Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi favor invasive Echinops sphaerocephalus when grown in competition with native Inula conyzae

Abstract

In a globalized world, plant invasions are common challenges for native ecosystems. Although a considerable number of invasive plants form arbuscular mycorrhizae, interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and invasive and native plants are not well understood. In this study, we conducted a greenhouse experiment examining how AM fungi affect interactions of co-occurring plant species in the family Asteracea, invasive Echinops sphaerocephalus and native forb of central Europe Inula conyzae. The effects of initial soil disturbance, including the effect of intact or disturbed arbuscular mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), were examined. AM fungi supported the success of invasive E. sphaerocephalus in competition with native I. conyzae, regardless of the initial disturbance of CMNs. The presence of invasive E. sphaerocephalus decreased mycorrhizal colonization in I. conyzae, with a concomitant loss in mycorrhizal benefits. Our results confirm AM fungi represent one important mechanism of plant invasion for E. sphaerocephalus in semi-natural European grasslands.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza can be disadvantageous for weedy annuals in competition with paired perennial plants

“…This agrees with our hypothesis that perennial plants will be more supported by mycorrhiza, and therefore have greater success in competition with the facultatively mycotrophic weedy annual plants and partially agrees with a review by Lin et al 24 . However, our findings are not similar to Callaway et al 19 or Řezáčová et al 29 , as these reported AM fungi supported weedy annuals (Centaurea melitensis or E. sphaerocephalus, respectively), when grown in competition with a perennial plant. Our current study agrees with Callaway et al 30 , in that the influence of AM symbiosis on competitive abilities of weedy or invasive plants are context-dependent and should not be generalized, highlighting the importance of assessing influences of AM fungi on specific plant species.…”

“…Contrary to our hypothesis, based on the ruderal nature of weedy annual plants, the single soil disturbance did not play a role in the performance of weedy annual plant E. annuus when grown in competition with perennial plant C. biennis, or C. canadensis when grown in competition with perennial S. jacobaea. In a previous study, a single soil disturbance did not influence performance of Inula conyzae, a native plant species when grown in competition with Echinops sphaerocephalus, a non-native invasive plant species common in Eastern Europe 29 , and the authors propose the lack of response to disturbance was likely due to a rapid recovery of CMNs following disturbance. We propose a similar rapid recovery of the CMNs occurred in our current study, and therefore, plants with intact CMNs were not at an advantage over plants with initially disturbed mycelium.…”

“…Cultivation pots and substrate. Similar to Řezáčová et al 29 , plants were grown in 2-L pots (11 × 11 × 20 cm, w × d × h) filled with a substrate comprised of 10:45:45 mixture of 10% γ-irradiated (> 25 kGy) Central European field soil from Litoměřice, Czechia (N50°31′54.53′′ E14°06′7.10′′), 45% autoclaved zeolite MPZ 1-25 from Zeopol (https:// www. zeoli ty.…”

Cotton waste‐derived biochar and compost improve early growth and AMF association in cotton

“…In our study, AMF inoculants were prepared from fresh soils taken from the same sites as the processed soils used to grow cotton. It was our intention to work only with native populations, as exotic species have occasionally been shown to be less beneficial to plant growth and less interfunctional with other native macro‐ and microflora (Klironomos, 2003; Koziol & Bever, 2017; Kouadio et al., 2017; Rezacova et al., 2020). Therefore, soil specific effects are to be expected, by design.…”

Does arbuscular mycorrhiza favor invasion of some Asteraceae tribes?

“…An important feature of Asteraceae, which often manifests itself alongside allelopathic effects, is the ability to form arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) (Bongard et al, 2013;Yuan et al, 2014;Li et al, 2016;Chagnon et al, 2019;Qin, Yu, 2019). For invasive species like Solidago canadensis (Astereae), Helianthus tuberosus (Heliantheae), and Echinops sphaerocephalus (Cardueae), it was shown that AM and CMN contribute to their distribution and introduction successes (Bongard et al, 2013;Dong et al, 2015, Awaydul et al, 2018, Řezáčová et al, 2020, Nacoon et al, 2021. Analysis of scientific literature has established four tribes (Anthemideae, Astereae, Cardueae and Senecioneae) that rely on AM in their distribution (Table 1, Fig.…”