Impacts of the removal of invasive Carpobrotus on spider assemblage dynamics

Abstract

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Beetle assemblage dynamics after invasive ice plant (Carpobrotus) removal on a small Mediterranean island

“…As shown by Braschi et al (2021), plant species richness significantly increased after Carpobrotus removal from 11.7 to 22.4 species/100 m 2 plot in the Carpobrotus removal site (Fig. S1A).…”

“…While Carpobrotus cover remained low, litter cover significantly increased (Fig. S1B) (Braschi et al 2021). Bare ground cover peaked in 2013, just after removal (Fig.…”

Demographic analysis of an Israeli Carpobrotus population

“…Manual removal is feasible for accessible populations, and it may or may not be optimal to follow this up with the removal of dead shoots and litter. Leaving litter increases the risk Carpobrotus germination from seed and slows recovery of native plants, but decreases the problem of erosion, which is an important issue in sites with steep slopes [13,23,25]. Effective mortality of Carpobrotus and rapid recovery of native vegetation has also been demonstrated with chemical control using Glyphosate [18,24].…”

“…Most Carpobrotus species are native to the Cape region of South Africa, and some notorious species (e.g., Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E.Br., Carpobrotus acinaciformis (L.) L.Bolus) are now naturalized in Mediterranean climate regions on all continents except Antarctica [8]. Carpobrotus species decrease native plant and animal diversity in the places they invade [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Carpobrotus individuals compete directly with native plants for space, water, and nutrients [14,15], and indirectly by changing the soil pH [9], salt content, moisture level, nutrient content and microbial activity [8].…”

“…Carpobrotus disruptions to biotic and abiotic processes can hinder management efforts as they can persist for years after the invasion has been eradicated [21,22]. However, several restoration projects have successfully eradicated or reduced Carpobrutus populations and restored native plant and animal communities using either manual or chemical removal methods [13,[23][24][25]. In Europe, conservation areas have dedicated~1,000,000 EUR/year to controlling Carpobrotus invasions [8,[26][27][28].…”