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The effect of an invasive alien vine, Vincetoxicum rossicum (Asclepiadaceae), on arthropod populations in Ontario old fields

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Abstract

Vincetoxicum rossicum is an invasive alien vine introduced from Europe in the late 1800s that is now an emerging pest in upstate New York and eastern Ontario. The plant can form dense, monotypic stands in woodlots and old fields, and may be displacing native vegetation. As a consequence, V. rossicum may be displacing arthropod fauna associated with native vegetation. In June and August 2002, we sampled V. rossicum and three other old field plants (Asclepias syriaca, Solidago altissima, and mixed graminoids) for arthropods using pitfall traps and by sampling individual plants. A total of 7868 arthropods were counted on plants and 18,195 individuals were trapped; these were sorted by feeding guild. Overall, stands of V. rossicum supported the lowest abundance of both stem- and ground-dwelling individuals, as well as the lowest number of arthropods in most phytophagous guilds. Some feeding guilds are entirely absent: V. rossicum stands are completely devoid of gall-makers and miners, and support few pollinators. This study suggests that arthropod diversity will decline if V. rossicum displaces native old-field plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6

    Crystal M. Ernst & Naomi Cappuccino

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  1. Crystal M. Ernst
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  2. Naomi Cappuccino
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Correspondence to Crystal M. Ernst.

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Ernst, C.M., Cappuccino, N. The effect of an invasive alien vine, Vincetoxicum rossicum (Asclepiadaceae), on arthropod populations in Ontario old fields. Biol Invasions 7, 417–425 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-004-4062-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-004-4062-4

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