How Himalayan blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) affect the biodiversity of native plant species

Biodiversity is important as many organisms play important roles in the fight against climate change. As well it is essential to humans for food, shelter, medicine, and resources etc. British Columbia is known to be Canada’s most biologically diverse province however, invasive species have become a problem for biodiversity worldwide. They have adapted to out-compete and overcome native species. The Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) is an example of an invasive species which is found in the southwest of B.C. This prompts the question of: What negative effects does the Himalayan Blackberry have on the biodiversity of the surrounding native plants? One hypothesis is the Himalayan Blackberries are responsible for a decrease in the diversity of the surrounding plants. This would suggest that if there is a direct effect on the surrounding species, there will be an increase in biodiversity, moving further from the blackberry bush, and when compared to a native salmonberry, there would be significantly different trends in the data. The total number of species and stems in 2x2m quadrats, 0-5m from the blackberry bushes will be used to measure biodiversity and compared to those along a transect, 25-30m away from any blackberry bushes. To account for a natural change in biodiversity, being that most blackberry bushes grow on ecological edges, the data will be compared to salmonberry bushes. If the results support the hypothesis, it suggests that Himalayan Blackberries are linked to biodiversity depletion in British Columbia and should be cause for concern. Poster submission was sponsored by Michael Silvergieter, (Instructor, Science and Technology Department) for course EAES 2537 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 11, 2024, for Student Research Days 2024.