Publication
Title
Changes in salt-marsh carabid assemblages after an invasion by the native grass **Elymus athericus** (Link) Kerguélen
Author
Abstract
As a result of an invasion by the native grass Elymus athericus (Link) Kerguélen (Poaceae) in the last 10 years, a major change in vegetation cover has occurred in salt marshes of the Mont Saint-Michel bay, Western France. The impact of such an invasion on carabid assemblages, a dominant group of terrestrial arthropods in these habitats and containing several stenotopic species, is investigated here. In our study site, carabid data are available from 1983 and 1984, allowing a comparison of species distribution ranges in salt marshes before (19831984) and after (2002) the E. athericus invasion. A total of 16,867 adults belonging to 40 species were caught. By considering the presence-absence of species shared between studies, we show that the invasion by E. athericus promoted the progression of non-coastal species (mainly Pterostichus s.l. spp.). This did however not interfere with resident species distributions, finally resulting in higher carabid species richness in the entire area. The species composition and abundances of carabid assemblages were also compared between natural and invaded stations in 2002. The main result is that abundances of some halophilic species decreased in one invaded plot (in case of Pogonus chalceus (Marsham 1802)) whereas the opposite pattern was observed for other species (e.g., Bembidion minimum (Fabricius 1792)). Invaded habitats were characterized by lower percentages of halophilic species and higher total species richness.
Language
Dutch
Source (journal)
ZooKeys
Publication
2011
ISSN
1313-2989
1313-2970
DOI
10.3897/ZOOKEYS.100.1537
Volume/pages
100 :S:1 (2011) , p. 407-419
ISI
000292620300020
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 01.09.2011
Last edited 04.03.2024
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