Experimental Light Treatments Affect Invasion Success and the Impact of Microstegium vimineum on the Resident Community

Flory, S. Luke; Rudgers, Jennifer A.; Clay, Keith

doi:10.3375/0885-8608(2007)27[124:eltais]2.0.co;2

Cited by 44 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Leicht et al (2005) conducted competition experiments with Microstegium and two native grass species in a greenhouse and found that the effect of Microstegium on native species was as much as 27 times greater than intraspecific competition. In our previous work, we used a mesocosm experiment in the field to show that Microstegium reduced the growth of native graminoids, but only under part shade conditions (Flory et al 2007). In an observational study, Oswalt et al (2007) found negative correlations between Microstegium cover and woody seedling density and diversity in areas recently harvested for timber.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Non-native grass invasion alters native plant composition in experimental communities

2009

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Invasions of non-native species are considered to have significant impacts on native species, but few studies have quantified the direct effects of invasions on native community structure and composition. Many studies on the effects of invasions fail to distinguish between (1) differential responses of native and non-native species to environmental conditions, and (2) direct impacts of invasions on native communities. In particular, invasions may alter community assembly following disturbance and prevent recolonization of native species. To determine if invasions directly impact native communities, we established 32 experimental plots (27.5 m 2 ) and seeded them with 12 native species. Then, we added seed of a non-native invasive grass (Microstegium vimineum) to half of the plots and compared native plant community responses between control and invaded plots. Invasion reduced native biomass by 46, 64, and 58%, respectively, over three growing seasons. After the second year of the experiment, invaded plots had 43% lower species richness and 38% lower diversity as calculated from the Shannon index. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination showed a significant divergence in composition between invaded and control plots. Further, there was a strong negative relationship between invader and native plant biomass, signifying that native plants are more strongly suppressed in densely invaded areas.Our results show that a non-native invasive plant inhibits native species establishment and growth following disturbance and that native species do not gain competitive dominance after multiple growing seasons. Thus, plant invaders can alter the structure of native plant communities and reduce the success of restoration efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Non-native grass invasion alters native plant composition in experimental communities

2009

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“…Perhaps later in the experiment, competition with other vegetation in the plots became more pronounced as densities increased. M. vimineum's ability to compete with native grasses may be mediated by light availability, with M. vimineum more competitive than native grasses in full shade (Flory et al 2007). Despite a general trend for increasing growth, there were considerable fluctuations in annual patch performance.…”

Section: R2006mentioning

confidence: 98%

Slow spread of the aggressive invader, Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass)

et al. 2009

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Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass) is a non-native weed whose rapid invasion threatens native diversity and regeneration in forests. Using data from a 4 year experiment tracking new invasions in different habitats, we developed a spatial model of patch growth, using maximum likelihood techniques to estimate dispersal and population growth parameters. The patches expanded surprisingly slowly: in the final year, the majority of new seedlings were still within 1 m of the original patch. The influence of habitat was not as strong as anticipated, although patches created in roadside and wet meadow habitats tended to expand more rapidly and had greater reproductive ratios. The long-term projections of the patch growth model suggest much slower spread than has typically been observed for M. vimineum. The small scale of natural dispersal suggests that human-mediated dispersal, likely influenced by forest road management, is responsible for the rapid spread of this invasive species.

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“…In the eastern U.S., M. vimineum germinates in early-to-mid spring (depending on latitude) but does not reach full growth potential until midsummer when it can reach 2 m in length and eventually produce copious seeds in autumn (Barden 1987, Hunt and Zaremba 1992, Redman 1995. However, M. vimineum is sometimes habitat-limited by shade, soil moisture and leaf-litter, and it appears dispersal-limited without anthropogenic activities (Flory et al 2007, Flory and Clay 2009a, Warren et al 2011a, Warren et al 2011b). …”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat, dispersal and propagule pressure control exotic plant infilling within an invaded range

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Deep in the heart of a longstanding invasion, an exotic grass is still invading. Range infilling potentially has the greatest impact on native communities and ecosystem processes, but receives much less attention than range expansion. 'Snapshot' studies of invasive plant dispersal, habitat and propagule limitations cannot determine whether a landscape is saturated or whether a species is actively infilling empty patches. We investigate the mechanisms underlying invasive plant infilling by tracking the localized movement and expansion of Microstegium vimineum populations from 2009 to 2011 at sites along a 100-km regional gradient in eastern U.S. deciduous forests. We find that infilling proceeds most rapidly where the invasive plants occur in warm, moist habitats adjacent to roads: under these conditions they produce copious seed, the dispersal distances of which increase exponentially with proximity to roadway. Invasion then appears limited where conditions are generally dry and cool as propagule pressure tapers off. Invasion also is limited in habitats .1 m from road corridors, where dispersal distances decline precipitously. In contrast to propagule and dispersal limitations, we find little evidence that infilling is habitat limited, meaning that as long as M. vimineum seeds are available and transported, the plant generally invades quite vigorously. Our results suggest an invasive species continues to spread, in a stratified manner, within the invaded landscape long after first arriving. These dynamics conflict with traditional invasion models that emphasize an invasive edge with distinct boundaries. We find that propagule pressure and dispersal regulate infilling, providing the basis for projecting spread and landscape coverage, ecological effects and the efficacy of containment strategies.

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Experimental Light Treatments Affect Invasion Success and the Impact of Microstegium vimineum on the Resident Community

Cited by 44 publications

References 36 publications

Non-native grass invasion alters native plant composition in experimental communities

Non-native grass invasion alters native plant composition in experimental communities

Slow spread of the aggressive invader, Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass)

Habitat, dispersal and propagule pressure control exotic plant infilling within an invaded range

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