Slow recovery of stream invertebrates on subantarctic Macquarie Island after eradication of introduced rabbits and regrowth of vegetation

Stream invertebrate communities on subantarctic Macquarie Island showed slow recovery following the eradication of invasive rabbits and subsequent vegetation regrowth, with taxon richness and composition remaining largely unchanged a decade after rabbit removal. Initial sampling in 1992 recorded an average of 11.6 taxa per site, but this declined to 7.4–8.4 taxa during peak rabbit grazing (2000–2011). Despite substantial vegetation recovery by 2016, resampling revealed minimal improvement in invertebrate diversity and structure, suggesting limited refuges hindered rebound. The study, which resampled 13 of the original 15 sites using kick sampling, found that climate and water quality changes did not significantly influence recovery. These findings imply that stream ecosystems may require decades to recover from severe anthropogenic disturbances.

Marchant, R., Kefford, B. J., Houghton, M., Wasley, J., & King, C. K. (2023). Slow recovery of stream invertebrates on subantarctic Macquarie Island after eradication of introduced rabbits and regrowth of vegetation. Marine and Freshwater Research, 74(13), 1171–1177. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf23009