Does Removal of the Invasive Shrub Lonicera maackii Alter Arthropod Abundance and Diversity?

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To evaluate the effects of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) removal on arthropod abundance and taxon richness, we sampled arthropods in seven removal plots and seven control plots in urban parkland in Louisville, Kentucky, in the first and third years after removal. We found no differences in overall abundance between invaded and removal plots in the first year after management, although removal plots had 12%–16% higher taxon diversity than invaded plots. Three years after management, invaded plots had 46% higher ground-dwelling arthropod abundance and 31% higher taxon richness, partly explained by other shrubs in managed plots. Herbivores were 91% more abundant in removal plots. Our results suggest that honeysuckle removal can have small effects on the entire arthropod community, but an increase in herbivore abundance should be expected following removal of this unpalatable invasive species.