Increased spatial dominance in high nitrogen, saturated soil due to clonal architecture plasticity of the invasive wetland plant, Phalaris arundinacea

Clonality as a plant growth strategy has been a successful adaptation contributing to clonal plants being the dominant vegetation in many ecosystems and has been implicated as a significant factor contributing to invasiveness. The objective of this study was to determine if Phalaris arundinacea, an invasive wetland plant, modifies its clonal growth behavior when grown in high resource conditions. When grown in ideal conditions (high soil-N and moisture), we hypothesized that along with an increase in tiller production and robustness (biomass per tiller), P. arundinacea would increase the spatial spread of tiller placement (distance from parent and daughters). To test this we conducted a greenhouse study in which we grew P. arundinacea seedlings under two soil-N levels (no nitrate addition or 40 g N m^?2 year^?1) at two soil moisture levels (dry or saturated) for 10 weeks and recorded the placement (angle and distance from the parent plant) of each tiller produced. Total aboveground and belowground biomass, shoot/root ratio, and biomass per tiller were measured at the conclusion of the experiment. Plants grown in saturated conditions produced significantly more tillers that were more widely dispersed. Surprisingly, soil-N did not significantly affect most characteristics of spatial pattern, though soil-N did affect biomass production, shoot/root ratio, and biomass per tiller. These results indicate soil moisture and soil-N affect different aspects of the clonal growth behavior of P. arundinacea in the early stage of colonization. This new information provides a mechanism to explain how P. arundinacea aggressively competes for space in wetland habitats.     

Phosphorus,arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and performance of the wetland plant Lythrum salicaria L. under inundated conditions

The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in aquatic and semi-aquatic environments is poorly understood, although they may play a significant role in the establishment and maintenance of wetland plant communities. We tested the hypothesis that AM fungi have little effect on plant response to phosphorus (P) supply in inundated soils as evidenced by an absence of increased plant performance in inoculated (AM+) versus non-inoculated (AM-) Lythrum salicaria plants grown under a range of P availabilities (0-40 mg/l P). We also assessed the relationship between P supply and levels of AM colonization under inundated conditions. The presence of AM fungi had no detectable benefit for any measures of plant performance (total shoot height, shoot dry weight, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, total root length or total root surface area). AM+ plants displayed reduced shoot height at 10 mg/l P. Overall, shoot fresh to dry weight ratios were higher in AM+ plants although the biological significance of this was not determined. AM colonization levels were significantly reduced at P concentrations of 5 mg/l and higher. The results support the hypothesis that AM fungi have little effect on plant response to P supply in inundated conditions and suggest that the AM association can become uncoupled at relatively high levels of P supply.     

Genetic and Environmental Controls on the Establishment of the Invasive Grass, Phalaris arundinacea

Whether an exotic species becomes integrated into a community or aggressively takes it over depends upon many interacting factors. Using contextual analyses, we combined genetic data about an invasive plant with information about the neighboring species, the community, and the environment to determine what factors enable a genotype or species to invade. We transplanted 50 individuals of each of three clones of the invasive grass Phalaris arundinacea, reed canary grass, into 150 random locations within a Vermont pasture. For each individual, we recorded clonal identity, neighbor identity, community indices (species richness and species diversity), and an environmental variable (soil moisture). The response variables were survivorship, above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass and the ratio of above- to below-ground biomass. Clonal identity affected both survivorship and below-ground biomass. The fastest tillering clone had poor survivorship but survivors produced a large amount of below-ground biomass, making this clone more likely to successfully overwinter. Neighbor species affected above- and below-ground biomass. Reed canary grass produced more above- and below-ground biomass when Anthoxanthum odoratum, a common pasture grass species, was abundant. Community attributes also influenced growth. Although we expected diverse plots to repel the invasion, plants in the more diverse plots had higher amounts of below-ground biomass. Finally, environmental effects also influenced growth. Reed canary grass produced more above-ground biomass in wetter plots, confirming that it does well under wet conditions.     

Flooding greatly affects the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities in the roots of wetland plants

The communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonizing the roots of three mangrove species were characterized along a tidal gradient in a mangrove swamp. A fragment, designated SSU-ITS-LSU, including part of the small subunit (SSU), the entire internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and part of the large subunit (LSU) of rDNA from samples of AMF-colonized roots was amplified, cloned and sequenced using AMF-specific primers. Similar levels of AMF diversity to those observed in terrestrial ecosystems were detected in the roots, indicating that the communities of AMF in wetland ecosystems are not necessarily low in diversity. In total, 761 Glomeromycota sequences were obtained, which grouped, according to phylogenetic analysis using the SSU-ITS-LSU fragment, into 23 phylotypes, 22 of which belonged to Glomeraceae and one to Acaulosporaceae. The results indicate that flooding plays an important role in AMF diversity, and its effects appear to depend on the degree (duration) of flooding. Both host species and tide level affected community structure of AMF, indicating the presence of habitat and host species preferences.     

