- Title
- Biological control of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes L., facilitates macroinvertebrate biodiversity recovery: a mesocosm study
- Creator
- Coetzee, Julie A
- Creator
- Langa, Susana D
- Creator
- Motitsoe, Samuel F
- Creator
- Hill, Martin P
- Subject
- To be catalogued
- Date Issued
- 2020
- Date
- 2020
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423967
- Identifier
- vital:72112
- Identifier
- xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04369-w"
- Description
- Floating aquatic weed infestations have negative socio-economic and environmental consequences to the ecosystems they invade. Despite the long history of invasion by macrophytes, only a few studies focus on their impacts on biodiversity, while the ecological benefits of biological control programmes against these species have been poorly quantified. We investigated the process of biotic homogenization following invasion by Pistia stratiotes on aquatic biodiversity, and recovery provided by biological control of this weed. Biotic homogenization is the increased similarity of biota as a result of introductions of non-native species. The study quantified the effect of P. stratiotes, and its biological control through the introduction of the weevil, Neohydronomus affinis on recruitment of benthic macroinvertebrates to artificial substrates. Mats of P. stratiotes altered the community composition and reduced diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in comparison to an uninvaded control. However, reduction in percentage cover of the weed through biological control resulted in a significant increase in dissolved oxygen, and recovery of the benthic macroinvertebrate community that was comparable to the uninvaded state. This highlights the process of homogenization by an invasive macrophyte, providing a justification for sustained ecological and restoration efforts in the biological control of P. stratiotes where this plant is problematic.
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (13 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- SpringerLink
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Hydrobiologia
- Relation
- Coetzee, J.A., Langa, S.D.F., Motitsoe, S.N. and Hill, M.P., 2020. Biological control of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes L., facilitates macroinvertebrate biodiversity recovery: a mesocosm study. Hydrobiologia, 847(18), pp.3917-3929
- Relation
- Hydrobiologia volume 847 number 18 p. 3917 2020 1573-5117
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the SpringerLink Terms of Use Statement ( https://link.springer.com/termsandconditions)
- Rights
- Closed Access
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- Visitors: 13
- Downloads: 1
Collections
Motitsoe, Samuel (Mr)
Hill, Martin Patrick (Distinguished Professor)
Coetzee, Julie A (Prof)
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
RU DST/NRF SARChI for Insects in Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystems
SDG 14. Life Below Water
RU Department of Botany
SDG 15. Life On Land
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Biological control of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes L., facilitates macroinvertebrate biodiversity recovery.pdf | 720 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |