Assessing local scale impacts of Opuntia stricta (Cactaceae) invasion on beetle and spider diversity in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Loading...
Date
Authors
Robertson, Mark P.
Harris, K.R. (Kyle Robert)
Coetzee, Julie A.
Foxcroft, Llewellyn C.
Dippenaar-Schoeman, Anna S. (Anna Sophia), 1948-
Janse Van Rensburg, Berndt
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Zoological Society of Southern Africa
Abstract
There is a paucity of studies examining direct impacts of introduced alien species on
biodiversity, a key need for motivating for alien species control in conservation areas. The
introduced prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) has invaded some 35 000 ha of Kruger National Park.
We investigated the effect of O. stricta on beetle and spider species assemblages in the Skukuza
region of Kruger National Park. We used unbaited pitfall traps over a 12-month period in four
treatments of varying O. stricta density. Species richness, species density and abundance of
beetles and spiders were compared. A total of 72 beetle and 128 spider species were collected.
Species richness and species density for beetles and spiders did not differ significantly across
the four treatments. Assemblages for spiders did not differ across treatments but beetle assemblages
were significantly different from uninvaded control sites. This study suggests that the
current density of O. stricta does not significantly affect spider species richness, density or
assemblages but that beetle assemblages are significantly affected.
Description
Keywords
Araneae, Arthropods, Coleoptera, Invasion impacts, Invasive plants, Non-native, Opuntia stricta
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Robertson, MP, Harris, KR, Coetzee, JA, Foxcroft, LC, Dippenaar-Schoeman. AS & Van Rensburg, BJ 2011, 'Assessing local scale impacts of Opuntia stricta (Cactaceae) invasion on beetle and spider diversity in Kruger National Park, South Africa', African Zoology, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 205-223.