Resident plant diversity and introduced earthworms have contrasting effects on the success of invasive plants

Theoretical predictions and empirical studies suggest that resident species diversity is an important driver of community invasibility. Through trait-based processes, plants in communities with high resident species diversity occupy a wider range of ecological niches and are more productive than low diversity communities, potentially reducing the opportunities for invasion through niche preemption. In terrestrial plant communities, biotic ecosystem engineers such as earthworms can also affect invasibility by reducing leaf litter stocks and influencing soil conditions. In a greenhouse experiment, we simultaneously manipulated resident species diversity and earthworm presence to investigate independent and interactive effects of these two variables on the success of several invasive plants. Higher diversity of resident species was associated with lower biomass of invasives, with the effect mediated through resident species biomass. The presence of earthworms had a strong positive effect on the biomass of invasive species across all levels of resident species diversity and a weaker indirect negative effect via decreased soil moisture. Earthworms also weakened the positive correlation between resident species diversity and productivity. We did not observe any interactive effects of resident species biomass and earthworms on invasive species success. Partitioning the net biodiversity effect indicated that selection effects increased with resident species diversity whereas complementarity effects did not. Results suggest that managing for diverse forest communities may decrease the susceptibility of these communities to invasions. However, the presence of introduced earthworms in previously earthworm-free sites may undermine these efforts. Furthermore, future studies of plant community invasibility should account for the effects of introduced earthworms.     

Influence of Phenol and Phenanthrene on the Growth of Phalaris arundinacea and Phragmites australis

In constructed wetlands for the treatment of industrial effluents and in contaminated waterlogged soils, wetland plants (helophytes) are exposed to toxic chemicals. Hence, the plants' resistance to contaminants is an important prerequisite for applying phytoremediation to solve these environmental problems. For toxicity tests on the germination and growth of various helophytes (Phalaris arundinaceae and Phragmites australis), phenol, phenanthrene, and a mixture of both were used as examples of chemicals from the petrol- and coal-processing industries. The germination rate, shoot length, root length, and influence on leaves, young shoots, and dry weight were studied. Although an increase in contaminant concentration decreased plant growth (dry weight, shoot length); interestingly, the number of young shoots rose. Low contaminant concentration (about 50 mg/l in case of phenol) stimulated the plant growth. The cress seed germination test was less susceptible compared with plantlet exposure in the case of phenol and phenanthrene. Due to its low bioavailability, solid phenanthrene (without solutizer) did not significantly affect plant growth.     

Pollination and reproduction enhance the invasive potential of an early invader: the case of Lythrum salicaria (purple loosetrife) in South Africa

The potential of an alien plant to spread rapidly and colonize new habitat may be related to the mode of reproduction and the ability to attract pollinators. Most studies focus on widespread invasive plants, in which pollinators are rarely limiting. Here, we assess the ability of a recent invader in South Africa, the tristylous Lythrum salicaria to self-reproduce and whether this can explain the delay between introduction and spread. This study was conducted in one of the largest known populations (a total of 7 populations in South Africa) of L. salicaria in the Liesbeek river in the fynbos biome. We assessed the importance of pollinators and autonomous selfing in L. salicaria by comparing seed set between pollinator excluded and naturally pollinated flowers. Overall, 5 pollinators (4 native and 1 alien) were recorded with Cape honeybees and Africa Monarch butterflies the most prominent. Seed and fruit set were significantly higher in open pollinated flowers compared to pollinator excluded flowers. Also, seed and fruit set in pollinator excluded flowers were higher in long and medium morphs compared to short morphs. Germination was high for seeds from pollinator, but also from pollinator excluded treatments. This shows that L. salicaria in South Africa is self-compatible to some extent, but it is frequented by pollinators, significantly increasing seed production. Despite L. salicaria being tristylous, all 3 morphs are present in South Africa and with a huge seed production, this species has the potential to become a major invader of rivers and wetlands in South Africa.

