Invasive Plant Suppresses the Growth of Native Tree Seedlings by Disrupting Belowground Mutualisms

Abstract

The impact of exotic species on native organisms is widely acknowledged, but poorly understood. Very few studies have empirically investigated how invading plants may alter delicate ecological interactions among resident species in the invaded range. We present novel evidence that antifungal phytochemistry of the invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, a European invader of North American forests, suppresses native plant growth by disrupting mutualistic associations between native canopy tree seedlings and belowground arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Our results elucidate an indirect mechanism by which invasive plants can impact native flora, and may help explain how this plant successfully invades relatively undisturbed forest habitat.

Invasive plants affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance and species richness as well as the performance of native plants grown in invaded soils

“…The decreased emergence, survival, growth, or nutrient uptake of several native plant species were found on soils overgrown by alien plants in comparison to soils from under native vegetation in North America (Stinson et al 2006;Callaway et al 2008;Vogelsang and Bever 2009;Wilson et al 2012) and Asia (Zhang et al 2010). The decreased levels of AMF colonization of P. lanceolata, Trifolium pratense, and Lotus corniculatus due to the invasion by R. japonica and Impatiens glandulifera were also found by Tanner and Gange (2013) in the UK.…”

“…Moreover, this plant had no effect on AMF abundance and diversity in soils of its natural range in Europe. Thus, it has been hypothesized that it produces metabolites that are novel to North America and to which North American AMF are not adapted (Stinson et al 2006;Callaway et al 2008). Yuan et al (2014) provided indirect evidence that the secondary metabolites of a mycorrhizal invader in China, Solidago canadensis, selectively impact on the composition of AMF community by enhancing the most beneficial AMF and inhibiting less favorable ones.…”

Allelopathy: driving mechanisms governing its activity in agriculture

“…Plants of the Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Cyperaceae families are tolerant to some fungal pathogens and show no symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal fungi, due to the allelochemicals released by their roots (Schreiner & Koide 1993). When released into the soil, these allelochemicals can also inhibit the germination of spores, as well as the symbiotic association between mycorrhizal fungi and surrounding host plants (Stinson et al 2006;Javaid 2007;Cipollini et al 2012).…”

Growth disturbance of extracts from several crops straw (residue) on Ageratina adenophora and biological-control implications in hazardous weed invasion for eco-restoration

“…It is well known that biological invasion had direct impacts on and threats against native species survival and reproduction (Stinson et al, 2006;Kasenene, 2007;Mangla et al, 2008), regional biodiversity protection (Cui et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2010;Zhou et al, 2009a,b), ecological safety maintenance Li et al, 2013Li et al, , 2009, and environment health and development (Balasubramanian et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2013;Zhou et al, 2009a,b), which has become a global ecological environment issue (Celesti-Grapow et al, 2010;Li et al, 2009;Pritekel et al, 2006). How to effectively control and scientifically manage the invasive species has become an important issue and a great challenge for biologists and environment protectionist.…”

“…1 invasive species in China. Its invasion has brought about soil quality change (Niu et al, 2007;Callaway et al, 2004), local species degradation (Niu et al, 2007;Stinson et al, 2006), biodiversity decreasing Pritekel et al, 2006) and great economic loss Zhu et al, 2005) in the invaded regions. At present, there is no technological way to effectively prevent, control and eliminate such weed (Wan et al, 2010).…”