Abstract
Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) is a highly invasive species that thrives in semi-arid environments and has the capacity to transform native vegetation outside its native range. However, there is limited information on the effects of buffel grass invasion on native fauna. We used an experimental approach to investigate the impact of buffel grass on the native ant fauna near Alice Springs in semi-arid central Australia. A series of plots where buffel grass was removed and native vegetation had regenerated (B−), paired with adjacent control plots heavily invaded by buffel grass (B+), were used to assess the impact of buffel grass on ant diversity and composition, and on rates of seed dispersal by ants. Differences in ant diversity were also compared between two microhabitat types: bare ground and under cover, to examine the extent to which any impacts were a simple function of change in vegetation cover. Ant abundance and richness were approximately 50 % higher in B− compared with B+ plots, and higher abundance was especially pronounced for the very thermophilic Hot-Climate Specialists. Ant species composition varied significantly between plot types. B− plots supported more species and individuals in both bare and covered microhabitats, which suggests that the differences in ant diversity was not simply through changes in vegetation cover. Rates of seed removal by ants were marginally higher in B− plots. Our findings indicate that buffel grass has a major impact on a dominant faunal group of arid Australia, and possibly reduces the delivery of an important ecosystem service. In addition, our study demonstrates the potential for ecosystem recovery following effective buffel grass management.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Parks and Wildlife NT and particularly the Simpsons Gap rangers and staff of the Alice Springs Desert Park Horticulture department for initial removal of buffel grass and maintenance of the experimental buffel free plots since 2008. We also thank Jodie Hayward and Lauren Young for assistance in the field, as well as Keith McGuiness and Mirjam Kaestli for help with statistical analysis.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Species | Functional group | Desert Park | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1− | 1+ | 2− | 2+ | 3− | 3+ | 4− | 4+ | ||
Calomyrmex sp. A | SC | ||||||||
Camponotus denticulatus | SC | ||||||||
Camponotus donellani | SC | 3 | 8 | 4 | |||||
Camponotus sp. C (sponsorum gp.) | SC | 1 | |||||||
Cardiocondyla atalanta | OPP | ||||||||
Cerapachys sp. A (brevis gp.) | SP | ||||||||
Crematogaster sp. A (queenslandica gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex cf. dromus | DD | 1 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 12 | |||
Iridomyrmex ?dromus | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex chasei | DD | 7 | 9 | ||||||
Iridomyrmex suchieroides | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex viridiaeneus | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. B (mjobergi gp.) | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. D (suchieri gp.) | DD | 2 | |||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. E (chasei gp.) | DD | 450 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 441 | 500 | 500 |
Iridomyrmex sp. F (mjobergi gp.) | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. G (anceps gp.) | DD | ||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. K (rufoniger gp.) | DD | 12 | |||||||
Iridomyrmex sp.M (mjobergi gp.) | DD | ||||||||
Leptogenys adlerzi | SP | ||||||||
Melophorus bagoti | HCS | 8 | 7 | 28 | 1 | ||||
Melophorus sp. B (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 1 | 46 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 36 | ||
Melophorus sp. C (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 5 | |||||||
Melophorus sp. D (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 41 | 4 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 40 | 54 | 99 |
Melophorus sp. E (turneri gp.) | HCS | 14 | 71 | 8 | 16 | 19 | 3 | ||
Melophorus sp. F (perthensis gp.) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. G (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 11 | 4 | 2 | |||||
Melophorus sp. H (group J) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. I (bruneus gp.) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. J (froggetti gp.) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. K (froggetti gp.) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. L (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 80 | 41 | 28 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 5 | 27 |
Melophorus sp. M (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | |||
Melophorus sp. N (Group I) | HCS | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Melophorus sp. O (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 3 | 1 | ||||||
Melophorus sp. P (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. Q (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 1 | |||||||
Melophorus sp. S (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 15 | |||||||
Melophorus sp. U (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 3 | 40 | ||||||
Melophorus sp. W (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 1 | |||||||
Melophorus sp. X (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 6 | |||||||
Melophorus sp. Y (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 3 | |||||||
Meranoplus cf. curvispina | HSC | ||||||||
Meranoplus excavatus | HSC | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||||
Meranoplus unicolor | HSC | 3 | |||||||
Meranoplus variabius | HSC | 22 | |||||||
Meranoplus sp. A (Group D) | HSC | ||||||||
Monomorium bicornis | HSC | 5 | |||||||
Monomorium sp. A (sordidum gp.) | GM | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 | ||||
Monomorium sp. B (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | ||||||||
Monomorium sp. C (centrale gp.) | HSC | 1 | 2 | ||||||
Monomorium sp. D (leave gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Monomorium sp. E (leave gp.) | GM | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 44 | ||
Monomorium sp. G (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | 89 | 1 | 92 | 15 | 76 | 182 | 173 | 67 |
Monomorium sp. H (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | ||||||||
Monomorium sp. I (leave gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Monomorium sp. J (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | ||||||||
Monomorium sp. K (carinatum gp.) | GM | 3 | |||||||
Monomorium sp. L (leave gp.) | GM | 10 | 7 | ||||||
Monomorium sp. M (falcatum gp.) | HSC | ||||||||
Odontomachus sp. A (ruficeps gp.) | SP | ||||||||
Paraparatechina sp. A (minutula gp.) | OPP | ||||||||
Pheidole sp. A (pyriformis gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Pheidole sp. B (Group B) | GM | ||||||||
Pheidole sp. C (pyriformis gp.) | GM | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Pheidole sp. D (variabilis gp.) | GM | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Pheidole sp. E (Hartmeyeri gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Pheidole sp. F (pyriformis gp.) | GM | ||||||||
Pheidole sp. H (Group B) | GM | ||||||||
Rhyidoponera purpurascens | OPP | ||||||||
Rhytidoponera incisa | OPP | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |||
Rhyidoponera sp. B (convexa gp.) | OPP | 5 | 1 | 10 | 10 | ||||
Stigmacros pilosella | CCS | ||||||||
Stigmacros sp. B (Group A) | CCS | 1 | |||||||
Tapinoma sp. A (minutum gp.) | OPP | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Tetramonium sp. A (impressum gp.) | OPP | 4 | |||||||
Tetramonium sp. B (spininode gp.) | OPP | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
Tetramonium sp. C (striolatum gp.) | OPP | 4 | 9 | ||||||
Tetramonium sp. F (striolatum gp.) | OPP | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
705 | 601 | 807 | 607 | 690 | 721 | 884 | 808 | ||
Species | Functional group | Simpsons Gap | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1− | 1+ | 2− | 2+ | 3− | 3+ | 4− | 4+ | 5− | 5+ | 6− | 6+ | |||
Calomyrmex sp. A | SC | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Camponotus denticulatus | SC | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
Camponotus donellani | SC | 15 | ||||||||||||
Camponotus sp. C (sponsorum gp.) | SC | 1 | ||||||||||||
Cardiocondyla atalanta | OPP | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Cerapachys sp. A (brevis gp.) | SP | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Crematogaster sp. A (queenslandica gp.) | GM | 24 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Iridomyrmex cf. dromus | DD | 8 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 14 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 0 |
Iridomyrmex ?dromus | DD | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||
Iridomyrmex chasei | DD | 16 | ||||||||||||
Iridomyrmex suchieroides | DD | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Iridomyrmex viridiaeneus | DD | 3 | 6 | 52 | 9 | 26 | 19 | 14 | 77 | |||||
Iridomyrmex sp. B (mjobergi gp.) | DD | 5 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. D (suchieri gp.) | DD | 25 | 5 | 37 | 51 | 2 | 19 | 48 | 32 | 46 | 186 | |||
Iridomyrmex sp. E (chasei gp.) | DD | 475 | 351 | 454 | 416 | 155 | 100 | 205 | 186 | 57 | 430 | 291 | 36 | 5564 |
Iridomyrmex sp. F (mjobergi gp.) | DD | 197 | 44 | 27 | 71 | |||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. G (anceps gp.) | DD | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp. K (rufoniger gp.) | DD | 12 | ||||||||||||
Iridomyrmex sp.M (mjobergi gp.) | DD | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||
Leptogenys adlerzi | SP | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 23 | |||||
Melophorus bagoti | HCS | 77 | 78 | 75 | 76 | 39 | 81 | 38 | 50 | 25 | 17 | 48 | 31 | 377 |
Melophorus sp. B (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 14 | 19 | 39 | 11 | 29 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 227 | |
Melophorus sp. C (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 2 | 5 | 12 | ||||||||||
Melophorus sp. D (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 15 | 9 | 1 | 60 | 9 | 36 | 6 | 15 | 99 | 505 | |||
Melophorus sp. E (turneri gp.) | HCS | 12 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 41 | 11 | 21 | 78 | 28 | 41 | 51 | 23 | 323 |
Melophorus sp. F (perthensis gp.) | HCS | 3 | 1 | 16 | 19 | |||||||||
