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1 August 2010 Aerial Arthropod Communities of Native and Invaded Forests, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile
Erin N. Hagen, Jonathan D. Barker, Robert I. Gara
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Abstract

Invasive species significantly contribute to biological change and threaten biodiversity, with a growing body of evidence that plant invasions affect higher trophic levels. We explored the relative importance of plant invasion and forest structure on aerial arthropod abundance, diversity, and composition on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile. We used flight intercept traps to sample aerial arthropods within distinct canopy strata of native and invaded forests over 3-mo periods in 2006 and 2007. Arthropod abundance and diversity were higher in native than invaded forest, and arthropod communities were distinct between forest types. In both forest types, arthropod abundance was highest in the lower canopy, and canopy strata exhibited some differences in arthropod community composition. Several morphospecies were distinctly associated with each forest type. The strong differences in aerial arthropod communities associated with the invasion of native forest by non-native plants may affect other trophic levels, such as insectivorous birds. Steps to stop invasive plant spread and to restore native forest composition and structure are needed to safeguard the integrity of native communities, from plants to higher-level consumers.

© 2010 Entomological Society of America
Erin N. Hagen, Jonathan D. Barker, and Robert I. Gara "Aerial Arthropod Communities of Native and Invaded Forests, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile," Environmental Entomology 39(4), 1159-1164, (1 August 2010). https://doi.org/10.1603/EN10002
Received: 2 January 2010; Accepted: 22 April 2010; Published: 1 August 2010
JOURNAL ARTICLE
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KEYWORDS
arthropod communities
Juan Fernández Archipelago
plant invasion
trophic levels
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