Transfer of invertebrates with hay during restoration operations of extensively managed grasslands in Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION: Hay transfer from a speciose donor meadow to a species-poor receiver grassland is an established method to restore species-rich grassland plant communities. However, it has rarely been investigated to which extent invertebrates can be transferred with hay during such operations, which was the aim of this study. METHODS: Sampling was conducted in eight sites of the Swiss lowlands with one donor meadow and two receiver sites each. On the receiver sites, three to four white bed sheets of one square meter each were deployed on the ground to receive a standard quantity of fresh hay just transferred from the donor meadow. All living invertebrates were collected from these sheets with an aspirator and subsequently identified to order level. RESULTS: On average (± SD), 9.2 ± 11.3 living invertebrates per square meter were transferred with the hay. Beetles were the most abundant species group, representing 46.9% of all transferred invertebrates, followed by true bugs (8.9%) and spiders (7.0%). More individuals were transferred when the donor meadow was mown with a hand motor bar mower than with a rotary disc mower. Similarly, more invertebrates were transferred when the hay was transported loosely with a forage wagon than compacted as bales. DISCUSSION: While this study demonstrates that living invertebrates can be transferred with the hay, their subsequent survival and establishment remains to be explored. IMPLICATIONS FOR INSECT CONSERVATION: We recommend using a hand motor bar mower and a forage wagon for increasing the survival probability of invertebrates in hay transfer.

Areas of high conservation value at risk by plant invaders in Georgia under climate change.

Invasive alien plants (IAP) are a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Understanding and anticipating invasions allow for more efficient management. In this regard, predicting potential invasion risks by IAPs is essential to support conservation planning into areas of high conservation value (AHCV) such as sites exhibiting exceptional botanical richness, assemblage of rare, and threatened and/or endemic plant species. Here, we identified AHCV in Georgia, a country showing high plant richness, and assessed the susceptibility of these areas to colonization by IAPs under present and future climatic conditions. We used actual protected areas and areas of high plant endemism (identified using occurrences of 114 Georgian endemic plant species) as proxies for AHCV. Then, we assessed present and future potential distribution of 27 IAPs using species distribution models under four climate change scenarios and stacked single-species potential distribution into a consensus map representing IAPs richness. We evaluated present and future invasion risks in AHCV using IAPs richness as a metric of susceptibility. We show that the actual protected areas cover only 9.4% of the areas of high plant endemism in Georgia. IAPs are presently located at lower elevations around the large urban centers and in western Georgia. We predict a shift of IAPs toward eastern Georgia and higher altitudes and an increased susceptibility of AHCV to IAPs under future climate change. Our study provides a good baseline for decision makers and stakeholders on where and how resources should be invested in the most efficient way to protect Georgia's high plant richness from IAPs.