Effects of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) invasions on soil nitrogen cycles depend on invasion stage and warming

Abstract

Plant invasions may alter soil nutrient cycling due to differences in physiological traits between the invader and species they displace as well as differences in responses to anthropogenic factors such as nitrogen deposition and warming. Moso bamboo is expanding its range rapidly around the world, displacing diverse forests. In addition, near expansion fronts where invasions are patchy, moso bamboo and other species each contribute soil inputs. Nitrogen transformations and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are important processes associated with nutrient availability and climate change that may be impacted by bamboo invasions. We collected soils from uninvaded, mixed, and bamboo forests to understand bamboo invasion effects on carbon and N cycling. We incubated soils with warming and N addition and measured net nitrification and N mineralization rates and GHG (CO and NO) emissions. Mixed forest soils had higher pH and total N and lower total organic carbon and C/N than either uninvaded or bamboo forest soils. Bamboo forest soils had higher total carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and ammonium N but lower total and nitrate N than uninvaded forest soils. Soil GHG emissions did not vary among forest types at lower temperatures but bamboo forest soils had higher CO and lower NO emissions at higher temperatures. While net N transformation rates were lower in bamboo and uninvaded forest soils, they were highest in mixed forest soils, indicating non-additive effects of bamboo invasions. This suggests that plant invasion effects on N transformations and GHG emissions with global change in forests partially invaded by bamboo are difficult to predict from only comparing uninvaded and bamboo-dominated areas.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis (Carriere) J. Houzeau) invasion affects soil phosphorus dynamics in adjacent coniferous forests in subtropical China

“…The increased soil available P (this study) and N (Li et al 2017a) due to the invasion by moso bamboo could further promote the invasion of moso bamboo into C. japonica stands, which may partly explain the accelerated expansion of moso bamboo observed across its native range.…”

“…2015). In addition, recent studies have also reported that moso bamboo invasion affected physical, chemical, and biological soil properties (Lin et al 2014;Fukushima et al 2015;Shinohara and Otsuki 2015;Chang and Chiu 2015;Xu et al 2015;Wang et al 2016b;Song et al 2017;Li et al 2017a;Qin et al 2017;Shiau and Chiu 2017).…”

“…Because of its typical clonal propagation, moso bamboo often spreads into the adjacent communities due to the extension of its underground rhizomes (Wang et al 2016a). Over the last decades, the invasion of moso bamboo into adjacent forests has frequently been reported, particularly in the nature reserves where the harvesting of moso bamboo is prohibited (Zhang et al 2010;Bai et al 2016;Li et al 2017a). As a result, several recent studies have regarded moso bamboo as a potentially invasive species in the subtropical regions (Mertens et al 2008;Song et al 2016;Ying et al 2016;Li et al, 2017b).…”

“…Furthermore, the altered C and N dynamics due to moso bamboo invasion could also have significant implications for P availability. Currently, many Cryptomeria japonica plantations at Lushan Mountain Nature Reserve have been invaded by moso bamboo, which significantly affected soil N dynamics (Li et al 2017a). These plantations have also faced many problems, including low species diversity, simplified structure (monoculture with a poorly developed shrub and herb layer), and poor resistance to natural disturbances.…”

Research Progress of Forest Land Nutrient Management in China

“…In addition, nutrient management in forest ecosystems should consider the ecological effects of fertilization under the context of global climate change, considering the potential interactions among global change factors [93,94], nutrient input [95], and internal element cycling within forest ecosystems [96][97][98][99][100][101]. For example, in plantations experiencing intensive management, N input may induce more N leaching due to excessive application, especially in areas characterized by acid soils [101,102].…”