     

Habitat and Population Effects on the Germination and Early Survival of the Invasive Weed, Lythrum salicaria L. (purple loosestrife)

In this study, we examined how environmental factors and differences among populations of Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae; purple loosestrife) influenced the establishment of this species into both its preferred wetland habitat and secondary upland habitat. Seeds and seedlings from five parents from each of the three populations were planted in each wetland and upland of two sites in both disturbed and undisturbed plots. More seeds germinated in wetland than in upland sites (31% as compared to 11%) and, although a disturbance resulted in greater germination (23% as compared to 17% in undisturbed plots), there was no interaction with habitats. The results of a simultaneous greenhouse germination study in which seeds were planted under saturated and drained conditions suggest that the higher germination observed in wetland sites was due to the higher moisture present at such sites (79% vs. 45% in saturated and drained conditions, respectively). Disturbance enhanced both germination and growth of L. salicaria and this was especially so for seedlings. Dry weights of seedlings from disturbed plots were five times greater than those from undisturbed plots ( =9.2 vs. 1.8g in disturbed and undisturbed conditions, respectively). In addition to environmental factors, population differences are likely to play an important role in the spread of L. salicaria as we found differences between the populations in both life stages examined. One of the populations germinated equally well in both moisture treatments. In our seedling establishment experiment, one of the populations produced both the smallest plants and the most and earliest flowers, suggesting superior reproduction.     

Effect of a Light-break on the Growth and Development of Epilobium hirsutum and Lythrum salicaria in Short Photoperiods

Plants of Epilobium hirsutumand Lythrum salicaria were grownin light for 9 h per day with the following adjustments of lightand dark periods. (a) Photoperiod of 9 h and an uninterrupteddark period of 15 h, (b) photoperiod of 8 h and 1 h of lightof the same intensity in the middle of the dark period. Plants of both the species receiving the 9 h continuous photoperiodremained dwarfed in habit. In the 8 + 1 h light-break treatment,Epilobium showed no response but Lythrum responded by a completedevelopmental shift from a short-day to a long-day form. Leafexpansion, stem elongation, dry matter production and flowerinitiation were promoted. In Epilobium, the pattern of total dry weight distribution toleaves, stem and roots remained similar in the two treatmentsbut in Lythrum light-break treatment caused more dry matterto be diverted to stems at the expense of leaves. These changesin morphogenetic pattern of differentiation were accompaniedby physiological changes as the chlorophyll content and therespiration rates were also higher.     

Contrasting the effects of environment,dispersal and biotic interactions to explain the distribution of invasive plants in alpine communities

Despite considerable efforts devoted to investigate the community assembly processes driving plant invasions, few general conclusions have been drawn so far. Three main processes, generally acting as successive filters, are thought to be of prime importance. The invader has to disperse (1st filter) into a suitable environment (2nd filter) and succeed in establishing in recipient communities through competitive interactions (3rd filter) using two strategies: competition avoidance by the use of different resources (resource opportunity), or competitive exclusion of native species. Surprisingly, despite the general consensus on the importance of investigating these three processes and their interplay, they are usually studied independently. Here we aim to analyse these three filters together, by including them all: abiotic environment, dispersal and biotic interactions, into models of invasive species distributions. We first propose a suite of indices (based on species functional dissimilarities) supposed to reflect the two competitive strategies (resource opportunity and competition exclusion). Then, we use a set of generalised linear models to explain the distribution of seven herbaceous invaders in natural communities (using a large vegetation database for the French Alps containing 5,000 community-plots). Finally, we measure the relative importance of competitive interaction indices, identify the type of coexistence mechanism involved and how this varies along environmental gradients. Adding competition indices significantly improved model’s performance, but neither resource opportunity nor competitive exclusion were common strategies among the seven species. Overall, we show that combining environmental, dispersal and biotic information to model invasions has excellent potential for improving our understanding of invader success.     

The influence of some environmental factors on the production of Carex vesicaria and Phalaris arundinacea

The study deals with the annual cycles of biomass, productivity and necrosis of the perennial wetland species Carex vesicaria and Phalaris arundinacea, and with the main growth parameters during the first part of 1979. The amplitudes of biomass variation differ, but other features of the development are largely the same. To detect the various climatic factors which determine the above-ground biomass dynamics, a procedure of multiple stepwise regression has been used. Regressions for annual trend and variation in production were obtained. They provide coarse models, which may be improved by including translocation to belowground organs.Nomenclature follows P. Fournier (1977): Les quatres flores de France. Paris.     

