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Little evidence for negative effects of an invasive alien plant on pollinator services

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Abstract

Many invasive alien plants occur in large populations with abundant flowers which are highly attractive to pollinators, and thus might affect pollination of co-occurring native species. This study focuses on the invasive Heracleum mantegazzianum and distance-dependent effects on pollination of Mimulus guttatus in abandoned grassland over 2 years. First, we examined pollinator abundance in yellow traps at 0, 10, 30 and 60–200 m from H. mantegazzianum. We then placed M. guttatus plants at the same distances to monitor effects of the invasive species on pollinator visitation and seed set of neighbouring plants. Finally, we conducted a garden experiment to test if deposition of H. mantegazzianum pollen reduces seed set in M. guttatus. No distance effect was found for the number of bumblebees in traps, although the invasive species attracted a diverse assemblage of insects, and visitation of M. guttatus was enhanced close to H. mantegazzianum. This positive effect was not reflected by seed set of M. guttatus, and heterospecific pollen decreased seed set in these plants. Overall there is little evidence for negative effects of the invasive species on pollination of neighbouring plants, and flower visitation even increases close to the invaded patches. The functional role of the invader and suitable control strategies need further clarification, since removal of H. mantegazzianum may actually damage local pollinator populations.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mads Nielsen for field work assistance and Mai-Britt Sauer for help in the greenhouse. Thanks to Henning Bang Madsen, University of Copenhagen, for verification of bumblebee species and identification of solitary bees. The study was supported through a PhD fellowship of the University of Copenhagen to CN, and a study grant by the Paul + Maria Kremer-Stiftung to CH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 21, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Charlotte Nielsen, Christine Heimes & Johannes Kollmann

  2. Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Christine Heimes

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  1. Charlotte Nielsen
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Correspondence to Charlotte Nielsen.

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Nielsen, C., Heimes, C. & Kollmann, J. Little evidence for negative effects of an invasive alien plant on pollinator services. Biol Invasions 10, 1353–1363 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9210-1

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