Evaluating food web complexity of invaded habitats

Non-native plants are replacing native plants in landscapes across the U.S. To examine the effects of non-native plants on local food webs, transects through invaded and un-invaded hedgerows were sampled for Lepidoptera larvae. The diversity, abundance, and biomass of larvae per unit of plant biomass were used as indicators of food web complexity. Native transects had significantly greater lepidopteran biomass, abundance, and species richness. The reduction in larval abundance and diversity in areas with non-native vegetation represents a reduction in food resources for the many bird, rodent, amphibian, and mesocarnivore insectivores.