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Invertebrate Community Reassembly and Altered Ecosystem Process Rates Following Experimental Habitat Restoration in a Mined Peat Bog in New Zealand

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Invertebrate Community Reassembly and Altered Ecosystem Process Rates Following Experimental Habitat Restoration in a Mined Peat Bog in New Zealand Invertebrate community reassembly and altered ecosystem process rates following experimental habitat restoration in a mined peat bog in New Zealand Corinne H. Watts 2006 Invertebrate community reassembly and altered ecosystem process rates following experimental habitat restoration in a mined peat bog in New Zealand _____________________________________ A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Canterbury by Corinne H. Watts _____________________________________ University of Canterbury 2006 ABSTRACT I investigated the effects of habitat loss and subsequent restoration on invertebrate community structure and ecosystem functioning in a mined peat bog in the North Island, New Zealand. In an experimental trial, the impact of peat bog habitat loss and isolation on the invertebrate community associated with Sporadanthus ferrugineus (Restionaceae) was investigated. Potted S. ferrugineus plants were exposed to invertebrates at various distances up to 800 m from an intact habitat (the presumed source population) over 18 weeks. Invertebrates rapidly colonised the experimental plants, with all major Orders and trophic groups present on S. ferrugineus within 6 weeks. However, with increasing distance away from the undisturbed habitat, there was a significant decrease in total richness and abundance of invertebrates associated with the potted plants. Additional tests showed that even a moderate degree of isolation (i.e. greater than 400 m) from the intact habitat caused an almost complete failure of ‘Batrachedra’ sp. to colonise its host plant, at least in the short-term. The density of eggs and larvae, and the average larval size of ‘Batrachedra’ sp. (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) colonising S. ferrugineus plants, as well as the proportion of S. ferrugineus stems damaged by ‘Batrachedra’ sp. herbivory, all decreased logarithmically with increasing distance from the intact habitat. Surprisingly, though, the rate of recovery of the insect-plant interaction following experimental habitat restoration was remarkably rapid (i.e. between 3½ and 6 years). After just 6 years there was no significant difference in insect-plant interactions between the intact peat bog sites and any of the experimentally restored sites up to 800 m away. These results suggest that the degree of isolation from undisturbed habitat has a major impact on the rate and patterns of restoration recovery in the invertebrate community and that some insect-plant interactions can recover rapidly from habitat loss with restoration management. Restoration of mined peat bogs in northern New Zealand is initiated by establishing a native vegetation cover to minimize further peat degradation. The effects of various restoration techniques on litter decomposition, microbial community activity and beetle community composition were investigated within an experimental trial. These treatments included translocation of peat bog habitat (direct transfer of islands), milled peat islands ii with no seed and milled peat islands with seed, and were compared with an unrestored mined site and an undisturbed peat bog. In all the response variables measured, the undisturbed peat bog sites had significantly higher decomposition rates and microbial respiration rates, and significantly higher abundance and species richness of beetles than any of the restoration treatments. In addition, the technique used to restore mined peatlands had a significant effect on the beetle community composition and litter decomposition processes. Despite a rapid initial change in the beetle community following habitat translocation, the direct transfer islands were still the most similar in beetle species composition to the undisturbed peat bog. Microbial activity and decomposition rates were higher in the direct transfer and mined peat surface after 6 months. However, even after 12 months, decomposition rates in the restored habitats were still far from reaching the levels recorded in the undisturbed peat bog. The results suggest that beetle community structure and ecosystem processes such as decomposition and microbial activity rates may be able to recover faster with certain restoration techniques, such as direct transfer of intact habitat islands. Subsequently, I examined long-term beetle community reassembly on islands that had been restored by creating raised areas of processed peat with the addition of Leptospermum scoparium seed. Monitoring of different-aged restored islands representing the full range of restoration ages (up to 6 years) available at the peat mine, indicated that as the peat islands became older and the vegetation structure became more complex, the abundance, species richness and composition of the beetle community became increasingly similar to the community in the undisturbed peat bog. Despite this, distinct differences between the intact peat bog and older restored peat islands still persisted, even after 6 years, particularly at an individual species level. However, it is predicted that within 12 years the restored peat islands will share 100% of beetle species in common with the undisturbed peat bog. Taken together, these results indicate that restoration is effective in initiating the recovery of beetle assemblages and ecosystem processes (such as litter decomposition and microbial community activity) in cut-over peat bogs. However, it is estimated to take at iii least 12 years before pre-mining communities and functions are attained, and ongoing monitoring to develop an understanding of the longer-term dynamics of such ecosystems and processes is clearly required. Keywords peat bog, wetland, peat mining, habitat loss, peat bog restoration, New Zealand, Restionaceae, Sporadanthus ferrugineus, insect-plant interaction, predator-prey ratio, beetle community, litter decomposition, microbial community recovery iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to acknowledge the effort and experience of my supervisors, Raphael Didham, Bruce Burns and Richard Harris, and thank them for their help, editing comments, and encouragement. I am particularly indebted to Raphael who provided assistance with some analyses, critically reviewed the thesis and, more importantly, was patient. Numerous people assisted with fieldwork, including Danny Thornburrow, Bev Clarkson, Neil Fitzgerald, Maja Vojvodic-Vukovic, Craig Briggs, Daniel Rutledge, Shaun Awatere, Katie Cartner, Mark Smale, Fiona Clarkson, Trina Watts, Julie Zanders, Lynne Baxter, Suzanne Jonker and Nadiene Berry. Other technical assistance was provided by Maja Vojvodic-Vukovic, Greg Arnold, David Hunter, John Claydon, Lynne Baxter, Louise Hunter, and Alex McGill. I am grateful to Danny and John Thornburrow for emergence trap design and construction. I thank Russell Gamman (Gamman Mining) for kindly providing a study site and logistical support. Landcare Research is gratefully acknowledged for providing funding and assistance to undertake this thesis as part of my work commitments. In addition, the company also willingly provided logistical and other support during the study. Anne Austin, David Wardle, William Lee, Graham Sparling, Louis Schipper, Gary Barker, George Gibbs, Louise Hunter and Deb Wotton provided helpful comments on the earlier drafts of this thesis (or parts of it). I am thankful to Stephen Thorpe for numerous beetle identifications, Jo Berry for identifying wasps, and Rosa Henderson for identifying aphids. In particular, I thank Robert Hoare and John Dugdale for their taxonomic expertise in identifying Lepidoptera and, v more importantly, their never-ending wit and humour when discovering and describing ‘Fred the Thread’. Thanks to my colleagues who have provided assistance, interest, and support throughout this thesis. I would like to extend my gratitude and love to my family (including the furry ones!) and friends who have provided support and encouragement throughout this ordeal, even if it was from remote corners of the world. Finally, I would like to thank Danny Thornburrow, who has endured the worst parts (hot, dusty field days and erratic behaviour) of my years of study without complaint (almost). You know the extent of your support and I doubt that this would have been possible without you. We have both been through some challenging times together and survived, this was one of those. All my love goes to you in thanks. So many people have helped make this thesis, both from a personal and scientific viewpoint. Now that I have an opportunity to express to thanks, I realise just how difficult it is to put my appreciation into words. Thank you all. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .........................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................v Table of Contents.................................................................................................................vii List of Figures.......................................................................................................................ix List of Tables........................................................................................................................xi List of Appendices...............................................................................................................xii Declaration ......................................................................................................................xiv
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