Page 176 - PC2019 Program & Proceedings

PLANT CANADA 2019

S137. Impact of perimeter plantings on vineyard ecology
*
Hughes, M. ; L. Vasseur
Brock University

Perimeter plantings may support local abundance of natural pest-enemies, through increased plant
diversity. The impact of increased diversity within the margin of fields may be influenced by a number of
landscape and management variables, and can be location or region specific. The study aims to examine
the interaction between plant diversity in various types of perimeter plantings in eight vineyards of the
Niagara region, and the potential impact on invertebrate communities, specifically natural pest enemies.
Both plant and invertebrate communities were surveyed in the perimeter plantings and within the
vineyards. Management practices were also recorded as a potential explanatory variable. Results showed
that perimeter plant communities differed among vineyards and this was dependent on management.
Diversity also varied within the vineyards and were not always related to the diversity in the perimeters.
Plant functional diversity also varied among study sites. Through further investigation of the impact of
plant species and functional diversity on invertebrate assemblages, best practices may be designed,
increasing economic and environmental benefits through increasing the potential for biological pest
control.

Margaret Hughes (mh13ka@brocku.ca)

S138. The changing flora of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: a phylogenetic perspective
*1
Elliott, T. ; J. Davies 2
1 Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale
2 University of British Columbia

Global change has been occurring at unprecedented rates, with potential consequences for community
composition and ecosystem functioning. Recent debate has focused on how global change will affect
species richness, ecosystem functioning and the provisioning of ecosystem services. Growing scientific
consensus suggests that more diverse communities support greater ecosystem functioning; however,
species numbers often fluctuate over time, and ecosystem processes are shaped by both species richness
and identities. In recent decades, land transformation due to suburban development on the edge of urban
centres has been a significant contributor to habitat loss and biodiversity change. Comparing biological
surveys conducted in the same location over time can capture changes in species numbers and identities,
and allow us to quantify the impacts of habitat transformation. Here, I reveal changes in species richness,
composition and phylogenetic structure between two surveys of vascular plants conducted over 50 years
apart on Mont St. Hilaire, Québec, Canada. We recorded 198 more species in the more recent survey but
failed to detect 70 species that had been previously documented. Introduced, non-native species
comprised a significant number of species gains. Species losses were more frequently native species of
special conservation status, which tended to be more evolutionary distinct than species gained. Our results
show that there have been significant changes in species richness and composition over the last half-
century in this protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Tammy Elliott (tammy.elliott@mail.mcgill.ca)

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