A variety of invasive plants are known to reduce native plant diversity through competition for space, nutrients, pollinators and other resources. These invasive plants have potential to alter the pollinator-plant network, which could ultimately affect plant reproduction. In this study we determined effects of the removal of the exotic weed French Broom (Genista monspessulana), on pollinator activity, pollinator species richness, and on reproductive success of local native and invasive plant species using a before/after control-impact design. We sampled sites in approximately 3-week intervals spanning May through August of 2016 and 2017. Between sampling seasons, G. monspessulana was removed from half of our sites.
Results/Conclusions
Our analysis suggests that the effect of removal on pollinator activity and reproductive success varies with target plant species and that not all responses are positive. These data suggest that land managers dealing with G. monspessulana will want to understand the full impact of those removals for native and non-native plants in the region.