WEED ECOLOGY
Animal Impacts
Changes to plant communities caused by the invasion of woody weeds
such as bitou bush can have flow on consequences for the fauna
that live or feed within those communities.
The abundance and diversity of invertebrates could be altered
by changes to the density of leaf litter settling below plants.
Bird
assemblages could be altered in response to invertebrate abundance
or changes to other plant derived food sources. Structural
changes to habitat, such as an increased density of shrub layer
plants,
could encourage the presence of feral pests such as rabbits
or rats.
Within the French lab numerous projects have been carried out
to investigate the relationship between animals and bitou bush
invasion. Particular attention has been given to the effects
of invasion on:
 Bird communities
Invertebrate
communities
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