The effect of herbivore exclusion on the abundance and diversity of wild orchids in southern Australia.

The effect of herbivore exclusion on the abundance and diversity of wild orchids in southern Australia. | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 24 January 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The effect of herbivore exclusion on the abundance and diversity of wild orchids in southern Australia. Authors : Samantha Bywaters 0000-0002-1511-5842 [email protected] , Greg Guerin , and Andrew Lowe Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173770588.82962319/v1 244 views 130 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Wild orchids are threatened due to a range of demographic pressures, most important of which is herbivory. Exclusion fencing is commonly used to protect orchid populations from over grazing by pest animals, but the long-term demographic impacts and effectiveness of such interventions (for example vegetation competition and exclusion) have been poorly studied. The aim of this study is to assess the use of exclusion fencing as a conservation tool by measuring orchid abundance and diversity within fenced vs unfenced plots. Orchids were surveyed at twenty plots across five sites during spring 2020 with additional data including grazing intensity, ecological condition and percentage of weed cover ranked at each plot. Using generalised linear mixed models, non-metric multidimensional scaling and correlation analysis, orchid species abundance was found to be significantly higher (65% higher) in fenced vs unfenced plots. Orchid species diversity was highest in plots that had been fenced for the least amount of time or that had experienced a fire in the previous year. It was also found that sites that had been fenced for the longest period (42 years) were dominated by orchids capable of clonal reproduction. Results obtained indicate that whilst exclusion fencing offers immediate protection from herbivores, it leads to increased vegetation coverage within a plot which is associated with orchid species assemblages deferring to clonal rather than sexual reproduction. Such a reproductive strategy shift may lead to a “loss of sex” within local orchid communities, a known extinction pathway. To maintain natural orchid diversity within herbivore exclusion areas, requisite disturbance events such as slashing, strategic herbivore grazing and prescribed ecological burns should form part of a long term management strategy. Supplementary Material File (bywaterss_orchidfencingpaper.pdf) Download 2.78 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 24 January 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecological experiment ecosystem ecosystem ecology plants Authors Affiliations Samantha Bywaters 0000-0002-1511-5842 [email protected] The University of Adelaide View all articles by this author Greg Guerin The University of Adelaide View all articles by this author Andrew Lowe The University of Adelaide View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 244 views 130 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Samantha Bywaters, Greg Guerin, Andrew Lowe. The effect of herbivore exclusion on the abundance and diversity of wild orchids in southern Australia.. Authorea . 24 January 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173770588.82962319/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. 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