Home » A parasitic plant increases native and exotic plant species richness in vernal pools

A parasitic plant increases native and exotic plant species richness in vernal pools

Cuscuta howelliana, Boggs Lake dodder, covering Eryngium castrense in a California vernal pool. Photo by Jamie Kneitel.
Cuscuta howelliana, Boggs Lake dodder, covering Eryngium castrense in a California vernal pool. Photo by Jamie Kneitel.

Parasitic plants can have a variety of effects on species diversity in communities. In a new study published in AoB PLANTS, Graffis and Kneitel tested whether the abundant endemic Cuscuta howelliana (Dodder) acts as a keystone species in California vernal pools, by conducting a host species usage study and a Dodder removal experiment. Vernal pool endemics were more likely to be parasitized and decreased the cover of one species. Dodder presence increased species richness, but this was true for both native and exotic species. Therefore, Dodder acts as a keystone species in California vernal pools. This research provides support for a shift in management strategies that focus on species-specific targets to strategies that target maintenance of complex species interactions and therefore maximize the biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems.

AoBPLANTS

AoB PLANTS is an open-access, online journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of environmental and evolutionary biology. Published by Oxford University Press, AoB PLANTS provides a fast-track pathway for publishing high-quality research, where papers are available online to anyone, anywhere free of charge. Reasons to publish in AoB PLANTS include double-blind peer review of manuscripts, rapid processing time and low open-access charges.

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