Ecological effects of low-level phosphorus additions on two plant communities in a neotropical freshwater wetland ecosystem

We conducted a low-level phosphorus (P) enrichment study in two oligotrophic freshwater wetland communities (wet prairies [WP] and sawgrass marsh [SAW]) of the neotropical Florida Everglades. The experiment included three P addition levels (0, 3.33, and 33.3 mg P m^–2 month^–1), added over 2 years, and used in situ mesocosms located in northeastern Everglades National Park, Fla., USA. The calcareous periphyton mat in both communities degraded quickly and was replaced by green algae. In the WP community, we observed significant increases in net aboveground primary production (NAPP) and belowground biomass. Aboveground live standing crop (ALSC) did not show a treatment effect, though, because stem turnover rates of Eleocharis spp., the dominant emergent macrophyte in this community, increased significantly. Eleocharis spp. leaf tissue P content decreased with P additions, causing higher C:P and N:P ratios in enriched versus unenriched plots. In the SAW community, NAPP, ALSC, and belowground biomass all increased significantly in response to P additions. Cladium jamaicense leaf turnover rates and tissue nutrient content did not show treatment effects. The two oligotrophic communities responded differentially to P enrichment. Periphyton which was more abundant in the WP community, appeared to act as a P buffer that delayed the response of other ecosystem components until after the periphyton mat had disappeared. Periphyton played a smaller role in controlling ecosystem dynamics and community structure in the SAW community. Our data suggested a reduced reliance on internal stores of P by emergent macrophytes in the WP that were exposed to P enrichment. Eleocharis spp. rapidly recycled P through more rapid aboveground turnover. In contrast, C. jamaicense stored added P by initially investing in belowground biomass, then shifting growth allocation to aboveground tissue without increasing leaf turnover rates. Our results suggest that calcareous wetland systems throughout the Caribbean, and oligotrophic ecosystems in general, respond rapidly to low-level additions of their limiting nutrient.     

茶园间作不同绿肥对节肢动物群落结构和多样性的影响

【目的】研究在茶园中合理间作绿肥对茶园节肢动物群落结构和多样性的影响。【方法】本文在茶园中分别设间作铺地木兰+罗顿豆、圆叶决明+白三叶、白三叶+平托花生3种不同绿肥组合处理,并设不间作绿肥、常规除草的茶园为对照。【结果】间作不同绿肥均能提高茶园节肢动物群落的物种丰富度和群落多样性,提高茶园捕食性天敌昆虫、蜘蛛和寄生性天敌在茶园冠层群落的比率;不同处理茶园冠层节肢动物Shannon-wiener多样性指数(H)、Simpson指数(D)和均匀度指数变化趋势基本一致;茶冠层的节肢动物群落多样性指数在4类不同处理茶园间差异显著;间作绿肥增加了茶园的生物多样性,4类不同处理茶园茶冠层群落相似性系数在0.741~0.892之间,表明4类不同处理茶园冠层群落在物种组成上有较高的相似性。4类不同处理茶园害虫与天敌两类群功能团的丰盛度之间成显著的正相关,表明天敌对害虫的空间数量跟随效应强,主要表现为二者数量间的相互作用。灰色关联度分析表明在4类不同处理茶园中的群落节肢动物物种数/个体数、天敌物种数/害虫物种数、害虫丰富度与多样性指数和均匀度指数的关联系数较高,反应了群落的多样性和稳定性。【结论】间作增强了茶园群落的生物多样性,提高害虫天敌的种类和个体数,有利有效发挥天敌对有害生物的生态控制。     

The effects of breaking or bending the stems of two rhizomatous plants, Phragmites australis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus, on their communities

To understand the effects of disturbance on vegetation, bending and cutting experiments were conducted on two rhizomatous plant species, Phragmites australis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus, in a floodplain area of the Arakawa River, Japan. The plants were damaged in the late development growth stage on 3 August 2004 (August disturbance) and in the middle development growth stage on 29 June 2005 (June disturbance). The severity of the damage was evaluated based on shoot morphology and belowground biomass. The recoveries of the two plants from the flood-like artificial disturbance were compared with undisturbed stands. The morphological response of the shoot was higher after the June disturbance than after the August disturbance in both plants. In contrast, the recovery of belowground biomass in P. australis at the end of the growth season was higher after the August disturbance (87 and 72% for bending and cutting, respectively) compared with the June disturbance (84 and 60% for the same). The recoveries in M. sacchariflorus for the two disturbances showed the opposite trend (73 and 59% for bending and cutting, respectively, after the August disturbance, and 90 and 73% after the same disturbance in June). The study demonstrated that an event like flooding, whether it is breaking or bending, will cause greater damage if it occurs at the late development growth stage in M. sacchariflorus compared with the middle development growth stage. In contrast, P. australis tolerated disturbances up to a certain magnitude; after that, the effect was more severe in the middle development growth stage compared with late development growth stage.     

