Non-indigenous grasses impede woody succession

Davis, Mark A.; Bier, Louise; Bushelle, Ethan; Diegel, Chloe; Johnson, Aleta Bok; Kujala, Brianna J.

doi:10.1007/s11258-004-4640-7

Cited by 73 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…On the other hand, the initial associations of small seedlings (<0.2 m tall) with light (positive), and tree basal area and grass cover (negative), became progressively weaker or disappeared as seedlings increased in size, while the role of positive effects of soil variables increased for tall seedlings (>0.5 m). Thus, our study confirms that light, overstory trees, and grass may affect seedlings (Smith and Olff 1998;Davis et al 1999Davis et al , 2005Pagès et al 2003), but it suggests that these effects may be different in different seedling life-stages (size classes). Although only a few seedlings may establish in areas with high grass cover, they appear less prone to competition from grass once they reach a critical size (*20 cm height).…”

Section: Initial Role Of Environmentsupporting

confidence: 78%

Seed rain and environmental controls on invasion of Picea abies into grassland

et al. 2007

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Although changes in land-use, climate, and the spread of introduced tree species have increased the global importance of tree invasions into grasslands, our ability to predict any particular invasion is limited. To elucidate mechanisms driving tree invasions of grasslands, we studied in detail how seed dispersal and fine-scale environment control the expansion of an introduced Picea abies Karst. (Norway spruce) population into Western Carpathian grassland. We mapped invading trees and measured tree size, fecundity, seed rain, seedling density, plant community composition, and light and soil environment within a 200 · 60 m belt across the invasion front. Maximum likelihood estimates of dispersal kernels suggested peak seed deposition directly underneath tree crowns where germination was poor, but mean dispersal distances were sufficiently large to generate overlapping seed shadows from multiple trees that saturated the invasion front with seeds further away from seed-dispersing trees. Partial Mantel tests indicated that germinant density was affected considerably less by seed rain than by moss cover (r = 0.54), overstory tree influence (r = À0.32), soil moisture (r = 0.21), grass cover (r = À0.15), and diffuse radiation (r = 0.13). However, these variables were not independent but formed complex multivariate gradients within the invasion front. Moss cover and soil moisture were negatively correlated with overstory tree influence and the resulting gradient clearly affected germinant density (partial Mantel r = 0.45). In contrast, positively correlated light and grass cover defined a gradient related weakly to germinant density (partial Mantel r = 0.05) as it integrated opposing effects of these variables on germinants. Seedlings had similar environmental associations, but except for the lasting positive effects of moss these tended to weaken with seedling size. Although a few seedlings may establish and survive in the more adverse environment of the outer edges of the invasion front, a significant population expansion may require a gradual build-up of the critical density of invading trees to reduce grass cover and facilitate germination on moist mossy seedbeds within uncolonized areas. Thus, Picea abies appears more likely to spread within temperate grasslands by gradual expansion of M. Dovčiak (&) College of Forest Resources, its population frontier rather than by advanced groups.

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Section: Initial Role Of Environmentsupporting

confidence: 78%

Seed rain and environmental controls on invasion of Picea abies into grassland

et al. 2007

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“…Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve has a continental climate (warm summers and cold winters) and receives ;32 cm of precipitation on average during summer months (Davis et al 2005, Peel et al 2007). This is sufficient rainfall to be classified as a humid continental climate as opposed to arid or semiarid (Peel et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living close to your neighbors: the importance of both competition and facilitation in plant communities

Wright

Schnitzer

Reich

2014

Ecology

138

121

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Abstract. Recent work has demonstrated that competition and facilitation likely operate jointly in plant communities, but teasing out the relative role of each has proven difficult. Here we address how competition and facilitation vary with seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, and how the effects of these fluctuations change with plant ontogeny. We planted three sizes of pine seedlings (Pinus strobus) into an herbaceous diversity experiment and measured pine growth every two weeks for two growing seasons. Both competition and facilitation occurred at different times of year between pines and their neighbors. Facilitation was important for the smallest pines when environmental conditions were severe. This effect decreased as pines got larger. Competition was stronger than facilitation overall and outweighed facilitative effects at annual time scales. Our data suggest that both competition and the counter-directional effects of facilitation may be more common and more intense than previously considered.

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“…Despite the advantages of experimental introductions, they have only rarely been used to quantify the impacts of plant invasions on whole plant communities (e.g. Callaway et al 1999;Corbin and D'Antonio 2004;Davis et al 2005;Maron and Marler 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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Non-indigenous grasses impede woody succession

Cited by 73 publications

References 50 publications

Seed rain and environmental controls on invasion of Picea abies into grassland

Seed rain and environmental controls on invasion of Picea abies into grassland

Living close to your neighbors: the importance of both competition and facilitation in plant communities

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

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