Publications by Colleges and Departments (MSU - Bozeman)
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Item Effects of Invasive Plants on Arthropods(2014-12) Litt, Andrea R.; Cord, Erin; Fulbright, Timothy; Schuster, GretaNon-native plants have invaded nearly all ecosystems and represent a major component of global ecological change. Plant invasions frequently change the composition and structure of vegetation communities, which can alter animal communities and ecosystem processes. We reviewed 87 articles published in the peer-reviewed literature to evaluate responses of arthropod communities and functional groups to non-native invasive plants. Total abundance of arthropods decreased in 62% of studies and increased in 15%. Taxonomic richness decreased in 48% of studies and increased in 13%. Herbivorous arthropods decreased in response to plant invasions in 48% of studies and increased in 17%, likely due to direct effects of decreased plant diversity. Predaceous arthropods decreased in response to invasive plants in 44% of studies, which may reflect indirect effects due to reductions in prey. Twenty-two percent of studies documented increases in predators, which may reflect changes in vegetation structure that improved mobility, survival, or web-building for these species. Detritivores increased in 67% of studies, likely in response to increased litter and decaying vegetation; no studies documented decreased abundance in this functional group. Although many researchers have examined effects of plant invasions on arthropods, sizeable information gaps remain, specifically regarding how invasive plants influence habitat and dietary requirements. Beyond this, the ability to predict changes in arthropod populations and communities associated with plant invasions could be improved by adopting a more functional and mechanistic approach. Understanding responses of arthropods to invasive plants will critically inform conservation of virtually all biodiversity and ecological processes because so many organisms depend on arthropods as prey or for their functional roles, including pollination, seed dispersal, and decomposition. Given their short generation times and ability to respond rapidly to ecological change, arthropods may be ideal targets for restoration and conservation activities.Item An integrated strategy for grassland easement acquisition in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA(2013-12) Walker, Johann; Rotella, Jay J.; Loesch, C.; Renner, R. W.; Ringelman, J. K.; Lindberg, M. S.; Dell, R.; Doherty, K. E.Acquisition of perpetual grassland easements is a principal tactic used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and its partners to protect nesting habitat for migratory birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota, USA. This public–private partnership resulted in the conservation of >344,000 ha of grassland during 1998–2012. Past easement acquisition has been targeted to landscapes with greatest expected accessibility to breeding duck pairs without active consideration of probability of conversion or cost of protection. The rising cost of easement acquisition in recent years indicates that re-evaluation and refinement of the easement acquisition strategy could help to improve programmatic outcomes. We assessed regional patterns of easement acquisition during 1998–2012, evaluated the current targeting strategy, and used a combination of publicly available and proprietary geospatial data to develop an easement-targeting Geographic Information System that integrated information about conversion probability and protection cost with current targeting criteria. Our assessment indicated that grassland protection was negatively affected by rising land prices during 1998–2012. In the 5 y between 2008 and 2012, about 100,000 ha of grassland were protected at a cost of $83 million (U.S. dollars). The 2008–2012 acquisitions represented 30% of total protection during 1998–2012 but composed 47% of the total expenditure. We observed strong evidence that easements were targeted to priority landscapes both before and after formalization of the USFWS conservation strategy in 2004. We also found evidence of an opportunity to increase efficiency of future acquisitions. We identified 0.9 million ha of currently unprotected priority grassland in the region with greater than expected conversion risk and smaller than expected protection cost. We suggest that future grassland easement acquisition be refocused on this refined priority area and that an adaptive approach to future easement acquisition (including targeted acquisitions, directed monitoring, and data-based decisions) provides a logical framework for implementation of this new strategy and will facilitate continued conservation success.