Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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McEvoy, N. L., & Durtsche, R. D. (2004). Effect of the invasive shrub lonicera maackii (caprifoliaceae; amur honeysuckle) on autumn herpetofauna biodiversity. Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science, 65(1), 27–32.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (25 Jun 2011 12:41:47 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: McEvoy2004 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Amphibien = amphibians, Emydidae, Habitat = habitat, invasive Arten = invasive species, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Schlangen = snakes, Terrapene, Terrapene carolina Creators: Durtsche, McEvoy Collection: Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science |
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| Abstract |
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Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, is an Asian woody shrub that has spread throughout the eastern United States within the past 100 years. Despite a documented life history of the plant, no studies have been performed to determine the effect of this exotic species on native herpetofauna. The Cincinnati Nature Center (CNC), Clermont County, Ohio, one of the largest landholdings of remnant old-growth forest remaining in that state, has recently been invaded by exotic plant species, predominantly L. maackii. we studied the effect of this exotic shrub on herpetofauna abundance, distribution, and body size at CNC in areas invaded and areas lacking L. maackii during the late summer and early autumn. The results suggest that the herpetofauna diversity was significantly greater in the non-invaded (H' = 2.2) than invaded habitat (H' = 1.8). Species evenness was also greater in non-invaded habitats, primarily due to some less abundant species (e.g., snakes) found in the L. maackii habitat. Amphibians (Plethodon glutinosus, Rana clamitans) had larger body mass in the non-invaded habitats, suggesting a loss in native food resources from areas encroached by L. maackii. A lack of ground resources may also explain the absence of turtles (Terrapene carolina) from invaded habitats, despite the use of these habitats by snakes. It appears that structural vegetation changes by L. maackii influence the distribution of amphibian and reptile species, being perhaps beneficial for some (e.g., snakes) but not for others (e.g., frogs and turtles).
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |