Invasion of a Legume Ecosystem Engineer in a Cold Biome Alters Plant Biodiversity.

ABSTRACT: Plant ecosystem engineers are widely used to combat land degradation. However, the ability of those plants to modulate limiting abiotic and biotic resources of other species can cause damage to ecosystems in which they become invasive. Here, we use Lupinus nootkatensis as example to estimate and project the hazardous potential of nitrogen fixing herbaceous plants in a sub-polar oceanic climate. L. nootkatensis was introduced to Iceland in the 1940s to address erosion problems and foster reforestation, but subsequently became a high-latitude invader. In a local field survey, we quantified the impact of L. nootkatensis invasion at three different cover levels (0, 10-50, and 51-100%) upon native plant diversity, richness, and community composition of heath-, wood-, and gr

SUBMITTER: Vetter VMS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5996276 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature