Effects of an invasive plant species, giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) on pollinator communities

2018

Invasive plant species can have an effect on native plant and related pollinator insect communities both in anthropogenically disturbed and semi-natural habitats. Due to the dominance of invasive plant species, the impoverished vegetation often results in a decline of native pollinator diversity. Furthermore, invasive species may have a negative effect on flower-visitation of the native wild plant or crop species. We studied the effect of giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea), a common insect-pollinated invasive plant species in Hungary, on bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) communities. We compared 10 invaded (relative cover of S. gigantea >50%) with 10 uninvaded…