The hypothesis that plant species are more responsive to mycorrhiza in late than in early successional stages was assessed in grasses from a successional process occurring in two-phase mosaics from the Mexican Chihuahuan Desert. We estimated the density of spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and the AM colonization of pioneer and late-successional grasses in the field. In growth chamber experiments, we tested the effect of the native AM fungal community on grasses growing in soils from different successional stages. Spore density was higher in late than in early successional stages. Late-successional species were more responsive to AM (positive AM responsiveness) whereas pioneer species were nondependent on mycorrhiza or if associated to AM fungi, the interaction showed a negative AM responsiveness for the seedling stage. Our findings showed that late successional species fitted the proposed models of mycorrhizal performance, but the two pioneer species differed in their AM condition and responsiveness. This further supports the idea that AM interactions are more complex along the successional processes than the predictions of the more widely cited hypotheses.

In C. virgata, P. mutica and T. crinita, natural selection could be favouring those genotypes that responded better in each light environment, but it is not possible that the natural selection resulted in different optimal phenotypes in each habitat. On the contrary, in D. pulchella, selection could have reduced the genetic variation, but there is the possibility of the evolution of reaction norms, resulting in the selection of alternative phenotypes for each habitat.

Abstract. In a native grassland in Uruguay subjected to continuous grazing by cattle, four permanent plots of 40 × 40 cm were established. Plots were divided into 16 × 16 cells and the presence of species was recorded seasonally during two years. The spatial dynamic of the dominant species was defined through three parameters: persistence, short‐distance spread and long‐distance spread. The association between the spatial strategies and certain morphological attributes that were presumed to be important to the spatial behaviour of the species, was examined using Correspondence Analysis. Four types of spatial strategies were observed: (1) persisting over the year in the same cell without showing any type of mobility; (2) continuously growing due to the solid advancing front of ramets, persisting or not persisting (3) in the same cells; and (4) multi‐strategy with high persistence and both high short‐ and long‐distance spread. Among the selected attributes, the erect/prostrate habit, the capacity of vegetative propagation by means of bulbs, rhizomes or stolons, the ratio length/width of leaves and the season of active growth were the characteristics most closely associated with the spatial strategies.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are particularly relevant in grasslands due to the high colonization in grasses, main constituent of this ecosystem. Natural grassland (NG) is the dominant ecosystem of Uruguay and it supports one of the main economic activities of the country: livestock. Available phosphorus (P) contents in NG soils of Uruguay are low, so phosphate fertilization is frequent. The aim of this work was to study the effect of phosphorus fertilization on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity of two native grasses of Uruguay:Paspalum dilatatum and Coelorhachis selloana. Diversity and abundance of AMF spores in the rhizosphere of grasses were studied using morphological techniques, while AMF diversity in roots was studied through T-RFLP. The study was conducted in a long-term experiment of phosphorus fertilization in Uruguayan grasslands.The increase in available P did not affect the diversity of AMF in the roots or in the rhizosphere of the studied grasses. The richness of AMF biotypes in roots and spores abundance differed between host species, with higher values in C. selloana than in P. dilatatum. Differences in AMF diversity between seasons were observed, with greater number of biotypes in winter than in summer.

Cynodon dactylon is one of the five most important invasive alien species worldwide. It is the invasive alien species with the broadest distribution range in Uruguay, and its expansion is frequently associated with disturbances. Since natural grasslands are facing processes of productive intensification, C. dactylon represents a threat as it could displace native species. However, the mechanisms that explain its invasion success remain unclear. The objective of this study was to analyse interspecific interactions under low nutrient conditions between C. dactylon and two species that are native to the Campo grasslands in Uruguay. Specifically, we assessed differences in the components of competitive ability effects and responses (or tolerance) as possible mechanisms involved in C. dactylon invasiveness. We performed a greenhouse experiment in pots with low‐nutrient substrate assessing pair‐wise interactions between C. dactylon, Mnesithea selloana and Paspalum notatum plus control pots consisting of single individual of each species. The invasive species showed greater competitive ability than both native grasses, as it reduced their below and above‐biomass. Conversely, the size of C. dactylon plants interacting with native species was similar to that of single C. dactylon plants growing alone (controls). This reveals that the greater competitive ability of the invasive species was due to a greater tolerance to grow with neighbouring plants. The reason underlying this tolerance was a marked increase in biomass allocation towards stolons and leaves, at the expense of roots. Conversely, native species barely changed their shoot‐root allocation pattern when interacting with neighbours. Furthermore, C. dactylon induced reproductive development solely when interacting with neighbours. Along with the fact that the potential growth rate of the invasive and native species was quite similar, these results suggest that sensitive and rapidly triggered shade avoidance responses could be one mechanism involved in the invasion success of C. dactylon.