Heidi Wheatley: Invasive non-native species impacts on invertebrate communities

Heidi Wheatley, BSc Environmental Science, joins us to discuss her research project "Invasive non-native species impacts on invertebrate communities".AbstractInvasive non-native (INN) plants pose an increasing ecological threat worldwide, creating monocultured plant communities and causing ripple effects across various species. Invertebrates are particularly affected due to habitat and food resource alteration, leading to changes in ecosystem services and trophic cascades. However, not all INN plants exert the same influence, and effects differ depending on species and invasion area, with some offering positive outcomes, particularly in urbanised regions with diminished biodiversity. Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) is an INN plant of concern in some European countries. Although it has spread considerably within the UK, research on its impacts on UK habitats is scant, and it is not yet deemed a species of concern. This research examined a Canadian goldenrod invasion within a meadow in Southampton, focusing on its impacts on invertebrate abundance. Variability was noted in pollinator, in-vegetation, and ground invertebrate abundance using pitfall traps, beat sheets, and visual observation methods. Findings indicated that goldenrod did not lead to a significant change in overall species abundance. However, some species exhibited marked changes in their abundance distribution. This novel research kickstarts critical data collection on Canadian goldenrod’s potential interactions and impacts on invertebrates in the UK and serves as a precedent for widening research on other known INN plants, not only those already classified as species of concern.Episode Guest: Heidi Wheatley, BSc Environmental ScienceEpisode Host: Prof Simon KempProducer & Editor: Ellie Howell