Contrasting effects of an invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on two temperate stream communities

1. The effects of omnivorous exotic species on native communities are often difficult to predict because of the broad diets and behavioural flexibility of the omnivore, and the diverse abiotic and biotic characteristics of invaded systems. We investigated experimentally the effects of a gradient of density of the introduced, omnivorous red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Decapoda: Cambaridae) on two stream communities in southern California, U.S.A. 2. The Ventura River is a clear, flowing stream with a cobble substratum, with abundant algae but low densities of large invertebrates, small herbivores and snails. The Santa Ynez River at the time of the study consisted of a series of drying pools underlain by sand, with abundant charophytes, large predatory invertebrates and herbivores, including snails. 3. In the Ventura River, periphyton biomass and inorganic sediment decreased with increasing crayfish abundance, but in the Santa Ynez River, periphyton and sediment were unrelated to crayfish densities. 4. In the Ventura River, the biomass and density of all benthic invertebrates combined, chironomids, micropredators, the meiofauna (chydorid cladocerans, copepods and ostracods), and specific predatory and herbivorous taxa, as well as taxon richness, were negatively related to crayfish density. In the Santa Ynez River, the biomass and average body size of benthic invertebrates, predatory invertebrates, herbivores and chironomids, but not total invertebrate density or taxon richness, were negatively related to crayfish density. 5. Fewer large predatory invertebrates and snails (Physella gyrina) in both streams, and baetid mayflies in the Ventura River, were visible at night in channels where crayfish were abundant. Snails responded to crayfish by moving above the water line in the Santa Ynez River, but not in the Ventura River. 6. We suggest that the same omnivore had different effects on these neighbouring streams because of crayfish predation on large invertebrates in the Santa Ynez River and the scarcity of such prey in the Ventura River, leading to increased crayfish grazing on periphyton, and reductions in periphyton‐associated invertebrates, in the Ventura River.     

Impact of invasive plants in Mediterranean habitats: disentangling the effects of characteristics of invaders and recipient communities

While the effects of an invasive alien plant that has become dominant in a community may seem obvious, there are few studies that attempt to understand how impacts vary according to the characteristics of invaders and recipient communities. For this purpose, the vegetation of invaded and non-invaded plots was sampled for eight different invasive species in a variety of habitats within the French continental Mediterranean region. Most of the observed impact variation was species-specific, with greater effects on community-level metrics found for Carpobrotus spp. and Reynoutria × bohemica and lower effects for Amorpha fruticosa, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Phyla filiformis. Some trends were consistent with competition-driven processes, with higher impact found in the presence of rhizomatous and creeping perennial invasive species compared to annuals, or in habitats with sparse vegetation. The importance of community characteristics such as the cover of the invasive plant or the differences in cover between the invader and the native dominant species confirmed previous results obtained in Central Europe. Therefore, such variables, easy to measure and with a generic value, could be profitably integrated into risk assessment methods to improve the prediction of the most threatened habitats. Beyond the overall decline in species diversity, the presence of some invasive species was associated with significant changes in species composition, with a filtering toward more shade-tolerant and nitrophilous ruderal species. Managers should consider replacement of resident species by species with different ecological preferences together with simple community-level metrics, to decide whether management is justified.     

Urbanisation effects on the functional diversity of avian agricultural communities

Urbanisation is affecting ecological communities worldwide. Despite the disproportionate impact on farmland over other habitats, the effect on farmland bird communities has been poorly studied. Considering the still-alarming conservation status of farmland birds, investigations into the effects of pressures such as urbanisation on those communities could be of great interest for their conservation. We studied the urbanisation effects on functional diversity using existing indices designed for the purpose of standardisation. This study uses a functional character measuring species habitat specialisation for indices calculation. A bird survey was conducted on 92 plots of 1 × 1 km chosen after stratification on the proportion of urban area and farmland habitat (either 0, 25, 50, 75%), with the focus on farmland habitat. Two aspects of urbanisation were studied: the intensity and the age of the urbanisation. Functional richness was found to decrease with urbanisation, while functional evenness and divergence increased in a nonlinear way. No significant difference was observed in functional richness and evenness with urbanisation age, however extreme ages of urbanisation (young and old) showed higher niche differentiation concerning specialisation. This implies less important resource competition for species and a more vulnerable state for the ecosystem. Using functional diversity indices based on specialisation allows a better insight in the consequences of urbanisation on diversity/ecosystem–community functioning, which is of crucial importance in the face of global changes.