Predators and invasive plants affect performance of amphibian larvae

Abstract

Exotic ecosystem engineers induce structural and qualitative habitat changes in invaded landscapes, yet studies rarely examine the effects of both of these changes on native taxa. We used a factorial experiment in natural, predator-containing environments to determine whether performance of amphibian larvae was affected by predators and/or changes in habitat structure or chemistry associated with the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii. Invertebrate predators significantly reduced survival of American toad Anaxyrus americanus larvae, whereas tadpole development was accelerated in pools inoculated with the chemical signature of L. maackii. The significant effect of L. maackii chemistry on A. americanus larvae suggests that invasive species may have non-intuitive effects even on native taxa with which they share no trophic connection, and may represent cryptic components of the multiple, interactive drivers of biodiversity change. © 2011 The Authors.