The effects of plant invasions on native communities are well-studied, but our knowledge of soil biodiversity remains quite limited. This is especially true for certain taxa of soil arthropods, such as myriapods (Myriapoda), which are a species-rich group playing diverse roles in the soil food web. Among them are predators and plant- and detritus-feeding organisms.

In a recently published study in the D1-ranked journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, researchers of the Institute for Soil Sciences investigated how plant invasion influences the taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as the composition, of centipede (Chilopoda) and millipede (Diplopoda) assemblages in a protected urban meadow. As a model species, they used the Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), a North American invasive plant that is aggressively spreading across Europe and Asia.

The results showed that the dominance of goldenrod primarily affected detritivores, particularly millipedes, which have a more direct relationship with plants. They were present in higher diversity and abundance in invaded plots. In addition to seasonal differences, their community composition differed significantly -both taxonomically and functionally- from that of control plots with natural vegetation. In contrast, centipede assemblages in this study were only influenced by soil moisture.

These findings suggest that the impact of plant invasion depends on the trophic role in the soil food web, and may even be beneficial to certain groups. This is likely part of the positive plant-soil feedback mechanism, which plays a key role in the successful establishment of invasive plants.

https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12802