| Plants have been introduced to the United States for hundreds of years and are hypothesized to negatively impact native herbivorous insects. I tested this hypothesis by conducting a 2-year experiment in which native insect biomass production, native insect diversity, and native insect species richness was determined for native and non-native plants. A plot containing 45 species of woody plants with ten replicates each was set up in White Clay Creek state park for the purpose of this study. The plants consisted of 15 native species (Natives), 15 non-native species, which were congeners of the natives (Non-native Congeners), and 15 non-native species that did not have a native congener present in the United States (Aliens). Herbivorous insects were sampled three times during the summer of 2004 and 2005, identified, and weighed.; In 2004, I found a difference in insect biomass per plant biomass production among the three groupings; Native, Non-native Congener, and Alien, but was unable to determine differences between the groups. In 2005 again there were differences among the three groupings and this time I could determine differences between the groupings. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