Melophorus sp. G (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 1 | 1 | 33 | 52 | |||||||||
Melophorus sp. H (group J) | HCS | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||
Melophorus sp. I (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Melophorus sp. J (froggetti gp.) | HCS | 2 | 27 | 3 | 32 | |||||||||
Melophorus sp. K (froggetti gp.) | HCS | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 17 | ||||||||
Melophorus sp. L (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 209 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. M (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 10 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. N (Group I) | HCS | 2 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. O (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 4 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. P (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
Melophorus sp. Q (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 1 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. S (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 15 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. U (mjobergi gp.) | HCS | 43 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. W (fieldi gp.) | HCS | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
Melophorus sp. X (bruneus gp.) | HCS | 6 | ||||||||||||
Melophorus sp. Y (wheeleri gp.) | HCS | 3 | ||||||||||||
Meranoplus cf. curvispina | HSC | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
Meranoplus excavatus | HSC | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
Meranoplus unicolor | HSC | 3 | ||||||||||||
Meranoplus variabius | HSC | 10 | 1 | 33 | ||||||||||
Meranoplus sp. A (Group D) | HSC | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Monomorium bicornis | HSC | 5 | ||||||||||||
Monomorium sp. A (sordidum gp.) | GM | 241 | 123 | 204 | 65 | 75 | 2 | 184 | 40 | 256 | 137 | 166 | 110 | 1290 |
Monomorium sp. B (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | 5 | 222 | 9 | 50 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 277 | |||
Monomorium sp. C (centrale gp.) | HSC | 4 | 4 | 11 | ||||||||||
Monomorium sp. D (leave gp.) | GM | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 33 | |||||
Monomorium sp. E (leave gp.) | GM | 15 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 66 | 9 | 13 | 28 | 187 | ||
Monomorium sp. G (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | 326 | 7 | 204 | 5 | 4 | 100 | 47 | 13 | 121 | 6 | 1503 | ||
Monomorium sp. H (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | 8 | 8 | |||||||||||
Monomorium sp. I (leave gp.) | GM | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Monomorium sp. J (rothsteini gp.) | HSC | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Monomorium sp. K (carinatum gp.) | GM | 3 | ||||||||||||
Monomorium sp. L (leave gp.) | GM | 17 | ||||||||||||
Monomorium sp. M (falcatum gp.) | HSC | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Odontomachus sp. A (ruficeps gp.) | SP | 1 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
Paraparatechina sp. A (minutula gp.) | OPP | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Pheidole sp. A (pyriformis gp.) | GM | 18 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25 | |||||||
Pheidole sp. B (Group B) | GM | 18 | 7 | 1 | 26 | |||||||||
Pheidole sp. C (pyriformis gp.) | GM | 21 | 1 | 67 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 130 | ||||
Pheidole sp. D (variabilis gp.) | GM | 7 | 61 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 26 | |||||||
Pheidole sp. E (Hartmeyeri gp.) | GM | 10 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 30 | |||||||
Pheidole sp. F (pyriformis gp.) | GM | 35 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 55 | ||||||
Pheidole sp. H (Group B) | GM | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Rhyidoponera purpurascens | OPP | 11 | 25 | 98 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 161 |
Rhytidoponera incisa | OPP | 15 | ||||||||||||
Rhyidoponera sp. B (convexa gp.) | OPP | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 30 | ||||||||
Stigmacros pilosella | CCS | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
Stigmacros sp. B (Group A) | CCS | 1 | ||||||||||||
Tapinoma sp. A (minutum gp.) | OPP | 6 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 42 | ||
Tetramonium sp. A (impressum gp.) | OPP | 32 | 15 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 121 | |||
Tetramonium sp. B (spininode gp.) | OPP | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
Tetramonium sp. C (striolatum gp.) | OPP | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||
Tetramonium sp. F (striolatum gp.) | OPP | 8 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 28 | ||||||||
1352 | 737 | 1250 | 673 | 826 | 509 | 762 | 446 | 754 | 717 | 990 | 380 | 15,219 | ||
Appendix 2
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Bonney, S., Andersen, A. & Schlesinger, C. Biodiversity impacts of an invasive grass: ant community responses to Cenchrus ciliaris in arid Australia. Biol Invasions 19, 57–72 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1263-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1263-6