Aliens Disrupting Our Ecosystems

Christine Sheppard, a researcher at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (Boku), is leading studies on the ecological consequences of invasive plant species. She explains that these invasions disrupt native plant and animal communities, displace local species, and alter food webs within ecosystems like meadows and forests.

One of Sheppard's current projects investigates the combined effects of climate change and herbivore behavior on invasions in semi-arid grasslands. The experiments utilize local herbivores such as caterpillars and house snails, rather than generalist feeders like slugs, to observe their responses to newly introduced plant species compared to native ones.

Sheppard's research, which began during her master's and PhD studies, focuses on the short and long-term dynamics of plant diversity. She highlights that alongside climate change, human activities like global travel, trade, and the ornamental planting of non-native species significantly contribute to the spread of invasive plants.

Previously, Sheppard's team conducted experiments at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, examining how pollinators interact with invasive species. They compared Drüsige Springkraut, an invasive plant spreading rapidly across Central Europe, with native plants in both experimental gardens and field locations. The team is now planning large-scale field tests at a Boku experimental farm near Groß-Enzersdorf.