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An exotic plant successfully invaded as a passenger driven by light availability.

ABSTRACT: Invasive exotic plant species (IEPs) are widely distributed across the globe, but whether IEPs are drivers or passengers of habitat change in the invaded spaces remains unclear. Here, we carried out a vegetation and soil survey in 2018 and two independent field experiments (Pedicularis kansuensis removal in 2014 and 2015, and fertilization experiment since 2012) and found that the invasive annual P. kansuensis was at a disadvantage in light competition compared with perennial native grasses, but the successful invasion of P. kansuensis was due to the sufficient light resources provided by the reduced coverage of the native species. Conversely, nitrogen enrichment can effectively inhibit P. kansuensis invasion by increasing the photocompetitive advantage of the native species. sP. kansuensis invasion did not reduce species richness, but did increase plant community coverage, productivity and soil nutrients. Furthermore, the removal of P. kansuensis had little effect on the plant community structure and soil properties. Our results suggest that the passenger model perfectly explains the benign invasive mechanism of P. kansuensis. The invasion "ticket" of P. kansuensis is a spare ecological niche for light resources released by overgrazing.

SUBMITTER: Liu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9767969 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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An exotic plant successfully invaded as a passenger driven by light availability.

Liu Yanyan Y Li Wenjun W Sui Xiaolin X Li Airong A Li Kaihui K Gong Yanming Y

Frontiers in plant science 20221207

Invasive exotic plant species (IEPs) are widely distributed across the globe, but whether IEPs are drivers or passengers of habitat change in the invaded spaces remains unclear. Here, we carried out a vegetation and soil survey in 2018 and two independent field experiments (<i>Pedicularis kansuensis</i> removal in 2014 and 2015, and fertilization experiment since 2012) and found that the invasive annual <i>P. kansuensis</i> was at a disadvantage in light competition compared with perennial nativ ...[more]

PMID: 36570959

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Project description:Ecosystem functions are heavily dependent on the functional composition of the plant community, i.e., the functional traits of plants forming the community. This, on the one hand, depends on plant occurrence, but on the other hand, depends on the intraspecific variability of functional traits of the species, which are influenced by climate and nutrient availability and affected by plant-plant interactions. To illustrate that, we studied the effects of drought and nitrogen addition (+ N), two important abiotic variables which are changing with ongoing global change, as well as their combined effect on the functional responses of grassland communities in semi-arid environments of Northern Africa comprising of natural and invasive species. We conducted an experiment where we planted three native species and one invasive plant species in artificial communities of five individuals per species per plot. We exposed these communities to four different treatments: a drought treatment, an N-addition treatment, the combination between drought and N-addition, as well as a control. To assess the performance of plants within treatments, we measured selected plant functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area [SLA], leaf dry matter content [LDMC], N content of the leaves [Nmass], specific root length [SRL], and root diameter) for all individuals occurring in our plots, and additionally assessed the above and belowground biomass for each plant individual. We found that the invasive species showed a higher performance (higher biomass accumulation, taller plants, higher SLA, Nmass, SRL, and root diameter as well as lower LDMC) than the native species under drought conditions. The invasive species was especially successful with the combined impact of drought + N, which is a likely scenario in ongoing global change for our research area. Thus, plant functional traits might be a key factor for the invasion success of plant species which will be even more pronounced under ongoing global change.

Project description:1. Though not often examined together, both plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) and functional traits have important influences on plant community dynamics and could interact. For example, seedling functional traits could impact seedling survivorship responses to soils cultured by conspecific versus heterospecific adults. Furthermore, levels of functional traits could vary with soil culturing source. In addition, these relationships might shift with light availability, which can affect trait values, microbe abundance, and whether mycorrhizal colonization is mutualistic or parasitic to seedlings. 2. To determine the extent to which functional traits mediate PSFs via seedling survival, we conducted a field experiment. We planted seedlings of four temperate tree species across a gradient of light availability and into soil cores collected beneath conspecific (sterilized and live) and heterospecific adults. We monitored seedling survival twice per week over one growing season, and we randomly selected subsets of seedlings to measure mycorrhizal colonization and phenolics, lignin, and NSC levels at three weeks. 3. Though evidence for PSFs was limited, Acer saccharum seedlings exhibited positive PSFs (i.e., higher survival in conspecific than heterospecific soils). In addition, soil microbes had a negative effect on A. saccharum and Prunus serotina seedling survival, with reduced survival in live versus sterilized conspecific soil. In general, we found higher trait values (measured amounts of a given trait) in conspecific than heterospecific soils and higher light availability. Additionally, A. saccharum survival increased with higher levels of phenolics, which were higher in conspecific soils and high light. Quercus alba survival decreased with higher AMF colonization. 4. We demonstrate that functional trait values in seedlings as young as three weeks vary in response to soil source and light availability. Moreover, seedling survivorship was associated with trait values for two species, despite both drought and heavy rainfall during the growing season that may have obscured survivorship-trait relationships. These results suggest that seedling traits could have an important role in mediating the effects of local soil source and light levels on seedling survivorship and thus plant traits could have an important role in PSFs.

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An exotic plant successfully invaded as a passenger driven by light availability.

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An exotic plant successfully invaded as a passenger driven by light availability.

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