Effects of the invader Solidago canadensis on soil properties

Sardans

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

The increasing success of invasive plant species in wetland areas can threaten their capacity to store carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C, N, and P). Here, we have investigated the relationships between the different stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), and total C, N, and P pools in the plant–soil system from eight different wetland areas across the South‐East coast of China, where the invasive tallgrass Spartina alterniflora has replaced the native tall grasses Phragmites australis and the mangrove communities, originally dominated by the native species Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina. The invasive success of Spartina alterniflora replacing Phragmites australis did not greatly influence soil traits, biomass accumulation or plant–soil C and N storing capacity. However, the resulting higher ability to store P in both soil and standing plant biomass (approximately more than 70 and 15 kg P by ha, respectively) in the invasive than in the native tall grass communities suggesting the possibility of a decrease in the ecosystem N:P ratio with future consequences to below‐ and aboveground trophic chains. The results also showed that a future advance in the native mangrove replacement by Spartina alterniflora could constitute a serious environmental problem. This includes enrichment of sand in the soil, with the consequent loss of nutrient retention capacity, as well as a sharp decrease in the stocks of C (2.6 and 2.2 t C ha‐1 in soil and stand biomass, respectively), N, and P in the plant–soil system. This should be associated with a worsening of the water quality by aggravating potential eutrophication processes. Moreover, the loss of carbon and nutrient decreases the potential overall fertility of the system, strongly hampering the reestablishment of woody mangrove communities in the future.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

The response of stocks of C, N, and P to plant invasion in the coastal wetlands of China

Sardans

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

“…Chapuis-Lardy et al (2006) and Koutika et al (2007) found that S. gigantea enhanced soil respiration, C mineralization, and alkaline and acid phosphomonoesterase activities in comparison to native vegetation. Similar results were reported by Zhang et al (2009a) for other species of the Solidago genus; S. canadensis invasion increased soil microbial biomass, basal and substrate-induced respiration, and functional diversity of microbial communities. On the other hand, Herr et al (2007) pointed out that microbial biomass P and acid phosphomonoesterase activity did not change due to S. gigantea infestation, while alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity declined considerably.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Plant invasions considerably reduce the diversity and abundance, or change the composition of aboveground and belowground communities, including soil microbial communities (Belnap and Phillips 2001;Yeates and Williams 2001;Broz et al 2007; Kappes et al 2007;Hejda et al 2009;Moroń et al 2009;Aguilera et al 2010;Lenda et al 2013). Indeed, invasive plants can change the composition or abundance of complex microbial communities and particular microbial groups, such as saprotrophic, mycorrhizal or pathogenic fungi, or ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Kourtev et al 2002;Hawkes et al 2005;Batten et al 2006;Broz et al 2007;Niu et al 2007;Zhang et al 2009aZhang et al , 2009bMincheva et al 2014;Majewska et al 2015). Crucial ecosystem processes, for example, organic matter decomposition and mineralization or nitrogen fixation, are also modified by invaders (Rice et al 2004;Hawkes et al 2005;Liao et al 2008;Tharayil et al 2013;Mincheva et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-specific effects of plant invasions on activity, biomass, and composition of soil microbial communities

et al. 2016

This study assessed the effects of Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata, and Solidago gigantea invading sites within and outside river valleys on activity, biomass, and composition of soil microbial communities. Microbial properties such as soil respiration, urease and arylsulfatase activities, microbial biomass (based on substrate-induced respiration, or SIR, and phospholipid fatty acids, or PLFA), and community composition (based on PLFA) were determined. R. japonica encroached on sites characterized by the lowest values of microbiological properties and R. laciniata on sites with the highest microbiological quality. The effect of invasion on soil microbial properties depended on the invasive plant species. R. japonica significantly decreased microbial biomass, determined by both SIR and total PLFA, urease activity, fungal PLFA, fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio, gram-negative bacterial PLFA, and soil respiration in comparison to soil under adjacent native plant communities. Microbial community composition also differed between soils under R. japonica and those under native plants. In contrast, R. laciniata and S. gigantea did not influence most microbial properties, though S. gigantea significantly increased fungal PLFA and R. laciniata and S. gigantea increased fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio. The effects of plant invasion on microbial properties were basically similar in soils located within and outside river valleys, probably because initially (i.e., before invasion) soils from the two locations were largely similar in terms of basic properties such as texture, moisture, pH, C:N ratio, and most microbial properties.

“…The possible reason is that there is surplus NH 4 + in soil as Spartina prefers NO 3 - . The increase trend of soil pH is also proved by Berberis thunbergii [28], Mikania micrantha [29] and Solidago canadensis [30]. However, there is also evidence that the soil pH in coastal wetland is significantly reduced after the Spartina invasion [31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of Spartina alterniflora Invasion on Soil Quality in Coastal Wetland of Beibu Gulf of South China

et al. 2016

BackgroundSince Spartina alterniflora (simplified as Spartina) has strong ecological competitiveness and rapid growth, it has been introduced and living in the coastal wetland regions of China for more than 30 years. Taking coastal wetland in the Beibu Gulf of south China as an example, the effects of Spartina invasion on soil quality were investigated to provide scientific basis for soil management.MethodologyThe soil quality of six different coastal wetlands, i.e. mangrove (vegetation coverage is above 95%), mangrove- Spartina ecotones (vegetation coverage is above 95%), sparse mangrove (vegetation coverage is 10%-20%), sparse mangrove- Spartina ecotones (vegetation coverage is about 80%), Spartina (vegetation coverage is about 80%) and bare beach (no plants), were analyzed using the following indicators: pH, cation exchange capacity, contents of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, microbial carbon / organic carbon, and activities of urease, acid phosphatase, invertase, polyphenol oxidase and catalase.Principal FindingsThe results showed that compared to mangrove wetland, most indicators in the mangrove-Spartina wetland showed a decline tendency except pH value, and the contents of total phosphorus and organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and soil microbial biomass nitrogen, and the activities of acid phosphatase and invertase were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Compared to sparse mangrove wetland and bare beach, the Spartina invasion wetland (sparse mangrove-Spartina wetland and Spartina wetland) had higher contents of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, cation exchange capacity and the activities of urease and acid phosphatase, so soil quality in the sparse mangrove wetland and bare beach was significantly improved. Factor Analysis and PCA also showed that: the quality of mangrove wetland soil is better than that of mangrove-Spartina ecotones wetland soil; the quality of sparse mangrove-Spartina ecotones wetland soil is better than that of sparse mangrove wetland soil; the quality of Spartina wetland soil is better than that of bare beach wetland soil.Conclusions/SignificanceTherefore, in the invaded Beibu Gulf wetland ecosystems of south China, for the mangrove wetlands where the productivity of native plant was higher than that of Spartina, the Spartina invasion can cause soil degradation significantly and it must be strictly controlled, while for sparse mangrove wetland and bare beach where the productivity of native plant was lower than that of Spartina, Spartina invasion can improve the soil quality. Thus our study may help to better understand the effect of plant invasion.