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HERO ID
3549129
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Deep rooting and global change facilitate spread of invasive grass
Author(s)
Mozdzer, TJ; Langley, JA; Mueller, P; Megonigal, JP
Year
2016
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Biological Invasions
ISSN:
1387-3547
EISSN:
1573-1464
Volume
18
Issue
9
Page Numbers
2619-2631
DOI
10.1007/s10530-016-1156-8
Web of Science Id
WOS:000382136500016
Abstract
Abiotic global change factors, such as rising atmospheric CO2, and biotic factors, such as exotic plant invasion, interact to alter the function of terrestrial ecosystems. An invasive lineage of the common reed, Phragmites australis, was introduced to North America over a century ago, but the belowground mechanisms underlying Phragmites invasion and persistence in natural systems remain poorly studied. For instance, Phragmites has a nitrogen (N) demand higher than native plant communities in many of the ecosystems it invades, but the source of the additional N is not clear. We exposed introduced Phragmites and native plant assemblages, containing Spartina patens and Schoenoplectus americanus, to factorial treatments of CO2 (ambient or +300 ppm), N (0 or 25 g m(-2) year(-1)), and hydroperiod (4 levels), and focused our analysis on changes in root productivity as a function of depth and evaluated the effects of introduced Phragmites on soil organic matter mineralization. We report that non-native invasive Phragmites exhibited a deeper rooting profile than native marsh species under all experimental treatments, and also enhanced soil organic matter decomposition. Moreover, exposure to elevated atmospheric CO2 induced a sharp increase in deep root production in the invasive plant. We propose that niche separation accomplished through deeper rooting profiles circumvents nutrient competition where native species have relatively shallow root depth distributions; deep roots provide access to nutrient-rich porewater; and deep roots further increase nutrient availability by enhancing soil organic matter decomposition. We expect that rising CO2 will magnify these effects in deep-rooting invasive plants that compete using a tree-like strategy against native herbaceous plants, promoting establishment and invasion through niche separation.
Keywords
Invasive; Elevated carbon dioxide; Priming; Rooting depth; Nitrogen; Marsh organ; Phragmites; Schoenoplectus americanus; Spartina patens
Tags
NAAQS
•
ISA NOxSOxPM Ecology (2018)
Cited in the Second Draft
Appendix 11
•
ISA NOxSOxPM Ecology (2020- Final Project Page)
Cited
Appendix 11
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