Soil nutrients and variation in biomass rather than native species richness influence introduced plant richness in a semi-arid grassland |
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| Institution: | 1. CAS Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China;2. CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Urumqi 830011, China;3. Bayinbuluk Grassland Ecosystem Research Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bayinbuluk 841314, China;4. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;5. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China;1. School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa;2. Department of Botany, Rhodes University, Lucas Avenue, Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa;3. Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, 44242, OH, USA;4. Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe;5. Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa;1. Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria;2. Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada;3. Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria;4. Food Security and Safety Niche, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Mail Bag X2046, Mmabatho, South Africa;5. Department of Pharmacognosy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, Nigeria;1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China;2. Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China;3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China;4. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China;5. Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410500, Israel;6. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China;1. Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;2. Engineering Research Centre of Forestry Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China;3. Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China |
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| Abstract: | Several different hypotheses account for the success of introduced species in new environments. Experimental studies show a negative native-exotic richness relationship (NERR), while observational studies suggest that this relationship is usually positive. Increased resource availability and environmental variation can also enable introduced species to establish in new environments. We conducted an observational study in a semi-arid grassland in the Thompson-Nicola District of British Columbia to examine the biotic and abiotic factors that account for variation in introduced and native species richness.In each of 12 sites, an 8 × 8 m area was set up, containing 64, 1-m2 plots. We identified and categorized plant species in each site into introduced and native species. We tested the relationship between introduced species richness and native species richness at the 1-m2 sampling grain and at sampling grains up to 64 m2. We also analysed the relationship between native and introduced species, and within-plot biomass, and between native and introduced species and variation in biomass. For a representative subset of four sites, we tested the relationship between introduced and native species richness and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.We found no NERR at the 1 m2 sampling grain, nor for the other sampling grains up to 64 m2. Introduced species richness increased with phosphorus and nitrogen availability, and was also positively related to biomass heterogeneity.Our results indicate that introduced species richness in these grasslands is likely influenced by phosphorus and nitrogen, and by variation in vegetation biomass, but not by native species. More non-native plants are likely to occupy nutrient-rich plots compared to nutrient-poor plots in these grasslands. Variation in biomass can leave gaps for the establishment of introduced species. These results should inform management considerations for the control of invasive species to optimize preservation of grasslands. |
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