Mycorrhizal Fungi Diversity and their Importance on the Establishment of Native Species Seedlings within Madagascarian Degraded Sclerophyllous Forest

Botany ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Gehring ◽  
Michaela Hayer ◽  
Lluvia Flores-Rentería ◽  
Andrew F. Krohn ◽  
Egbert Schwartz ◽  
...  

Invasive, non-native plant species can alter soil microbial communities in ways that contribute to their persistence. While most studies emphasize mycorrhizal fungi, invasive plants also may influence communities of dark septate fungi (DSF), which are common root endophytes that can function like mycorrhizas. We tested the hypothesis that a widespread invasive plant in the western United States, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), influenced the abundance and community composition of DSF by examining the roots and rhizosphere soils of cheatgrass and two native plant species in cheatgrass-invaded and noninvaded areas of sagebrush steppe. We focused on cheatgrass because it is negatively affected by mycorrhizal fungi and colonized by DSF. We found that DSF root colonization and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness were significantly higher in sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) and rice grass (Achnatherum hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Barkworth) from invaded areas than noninvaded areas. Cheatgrass roots had similar levels of DSF colonization and OTU richness as native plants. The community composition of DSF varied with invasion in the roots and soils of native species and among the roots of the three plant species in the invaded areas. The substantial changes in DSF we observed following cheatgrass invasion argue for comparative studies of DSF function in native and non-native plant species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 5951
Author(s):  
Erin M. Garrett ◽  
David J. Gibson

We propose combining the filter framework model of community assembly with the passenger-driver model of non-native species behavior to help clarify the impacts of invasive species in the communities they invade and to guide sustainable management protocols. Observational field surveys and a greenhouse experiment explored the role of the invasive legume Lespedeza cuneata in the communities it invades and how natives in three functional groups—grasses, forbs, and legumes—respond to its presence. Within-site analyses from the field survey revealed differences in invaded and uninvaded areas in half of the sites, suggesting that site-specific characteristics influences whether L. cuneata’s presence corresponds to local differences in species composition. The greenhouse experiment found higher levels of saprophytic and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil conditioned by L. cuneata than in unconditioned soil. However, competition between L. cuneata or the native congener L. capitata and nine native species illustrated stronger aboveground competitive effects than belowground soil effects due to soil conditioning, with impacts differing among functional groups. The response of L. cuneata was reduced in the presence of grasses and other legumes but not forbs. Assessing the impact of L. cuneata with the combined community assembly model revealed this invasive plant acts as a driver because it alters abiotic and biotic filters to impact species composition. Managing for high grass abundance and planting native legumes will help sustain grasslands from L. cuneata invasion.


Author(s):  
Lauren M. Smith-Ramesh

Abstract Allelopathy, or the process by which plants influence the growth and performance of their neighbours through the release of chemicals, may play a key role in mediating the impacts of non-native invasive species on their neighbours. The Novel Weapons Hypothesis purports that non-native invasive species are in part successful because they produce harmful allelochemicals to which resident species are particularly susceptible because residents lack a shared evolutionary history with the invader. While allelopathic non-native invaders may reduce the growth and performance of neighbours through direct phytotoxicity, they may more often exert negative impacts through disruption of biotic interactions among resident species. Allelopathy by non-native plants may disrupt mutualisms between resident plants and microbes, plant-herbivore interactions or existing competitive and facilitative interactions among resident plants. For example, several non-native plants are known to disrupt the mutualism between resident plants and mycorrhizal fungi, reducing resident plant fitness to the benefit of the invader. Allelopathic non-natives may also disrupt interactions among resident plants and their herbivores when allelochemicals also influence herbivore behaviour or fitness. Alternatively, biotic interactions can also be protective for resident species, which may be less susceptible to the impacts of non-native species when their mutualisms are intact. As we advance our understanding of allelopathy and its role in mediating the impacts of invasive plant species, we may gain new insights by viewing invasions within a network context rather than focusing on pairwise interactions.


Author(s):  
Lauren M. Smith-Ramesh ◽  

Allelopathy, or the process by which plants influence the growth and performance of their neighbours through the release of chemicals, may play a key role in mediating the impacts of non-native invasive species on their neighbours. The Novel Weapons Hypothesis purports that non-native invasive species are in part successful because they produce harmful allelochemicals to which resident species are particularly susceptible because residents lack a shared evolutionary history with the invader. While allelopathic non-native invaders may reduce the growth and performance of neighbours through direct phytotoxicity, they may more often exert negative impacts through disruption of biotic interactions among resident species. Allelopathy by non-native plants may disrupt mutualisms between resident plants and microbes, plant-herbivore interactions or existing competitive and facilitative interactions among resident plants. For example, several non-native plants are known to disrupt the mutualism between resident plants and mycorrhizal fungi, reducing resident plant fitness to the benefit of the invader. Allelopathic non-natives may also disrupt interactions among resident plants and their herbivores when allelochemicals also influence herbivore behaviour or fitness. Alternatively, biotic interactions can also be protective for resident species, which may be less susceptible to the impacts of non-native species when their mutualisms are intact. As we advance our understanding of allelopathy and its role in mediating the impacts of invasive plant species, we may gain new insights by viewing invasions within a network context rather than focusing on pairwise interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Chen ◽  
Qiao Li ◽  
Liting Wang ◽  
Yanliang Meng ◽  
Shaona Jiao ◽  
...  

Rhizophagus intraradices, one of the common arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) grown in the roots of Flaveria bidentis, facilitates the invasion of this exotic plant species into China. However, it is still unknown whether nutrient transfer through the common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) between this exotic species and the native species enhances the competitive growth of F. bidentis over the native species. To elucidate this question and the related mechanism, an isotopic labeling technique was used to test the transfer of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) by CMN. Native species like Setaria viridis and Eclipta prostrata were selected to compete with F. bidentis in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) box. Two competitive groups (F. bidentis-S. viridis and F. bidentis- E. prostrata), three treatments (monoculture of F. bidentis, the mixture of F. bidentis and the native plant, and the monoculture of the native plant), and two levels of AMF (presence or absence) were assigned. Results showed that the corrected index of relative competition intensity (CRCI) of F. bidentis in the presence of AMF < 0 suggests that the competition facilitated the growth of F. bidentis with either S. viridis or E. prostrata. The reason was that the inoculation of R. intra radices significantly increased the C and N contents of F. bidentis in the mixtures. However, the effects of R. intra radices on the two native species were different: negative effect on the growth of S. viridis and positive effect on the growth of E. prostrata. The change of N content in S. viridis or E. prostrata was consistent with the variation of the biomass, suggesting that the N uptake explains the effects of R. intraradices on the competitive interactions between F. bidentis and the two native species. Moreover, the transfer of C and N via AMF hyphal links did occur between F. bidentis and the native species. However, the transfer of C and N by the CMN was not positively related to the competitive growth of F. bidentis.


SURG Journal ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Jesse Harnden

Disturbance, nutrients, propagule pressure, and the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been shown to influence invasion in plant communities, although the relative importance of each remains unclear. A remnant of tallgrass prairie outside Cambridge, ON appears to be resilient to invasion by Festuca rubra, despite its herbicidal properties. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine what factors are responsible for the resilience of the native grassland, using synthesized fescue and native sod. The effects of disturbance, nutrient enrichment, propagule pressure, and the presence of AMF and phytotoxin on the establishment ability of F. rubra and the native species Sorghastrum nutans were examined. Propagule pressure was the only factor shown to influence fescue invasion and establishment of S. nutans was unaffected by all factors. These results suggest that the resilience of the native grassland may be due to decreased seed production or viability of F. rubra and not any characteristics of the grassland. Also, the restoration of native grasslands will not be limited by remnants of phytotoxin in the soil, following removal of exotic species.


Author(s):  
Sarah Fancy ◽  
Juan C. López-Gutiérrez ◽  
Allison K. Walker ◽  
Diane LaRue ◽  
Robin Browne

Geum peckii (Rosaceae), the Eastern Mountain Avens, is a small herbaceous plant that is listed as endangered federally and provincially. In Canada, this species is found in bogs on Brier Island and Harris Lake, Digby County, Nova Scotia. The only other population outside of Canada is in New Hampshire (USA). To enhance conservation research of this species, a seed sample from the native species seed bank at Acadia University was used to establish a plant tissue culture of G. peckii plants. Survival of out-planted material was then assessed in both the greenhouse and the field. The field test site was within 20km of the existing plant populations in Digby County. Our study also revealed that G. peckii grows in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). During out-planting, plants received a mycorrhizal inoculum with the goal of enhancing survival. We used either a commercial mycorrhizal inoculum, or a native inoculum. Control plants were left untreated. Survival was 97-100 % among all the treatments by the end of the 2016 planting season. The results to date underscore the potential value of seed banking for protection of endangered native plant species. This study marks the first time in Nova Scotia that an endangered plant species has been successfully retrieved from seed bank storage, propagated by tissue culture, and out-planted back into a natural habitat. Keywords: Conservation, endangered native species, Geum peckii, tissue culture propagation


2019 ◽  
Vol 444 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 443-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Kang Cheng ◽  
Mao-Feng Yue ◽  
Heng-Rong Yang ◽  
Bao-Ming Chen ◽  
Guo-Rong Xin

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Ricardo Gonçalves de Oliveira ◽  
Geraldo Milanez de Resende ◽  
Natoniel Franklin de Melo ◽  
Adriana Mayumi Yano-Melo

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