Effects of invasive plant management on urban plant-pollinator interactions

To restore a damaged ecosystem, one of the first steps is to remove alien invasive plants. These plants come
from elsewhere in the world and can deeply alter the native plant community in their new environments. These
changes can in turn affect insect pollinators, like bees, who depend on plants for food. In naturalized or agricultural
environments, removing invasive plants can increase the biodiversity and quantity of pollinators living in restored
ecosystems. But in cities, where ecosystems are completely different from those that exist in nature, non-native
plants may be providing pollinators with important food resources. Our project will examine the effects of removing
the invasive Canada thistle Cirsium arvense on urban pollinators at The Meadoway, an ecosystem restoration
project managed by the TRCA in Scarborough, ON. With this information, restoration practitioners will be able to
design a thistle management plan that minimizes the harm caused by this invasive plant while maximizing potential
benefits to The Meadoway’s pollinators.

Faculty Supervisor:

J. Scott MacIvor

Student:

Partner:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (Vaughan, ON)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

University of Toronto

Program: