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Effects of invasive European bird cherry (Prunus padus) on leaf litter processing by aquatic invertebrate shredder communities in urban Alaskan streams

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Abstract

European bird cherry (Prunus padus) (EBC) is an invasive ornamental tree that is spreading rapidly in riparian forests of urban Alaska. To determine how the spread of EBC affects leaf litter processing by aquatic invertebrate shredders, we conducted complementary leaf pack experiments in two streams located in Anchorage, Alaska. The first experiment contrasted invasive EBC with three native tree species—thin-leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia), paper birch (Betula neoalaskana), and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)—in one reach of Chester Creek; finding that EBC leaf litter broke down significantly faster than birch and cottonwood, but at a similar rate to alder. The second experiment contrasted EBC with alder in four reaches of Campbell and Chester creeks; finding that while EBC leaf litter broke down significantly faster than alder in Chester Creek, EBC broke down at a similar rate to alder in Campbell Creek. Although EBC sometimes supported fewer shredders by both count and mass, shredder communities did not differ significantly between EBC and native plants. Collectively, these data suggest that invasive EBC is not currently exhibiting strong negative impacts on leaf litter processing in these streams, but could if it continues to spread and further displaces native species over time.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, Alaska EPSCoR, Institute of Arctic Biology and the University of Alaska Fairbanks for funding. We thank Dustin Merrigan, John Hill, Steve Ewest, Uinniq Ahgeak, and Thomas Robertson for assistance with field and laboratory work. Thanks to Dan Rinella and Dan Bogan at UAA for advice on the experimental design and providing summer lab space, to Arny Blanchard at University of Alaska Fairbanks for his assistance with the statistical analysis and Jim Kruse from the USDA Forest Service for providing an internal peer review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA

    David A. Roon

  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA

    Mark S. Wipfli

  3. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Program, Fairbanks, AK, 99709, USA

    Tricia L. Wurtz

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  1. David A. Roon
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  2. Mark S. Wipfli
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Correspondence to David A. Roon.

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Roon, D.A., Wipfli, M.S. & Wurtz, T.L. Effects of invasive European bird cherry (Prunus padus) on leaf litter processing by aquatic invertebrate shredder communities in urban Alaskan streams. Hydrobiologia 736, 17–30 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1881-x

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