Invasive alien shredders clear up invasive alien leaf litter.

ABSTRACT: Biological invasions have the potential to alter ecosystem processes profoundly, but invaders are rarely found alone. Interactions between different invasive alien species, and their cumulative impact on ecosystem functioning, have led to hypotheses of invasion meltdown whereby effects become additive leading to further ecosystem stress. Invasive riparian plants (e.g., Rhododendron ponticum) deposit leaf litter in freshwaters, which may be unconsumed by indigenous species, potentially affecting habitat heterogeneity and flow of energy to the food web. However, invasive alien decapod crustaceans are effective consumers of leaf litter, and it was hypothesized that they would also consume inputs of invasive riparian leaf litter. This study shows that invasive alien signal crayfish (

SUBMITTER: Doherty-Bone TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6206196 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature