Removing Chinese privet from riparian forests still benefits pollinators five years later

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 167; pp. 355 - 362
• Main Authors: Hudson, Jacob R., Hanula, James L., Horn, Scott
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abundance; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Apoidea; Applied ecology; Bees; Biological; Biological and medical sciences; Butterflies; Chains; chainsaws; Chinese privet; Conservation; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Correlation; Ecology; felling; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; habitats; Insecta; Insects; Invasive plants; invasive species; Invertebrates; Ligustrum sinense; Long term; mulching; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; pesticide application; piedmont; pollinating insects; Pollinators; Riparian forests; shrubs; species diversity; traps; ASW, USA, Georgia; USA, Georgia; Invasive plants; Chinese privet; Long term; Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Forests; Insecta; Riparian vegetation; Invasive species; Plant; Pollinator; Arthropoda; Lepidoptera; Profit; Invertebrata; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.09.001

•Chinese privet was removed from heavily infested riparian forests in 2005.•Pollinators were sampled in removal, infested, and un-infested plots five years later.•Removal plots had more species and more individuals than infested plots.•Pollinator communities in removal plots were similar to un-infested plots.•Removing privet results in long term conservation of these insect groups. Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is an invasive shrub of the Southeastern U.S. that forms dense stands and limits biodiversity. It was removed from heavily infested riparian forests of the Georgia Piedmont in 2005 by mulching machine or chainsaw felling and subsequent herbicide application. Abundance and species richness of bees and butterflies were sampled using pan traps on removal plots, heavily invaded control plots, and reference plots in 2012, approximately five years after complete removal of privet. Removal plots had nearly three times as many species as control plots and were similar to reference plots in numbers of species. Traps on removal plots captured four times more individuals than those on control plots and similar numbers to reference plots. Bee and butterfly abundance and richness were positively correlated with non-privet plant cover, diversity, and evenness and negatively correlated with privet shrub cover. Removing Chinese privet from riparian forests had a beneficial effect on insect pollinator communities five years after removal and is a relatively simple method of improving pollinator habitat. These findings provide justification for allocating resources for invasive shrub species removal to support long term conservation of these important insect groups and the ecological services they provide.