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

Journal of Insect Conservation volume 25, pages 429–439 (2021)Cite this article

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.

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Fig. 1

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

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Data availability

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

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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.

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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

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  1. Gerald Chikowore
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Correspondence to Frank Chidawanyika.

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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

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Keywords

  • Afromontane
  • Biological invasions
  • Ecological interactions
  • Microhabitats