Linkages of plant-soil feedbacks and underlying invasion mechanisms

Inderjit, Inderjit; Cahill, James

doi:10.1093/aobpla/plv022

Cited by 46 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…; Suding et al. ; Inderjit & Cahill ). These feedbacks have been proposed to operate through plant‐driven changes in the soil microbial community (Elgersma et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive litter feedbacks of an introduced species reduce native diversity and promote invasion in Californian grasslands

Mariotte

Spotswood

Farrer

et al. 2016

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions Californian grasslands have a long history of invasion, starting with the introduction of exotic forage species a century ago, and followed by newer waves of invaders. Both exotic and invasive species produce large amounts of litter, but the importance of litter accumulation on the growth and expansion of these species has not been rigorously assessed. We addressed the following questions: (1) do litter type (exotic or invasive species) and litter quantity affect exotic and invasive plant performance; (2) at which plant life stages does litter accumulation effects occur; and (3) is litter accumulation impacting native species recruitment and diversity? Location Semi‐natural grasslands, northern California. Methods We created litter quantity gradients (0, 62.5, 125, 250 or 500 g·m−2) of three litter types (exotic or invasive species litter or a mixture of both). We evaluated litter effects on the germination, recruitment, production of flowers and biomass production of the exotic Avena fatua, the invasive Elymus caput‐medusae and a mixture of native species. We used litter depth as a proxy for litter accumulation and measured litter impacts on light availability at ground level, soil moisture, soil and microbial C and N. Results We found a significant litter depth impact on all species, but no litter type effects. Litter accumulation principally reduced light availability at ground level and positively affected exotic and invasive species at different life‐history stages. Above‐ground biomass production of the exotic species Avena increased with increased litter depth, suggesting a litter accumulation feedback. The invasive species Elymus responded to increased litter with increased seed production, rather than biomass production. In contrast, litter negatively affected the recruitment and diversity of native species. Conclusion Overall, our findings point to cascading effects in invasion with positive litter accumulation feedbacks of an exotic species simultaneously reducing native diversity and promoting seed production of a more recent invasive arrival. These results have strong consequences for invasion management and suggest that litter removal practices, such as burning and grazing, would better succeed at limiting the growth and spread of invasive species than herbicide application or seeding.

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“…; Suding et al. ; Inderjit & Cahill ). These feedbacks have been proposed to operate through plant‐driven changes in the soil microbial community (Elgersma et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive litter feedbacks of an introduced species reduce native diversity and promote invasion in Californian grasslands

Mariotte

Spotswood

Farrer

et al. 2016

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…Soil microbes may acquire the ability to degrade the allelochemicals of invasive plants through adaptive changes or cross acclimation to similar chemicals released by phylogenetically related native plants. It is known that soil microbes are able to rapidly adapt to novel chemicals (Top & Springael ; Inderjit & Cahill ). Soils that are exposed to one chemical may acquire the ability to degrade similar chemicals (Arbeli & Fuentes ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in soil microbial communities due to biological invasions can reduce allelopathic effects

Feng

Kang

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary Soil microbes are important in mediating allelopathic interactions between invasive and native plants in the field. However, it was not known how these interactions vary in the process of biological invasions and the effects of soil microbes; this knowledge may facilitate understanding the dynamics and mechanisms of biological invasions and managing invaded ecosystems. We conducted competition and seed germination experiments to determine the allelopathic effects of Ageratina adenophora in soils from 42 sites with varying abundances of the invasive plant. Then we isolated the microbes that could degrade the allelochemicals of the invasive plant and tested their functions. In both experiments, the allelopathic effects of the invasive plant were much stronger in soils from non‐invaded sites than in soils from invaded sites. Activities of the allelochemical‐degrading microbes were higher and degradation of the allelochemicals of the invasive plant was faster in soils from invaded sites than in soils from non‐invaded sites. In living soils from 30 sites with increasing abundance of A. adenophora, the allelopathic effects of the invasive plant decreased and degradation of the allelochemicals and activity of the allelochemical‐degrading microbes gradually increased. Two bacterial strains were isolated from the soils. Inoculation of Arthrobacter sp. ZS, which was isolated from soil invaded by A. adenophora, greatly increased the degradation of the allelochemicals, thereby decreasing its allelopathic effects. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that soils may accumulate microbes that can degrade allelochemicals in the process of biological invasions, gradually reducing the allelopathic effects of invasive species. The effects of soil microbes should be considered when studying dynamics and mechanisms of biological invasions. Application of allelochemical‐degrading microbes may facilitate ecological restoration of invaded or newly disturbed ecosystems by alleviating allelopathic inhibition of invasive plants on native plants.

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“…Given that many exotic plant species throughout the world are having large ecological and economic effects, it is vital to understand the forces that mediate the success of invaders in their recipient landscapes. A wide variety of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the success of exotic species including enemy release (Agrawal et al, 2005;Inderjit & Cahill, 2015;Keane & Crawley, 2002), biotic resistance (Levine, Adler, & Yelenik, 2004;Parker, Burkepile, & Hay, 2006;Pearson, Potter, & Maron, 2012), invader life history traits (Corbin & D'Antonio, 2010;Rejmánek & Richardson, 1996), and resource availability (Colautti, Grigorovich, & MacIsaac, 2006;Davis, Grime, & Thompson, 2000;Koerner et al, 2015). These biotic and abiotic drivers of invasion may operate simultaneously in the same system and may interact with each other in important ways, shedding light on the forces controlling the success of invaders (Catford, Jansson, & Nilsson, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Native herbivores and environmental heterogeneity as mediators of an exotic grass invasion

Ender

Christian

Cushman

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Given that many exotic plant species throughout the world are having large ecological and economic effects, it is vital to understand the forces that mediate their success in novel landscapes. Both native herbivores and recipient ecosystems can have substantial effects on the performance of exotic plant species, and may interact with each other or vary in their effects over time. Unfortunately, few studies have evaluated the importance of these kinds of context‐dependent effects. Here, we use a 17‐year‐old exclosure experiment stratified across a coastal grassland in northern California to address the relative importance of a reintroduced mammalian herbivore, tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes), and environmental heterogeneity in mediating the growth, abundance, and recruitment of a problematic grass invader, Holcus lanatus. We found that elk reduced Holcus abundance, aboveground biomass, percent cover, frequency, and seedling recruitment, but that these effects often varied among habitat types, with effects being greater in open grasslands than shrub‐dominated grasslands. The performance of Holcus populations also varied significantly among habitat types, with the invader usually having the greatest success in Baccharis‐dominated grasslands. Our results suggest that environmental heterogeneity had much greater influence on Holcus success than elk, and that these effects were due largely to soil pH and moisture. The negative effects of elk on Holcus appeared after 4 years and did not intensify after an additional 13 years. Furthermore, despite their negative effects, these prominent herbivores did not prevent the spread of Holcus into previously uninvaded areas. Our research highlights the importance of assessing the individual and interactive effects of native herbivores and environmental heterogeneity on the success of invasive, exotic plant species. It emphasizes the reality that the negative effects of herbivores on exotic plant species will often vary across heterogeneous landscapes and may be insufficient to prevent the expansion of these invaders.

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Linkages of plant-soil feedbacks and underlying invasion mechanisms

Cited by 46 publications

References 74 publications

Positive litter feedbacks of an introduced species reduce native diversity and promote invasion in Californian grasslands

Positive litter feedbacks of an introduced species reduce native diversity and promote invasion in Californian grasslands

Changes in soil microbial communities due to biological invasions can reduce allelopathic effects

Native herbivores and environmental heterogeneity as mediators of an exotic grass invasion

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