Colonization and early succession on anthropogenic soils

Rebele, Franz

doi:10.2307/3235680

Cited by 61 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Still, few studies have examined the effects of M. officinalis, and this is the first experimental study of M. officinalis. Melilotus officinalis is an annual or biennial plant (Turkington et al 1978), and does not generally dominate perennial grasslands over long periods of time (Rebele 1992), but its effects on community and ecosystem processes may persist for long time periods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover) causes large changes in community and ecosystem processes in both the presence and absence of a cover crop

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Non-native species are hypothesized to decrease native species establishment and cover crops are hypothesized to decrease non-native species abundance. Although many studies have compared invaded to non-invaded habitats, relatively few studies have experimentally added non-native species to directly examine their effects. In a greenhouse mesocosm experiment, we tested the effects of non-native forbs (Melilotus officinalis, Verbascum thapsus, and Lespedeza cuneata), a proposed C3 grass cover crop (Pascopyrum smithii), and a commonly seeded non-native C3 grass (Bromus inermis) on the establishment of target native C4 prairie grass species. All treatments contained the same seed density of target C4 species and were begun on bare soil collected from the field. The legume M. officinalis strongly decreased the abundance of all other species, species diversity, and light and soil moisture levels. Surprisingly, M. officinalis took up relatively large amounts of labeled nitrogen (15N) from the soil early in its development, but M. officinalis fixed nitrogen, thus increasing nitrogen in biomass nearly fivefold by the end of the study. We found few effects of either C3 grass species on non-native forbs or C4 target species, but seeded P. smithii did increase species diversity. Nonnative plants therefore impeded native C4 grass establishment through long-lasting effects of target species seedbank depletion (death of most target seedlings) and altered nutrient availability. The effects of M. officinalis were not reduced by the presence of a cover crop. Abstract Non-native species are hypothesized to decrease native species establishment and cover crops are hypothesized to decrease non-native species abundance. Although many studies have compared invaded to non-invaded habitats, relatively few studies have experimentally added non-native species to directly examine their effects. In a greenhouse mesocosm experiment, we tested the effects of non-native forbs (Melilotus officinalis, Verbascum thapsus, and Lespedeza cuneata), a proposed C 3 grass cover crop (Pascopyrum smithii), and a commonly seeded nonnative C 3 grass (Bromus inermis) on the establishment of target native C 4 prairie grass species. All treatments contained the same seed density of target C 4 species and were begun on bare soil collected from the field. The legume M. officinalis strongly decreased the abundance of all other species, species diversity, and light and soil moisture levels. Surprisingly, M. officinalis took up relatively large amounts of labeled nitrogen ( 15 N) from the soil early in its development, but M. officinalis fixed nitrogen, thus increasing nitrogen in biomass nearly fivefold by the end of the study. We found few effects of either C 3 grass species on non-native forbs or C 4 target species, but seeded P. smithii did increase species diversity. Non-native plants therefore impeded native C 4 grass establishment through long-lasting effects of target species seedbank depletion (death of most target seedlings) and altered nutrient a...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover) causes large changes in community and ecosystem processes in both the presence and absence of a cover crop

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, variation in vegetation structure, species composition, plant community properties, productivity, and other ecosystem properties at similar stages of succession can be due to differences in environmental variables, precipitation regimes, soil nutrients, rates of herbivory, land-use history, seed availability, seed dispersal mode, and soil treatment at abandonment (Aragon and Morales, 2003;Arroyo-Mora et al, 2005;Grau et al, 1997;Otto et al, 2006;Riedel and Epstein, 2005;Tilman, 1987). Additionally, successional trajectory and outcome are influenced by life history traits, interspecific interactions, type of substrate, starting vegetation composition, and precipitation regime (Otto et al, 2006;Rebele, 1992;Walker and Chapin, 1987). Rates of herbivory can also influence rate of succession (Fraser and Grime, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Role of Invasive Species in Successional Plant Communities Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

Aneece¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

I AbstractBiodiversity has been correlated with ecosystem stability and function. Invasive species can decrease biodiversity and cause ecological and economical damage. These species are especially prevalent in abandoned agricultural fields, and can disrupt secondary successional dynamics. Although field surveys are used to assess the impacts of these species, remote sensing can be more efficient, especially at large spatial extents. I examined the ability to use ground-level hyperspectral remote sensing to study invasive species and their effects on community properties at the Blandy Experimental Farm (BEF) in north-central Virginia. Their effects on ecosystem properties could not be assessed using ground-level remote sensing in this system; thus, I used leaf and soil measurements to assess their effects on secondary succession.I found that remote sensing can be used to differentiate among plant communities.The most influential species to community discriminability are considered invasive, suggesting that these species can strongly influence species compositions and other community properties. The most influential wavelengths for discrimination were distributed throughout the spectral profile and corresponded with plant physiological and structural elements.Thus, spectral differences across species were large enough to be used in aggregate to differentiate plant communities. Additionally, these differences were large enough to differentiate individual species, but discriminability varied by species. The two thistle species that are similar phylogenetically and structurally were readily distinguished amongst each other. However, the shrubby buckthorn was difficult to distinguish from the oriental bittersweet vine despite phylogenetic distance and differences in structure. This was likely due to physical overlap in the field and thus the difficulty in obtaining pure signatures for discrimination. Discriminability also differed by the spectral region examined. Buckthorn and oriental bittersweet were least discriminable in the 550-599 nm and 650-699 nm regions, due 2 to greater intraspecific variability of spectral data in these regions.Additionally, remote sensing can be used to estimate higher order community properties like species diversity, and thus assess the effects of invasive species on plant diversity.However, correlations between species diversity and spectral diversity varied by the spectral transformation technique used and the spectral region examined. There was a strong positive correlation between the two in the visible region when band depth was used and in the near-infrared region when first derivatives were used. There were no strong correlations in the red edge, due to high intraspecific variability in chlorophyll content.Lastly, I assessed the effects of these exotic invasive species on ecosystem properties, specifically secondary succession, using leaf and soil data. Differences in soil characteristics were larger across fields and stages than across species. However, there were species-level ...

show abstract

“…In general, primary succession is associated with glaciated and volcanic sites rather than urban sites. In the urban landscape, primary succession is associated with stone and brick walls, demolition sites, spoil heaps from industrial waste, and abandoned roads and sidewalks (Rebele 1992(Rebele , 1994. Contrary to vegetation dynamics in adjacent rural areas where secondary succession dominates, both primary and secondary successional processes are important ecological processes in urban landscapes.…”

Section: Site Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A limited number of successional studies have focused on the urban landscape and these studies have principally examined the vacant/wasteland lots within European cities (see Rebele 1992;Pysek et al 2004;Rebele 2008). In general, successional pathways on vacant lots followed those observed for abandoned fallow lands in rural landscapes.…”

Section: Succession In the Urban Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, site conditions rather than seasonality were observed to be important conditions for different successional pathways (Rebele 2008). In Berlin-Dahlem, Germany, Rebele (1992) tested three substrates-commercial topsoil, ruderal (landfill) soil, and sand-to assess vegetation dynamics over a five year period. On the topsoil, annuals gave way to biennials and perennials.…”

Section: Succession In the Urban Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The process of natural succession in urban areas

Zipperer¹

The Routledge Handbook of Urban Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Colonization and early succession on anthropogenic soils

Cited by 61 publications

References 15 publications

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover) causes large changes in community and ecosystem processes in both the presence and absence of a cover crop

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover) causes large changes in community and ecosystem processes in both the presence and absence of a cover crop

Assessing the Role of Invasive Species in Successional Plant Communities Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

The process of natural succession in urban areas

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About