f914f0f567 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-56e6d35004124e0c8cb908f914f0f5672025-08-20T02:35:50ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942024-12-0156e0330310.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03303Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shiftVincent Fehr0Marco Moretti1Gianni Boris Pezzatti2Gloria Guidotti3Sergio Rasmann4Ira Tanya Handa5Robert Buitenwerf6Jens-Christian Svenning7Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark; Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Cadenazzo 6593, Switzerland; Corresponding author at: Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Cadenazzo 6593, SwitzerlandBiodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf 8903, SwitzerlandCommunity Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Cadenazzo 6593, SwitzerlandBiodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland; Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel 2000, SwitzerlandInstitute of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel 2000, SwitzerlandDépartement des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec À Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, CanadaCenter for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark; Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, DenmarkCenter for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark; Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, DenmarkThe emergence of novel ecosystems, characterized by shifts in species composition and interactions, abiotic conditions and altered ecosystem functioning, is a major and inevitable challenge to contemporary ecosystem management. This study examines the ecological implications of Trachycarpus fortunei, a non-native evergreen palm, currently involved in a biome shift from deciduous temperate forest to evergreen laurophyllous forest in the Southern European Alps. Specifically, we investigated the effects of T. fortunei encroachment in peri-urban forests on flying and ground-dwelling arthropod communities as well as on leaf-litter decomposition. We found that the presence of T. fortunei altered arthropod community composition, mostly by reducing the number of herbivore species. This effect was likely driven by the lower quality of palm leaves as a food source compared to deciduous, dicotyledonous tree leaves and by a lower plant richness in the herb and shrub layer. Furthermore, we observed higher rates of leaf-litter decomposition associated with increasing abundance of young palm trees, which was not explained by predictors commonly associated with litter decomposition (i.e., detritivore abundance, litter depth and air temperature). Hence, the slow decay of palm leaves appears to be counterbalanced by the favourable conditions for litter decomposition within dense palm stands. Overall, our findings indicate that high densities of the non-native palm species (T. fortunei) impacts herbivore arthropod communities in the Southern European Alps, providing first evidence of possible effects on ecosystem functioning of this ongoing biome shift. These outcomes are integral components of the broader process of laurophyllisation in the study region, a phenomenon linked to climate warming and land use change, encompassing both native and non-native species.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005079Arthropod herbivoresArecaceaeFunctional traitsNovel ecosystemsEcosystem functioningInvasive species |
| spellingShingle | Vincent Fehr Marco Moretti Gianni Boris Pezzatti Gloria Guidotti Sergio Rasmann Ira Tanya Handa Robert Buitenwerf Jens-Christian Svenning Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift Global Ecology and Conservation Arthropod herbivores Arecaceae Functional traits Novel ecosystems Ecosystem functioning Invasive species |
| title | Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| title_full | Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| title_fullStr | Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| title_short | Non-native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| title_sort | non native palm affects arthropod communities and litter decomposition in an ongoing biome shift |
| topic | Arthropod herbivores Arecaceae Functional traits Novel ecosystems Ecosystem functioning Invasive species |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005079 |
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