NDLI: Effects of urbanization on trophic dynamics of arthropod communities on a common desert host plant

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Marussich, Wendy A. Faeth, Stanley H.
Copyright Year	2009
Abstract	Urbanization is a dominant demographic trend that radically alters ecological patterns. Most urban ecology studies, however, are strictly observational, and the mechanisms underlying these patterns have not been experimentally examined in cities. We manipulated vertebrate and invertebrate predators and water availability of a common native shrub to investigate the mechanisms controlling trophic dynamics of associated arthropod communities in an outlying desert, an urban desert remnant, and a mesic yard. The outlying desert had higher diversity and greater evenness but lower abundances than urban sites. The desert remnant resembled the mesic yard in terms of arthropod seasonality, abundances, and diversity. Surprisingly, top-down pressures on arthropods were stronger in urbanized areas and controlled already elevated herbivore abundances. Predators were especially sensitive to water availability, suggesting that stress plays an important role in this trophic system. Shifts in trophic dynamics are likely common in cities and preserved remnants may not mimic the trophic structure and function of their more pristine counterparts. If these patterns hold in other urbanized areas, they would have broad implications for conservation biology given that simply preserving natural habitats in urbanizing areas may not be enough to ensure an associated fauna that reflects the more intact and less urbanized habitat.
Starting Page	265
Ending Page	286
Page Count	22
File Format	PDF
ISSN	10838155
Journal	Urban Ecosystems
Volume Number	12
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	15731642
Language	English
Publisher	Springer US
Publisher Date	2009-02-10
Publisher Place	Boston
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Arthropods Encelia farinosa Food webs Sonoran desert Trophic dynamics Nature Conservation Ecology Environmental Management Urban Ecology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Urban Studies

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