Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Dyer, Andrew R.; Rice, Kevin J.

doi:10.2307/177251

Cited by 81 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The soil in our study area is a sandy clay loam with lower total C (1.97%) and total N (0.18%) than nearby stands of native perennial grasses (C ϭ 3.37%, N ϭ 0.30%; P Ͻ 0.0001, for both comparisons). Nutrient-addition experiments at Sedgwick show nitrogen, phosphorus, cations, and water to be potentially limiting (unpublished data) consistent with other California sites (33,35).…”

supporting

confidence: 74%

“…Other studies in California have shown that native perennial grasses can be more effective competitors for deep soil water and for light than annual grasses (33,38) and may invade stands of exotic annuals and reduce their density (39,40). Furthermore, undisturbed relict or restored stands of native perennial grasses are resistant to exotic annual invasion (30,38).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although this conversion is often attributed to grazing, exotic annuals have maintained their dominance in many areas that have now been excluded from livestock grazing for decades (30). Along with the displacement of the native perennial flora, this invasion has potentially increased nitrate leaching, altered fire regimes, and decreased carbon storage (29,(31)(32)(33).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasion, competitive dominance, and resource use by exotic and native California grassland species

Seabloom

Harpole

Reichman

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

580

597

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The dynamics of invasive species may depend on their abilities to compete for resources and exploit disturbances relative to the abilities of native species. We test this hypothesis and explore its implications for the restoration of native ecosystems in one of the most dramatic ecological invasions worldwide, the replacement of native perennial grasses by exotic annual grasses and forbs in 9.2 million hectares of California grasslands. The long-term persistence of these exotic annuals has been thought to imply that the exotics are superior competitors. However, seed-addition experiments in a southern California grassland revealed that native perennial species, which had lower requirements for deep soil water, soil nitrate, and light, were strong competitors, and they markedly depressed the abundance and fecundity of exotic annuals after overcoming recruitment limitations. Native species reinvaded exotic grasslands across experimentally imposed nitrogen, water, and disturbance gradients. Thus, exotic annuals are not superior competitors but rather may dominate because of prior disturbance and the low dispersal abilities and extreme current rarity of native perennials. If our results prove to be general, it may be feasible to restore native California grassland flora to at least parts of its former range.

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supporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasion, competitive dominance, and resource use by exotic and native California grassland species

Seabloom

Harpole

Reichman

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

580

597

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“…It has been noted that stands dominated by the invader generally have shallower root systems than the native communities that they replace (Rickard & Vaughan 1988), and are photosynthetically active for a shorter portion of the year. Similarly, exotic annual grasses in California change hydrology because they competitively displace the deeper-rooting native perennials (Dyer & Rice 1999). In addition, the exotic annual grasses transpire for a short period in late winter and spring, while the native perennials transpire into the summer months.…”

Section: (B) Impacts On Hydrologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms underlying the impacts of exotic plant invasions

Levine

Vilà

D’Antonio

et al. 2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

1,437

1,171

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Although the impacts of exotic plant invasions on community structure and ecosystem processes are well appreciated, the pathways or mechanisms that underlie these impacts are poorly understood. Better exploration of these processes is essential to understanding why exotic plants impact only certain systems, and why only some invaders have large impacts. Here, we review over 150 studies to evaluate the mechanisms underlying the impacts of exotic plant invasions on plant and animal community structure, nutrient cycling, hydrology and fire regimes. We find that, while numerous studies have examined the impacts of invasions on plant diversity and composition, less than 5% test whether these effects arise through competition, allelopathy, alteration of ecosystem variables or other processes. Nonetheless, competition was often hypothesized, and nearly all studies competing native and alien plants against each other found strong competitive effects of exotic species. In contrast to studies of the impacts on plant community structure and higher trophic levels, research examining impacts on nitrogen cycling, hydrology and fire regimes is generally highly mechanistic, often motivated by specific invader traits. We encourage future studies that link impacts on community structure to ecosystem processes, and relate the controls over invasibility to the controls over impact.

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“…Theories in the second category suggest that Mediterranean annual species are better adapted to California's Central Valley conditions than the native perennial species (Jackson 1985). Their successful invasion and continued dominance are attributed to competitive superiority due to traits such as earlier germination (Chiariello 1989) and faster growth and physiological adaptations that increase resource capture (Dyer and Rice 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

California perennial grasses are physiologically distinct from both Mediterranean annual and perennial grasses

et al. 2011

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In the Central Valley of California, native perennial grass species have been largely replaced by Eurasian annual species, while in many parts of the Mediterranean Basin native perennial grasses continue to dominate, even on disturbed or degraded sites. We assessed whether differences in summer rainfall patterns have lead to the development of different plant-water strategies between grasses from these two regions. We compared six measures of plant-water physiology for three guilds of grasses: California perennial grasses, Mediterranean perennial grasses, and Mediterranean annual grasses. Discriminant analysis distinguished between the three guilds; Mediterranean perennial grasses were characterized by a more conservative water-relations physiology than Mediterranean annual grasses, whereas California perennial grasses were in some ways intermediate between the two Mediterranean grass guilds. For individual traits, California perennial grasses were either intermediate or more like Mediterranean annuals than Mediterranean perennials. Our results suggest California perennials are more drought tolerant than Mediterranean annuals but less drought tolerant than Mediterranean perennials, despite the fact that California's Central Valley has a more intense summer drought than the Mediterranean Basin. These patterns may help explain why Mediterranean annuals, but not Mediterranean perennials, have been more successful invaders of interior California grasslands.

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Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Cited by 81 publications

References 36 publications

Invasion, competitive dominance, and resource use by exotic and native California grassland species

Invasion, competitive dominance, and resource use by exotic and native California grassland species

Mechanisms underlying the impacts of exotic plant invasions

California perennial grasses are physiologically distinct from both Mediterranean annual and perennial grasses

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