Leaf litter legacy: Callery pear effects on arthropods in the duff

Native forest ecosystems are continuously replaced by invasive plant communities across the United States. Many aspects of these invasions are actively researched, but little is known about the impacts of invasive Callery pear incursions on these ecosystems. As a major invader in the suburban/forest interface with minimal regulation, this rapidly expanding pest warrants investigation in multiple areas. One facet of this work is an assessment of Callery pear leaf litter impact on arthropod assemblages. Samples were collected between spring 2020 and summer 2021 in SC, KY, and PA in both Callery pear-invaded and uninvaded stands. The variance in diversity and abundance of insects recovered from these samples will be discussed in this brief presentation, as well as mitigation strategies to ensure collaborative data are collected in a manner consistent with experimental designs.