Wetlands provide essential habitat for shorebirds, songbirds, and waterfowl. Invasive species can disrupt trophic interactions within wetlands by altering the arthropod assemblages on which birds rely. An invasive grass species, Phragmites australis (common reed), has invaded wetlands across North America, including those surrounding the Great Salt Lake, Utah, U.S.A. Phragmites outcompetes native vegetation and alters habitat for resident and migratory birds, yet how Phragmites affects arthropod assemblages is unclear. To address these knowledge gaps, this study investigated how arthropod assemblages differ between native and invasive vegetation in Great Salt Lake wetlands. We examined the arthropod assemblages found within three native habitats as well as in Phragmites-invaded areas. There were few differences in arthropod assemblages between Phragmites and two native habitats (hardstem bulrush, Schoenoplectus acutus and alkali bulrush, Bolboschoenus maritimus). Arthropod assemblages differed between Phragmites and the native Salicornia rubra (pickleweed), which differed markedly from the other plant species in structure, biomass, and related site conditions. Identifying how arthropods interact with Phragmites and native vegetation is critical to recognizing how to effectively manage wetlands for bird habitat. By gaining an understanding of these relationships, arthropod biomass, abundance, diversity, and assemblage composition could serve as assessment metrics for determining wetland management success.

湿地为水鸟，鸣鸟和水禽提供了重要的栖息地。外来入侵物种可以通过改变鸟类所依赖的节肢动物组合来破坏湿地内的营养相互作用。入侵性草种芦苇（普通芦苇）已经入侵了整个北美的湿地，包括美国犹他州大盐湖周围的湿地。芦苇的竞争能力超过了本地植被，改变了常住和候鸟的栖息地，但是芦苇如何影响节肢动物的组装尚不清楚。为了解决这些知识鸿沟，本研究调查了大盐湖湿地的节肢动物组合在原生植被和入侵植被之间的差异。我们检查了在三个原生栖息地以及芦苇入侵地区发现的节肢动物群。芦苇与两个原生生境（硬茎芦苇，Schoenoplectus acutus和碱性芦苇，Bolboschoenus maritimus）之间的节肢动物组合几乎没有差异。芦苇和原生柳柳之间的节肢动物组合不同（杂草），其在结构，生物量和相关的立地条件上与其他植物种类显着不同。识别节肢动物如何与芦苇和原生植物相互作用是识别如何有效管理湿地以供鸟类栖息地的关键。通过了解这些关系，节肢动物的生物量，丰度，多样性和组合组成可以作为评估湿地管理成功的评估指标。