Work

Palaeoendemic invertebrates weakly reflect palaeoendemic plants across a 52‐year‐old fire boundary

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: If palaeoendemic invertebrates depend on palaeoendemic plants, and the latter are threatened by an increase in fire incidence, there is a possibility of an extinction cascade. We test whether there is co‐occurrence of palaeoendemic plants and invertebrates in the proximity of a 52‐year‐old fire boundary in subalpine Tasmania, Australia. We used 2 × 2 m quadrats to record the incidence and cover of vascular plants and trapped invertebrates at each of these 33 sites in six time periods using an alpine Malaise trap and a CD sticky trap. The number of co‐occurrences of palaeoendemic plant taxa with palaeoendemic invertebrate taxa was greater than expected by chance ( p = 0.020), but many palaeoendemic invertebrates co‐occurred with non‐palaeoendemic plants. Some of the palaeoendemic invertebrate taxa that were associated with palaeoendemic plants were monophagous, while others were associated with environmental conditions created by a long absence of fire. Many may be threatened if increasing fire incidence destroys vegetation dominated by palaeoendemic plants.

Source: Austral Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/aec.13576

Authors: Shasta C. Henry, Jamie B. Kirkpatrick, Peter B. McQuillan

Institution: University of Tasmania

Language: English

Topic: Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,310