Emerging fungal pathogen of an invasive grass: Implications for competition with native plant species

Kendig, Amy E.; Svahnstrom, Vida J.; Adhikari, Ashish; Harmon, Philip F.; Flory, S. Luke

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237894

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…We expected pathogen transmission from litter to live plants to alter competition between the native and invasive species because pathogen exposure can reduce growth of both species (Kendig et al, 2021;Stricker et al, 2016). However, litter only promoted disease on E. virginicus, and there were no significant effects of disease incidence on E. virginicus establishment or biomass after accounting for litter and planting treatment effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasive grass litter suppresses a native grass species and promotes disease

et al. 2022

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Plant litter can alter ecosystems and promote plant invasions by altering resource availability, depositing phytotoxins, and transmitting microorganisms to living plants. Transmission of microorganisms from invasive plant litter to live plants may gain importance as invasive plants, which often escape pathogens upon introduction to a new range, acquire new pathogens over time. It is unclear, however, if invasive plant litter affects native plant communities by promoting disease. Microstegium vimineum is an invasive grass that suppresses native populations, in part through litter production, and has acquired new fungal leaf spot diseases since its introduction to the United States. In a greenhouse experiment, we evaluated how M. vimineum litter and its pathogens mediated competition with the native grass Elymus virginicus. M. vimineum litter promoted disease on E. virginicus and suppressed establishment and biomass of both species. Litter had stronger negative effects on E. virginicus than M. vimineum, increasing the relative biomass of M. vimineum. Live plant competition reduced biomass of both species and live M. vimineum increased disease incidence on E. virginicus. Altogether, invasive grass litter suppressed both species, ultimately favoring the invasive species in competition, and increased disease incidence on the native species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in one greenhouse study, the strength of M. vimineum interspecific competition was not significantly different than the strength of E. virginicus intraspecific competition (Jones, 2009). Bipolaris pathogens infect E. virginicus (Flory et al, 2011;Lane et al, 2020) and can reduce its biomass production (Kendig et al, 2021).…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive grass litter suppresses a native grass species and promotes disease

et al. 2022

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“…In contrast, a vascular wilt disease acquired by Ailanthus altissima in its invaded range seemed to have limited effects on most co-occurring species (37, 38). In a greenhouse study, we found that Bipolaris inoculation decreased biomass of E. virginicus , but not two other native species (34). A general rule for how enemy accumulation by invaders affects competitors is therefore difficult.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…We estimated small impacts of the invader on the competitor in the absence of disease. Because plants were grown separately prior to planting in the field, we may have missed important competitive interactions among seedlings (34). However, the result that invader-amplified disease negatively impacted the competitor holds regardless of pre-disease competition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of disease emergence on invasive grass impacts

Kendig

Adhikari

Lane

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Invasive species impact ecosystems through their large abundances and strong per capita effects. Enemies can regulate abundances and per capita effects, but are notably absent for many new invaders. However, invaders acquire enemies over time and as they spread; processes hypothesized to mitigate negative invader impacts by reducing abundance or per capita effects. Alternatively, properties of invaders or acquired enemies, such as an enemy's ability to attack multiple species, may hinder enemy mitigation of invader impacts. We used field experiments to evaluate disease mitigation of invader impacts using the invasive grass Microstegium vimineum, which hosts an emerging fungal disease, and a native grass competitor, Elymus virginicus. We manipulated competition through density gradients of each plant species, and we reduced ambient foliar diseases with fungicide and autoclaving. We then modeled long-term population dynamics with field-estimated parameters. In the field, disease did not reduce invader abundance or per capita effects. The invader amplified disease on itself and the competitor, and disease reduced invader and competitor fitness components (e.g., germination). The dynamical model predicted that disease impacts on the competitor are greater than on the invader, such that disease will reduce invader abundance by 18%, and competitor abundance by 88%, over time. Our study suggests that enemies acquired by invaders will not necessarily mitigate invader impacts if the invader amplifies the enemy and the enemy attacks and suppresses competitor species.

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“…Over the past 20 years, leaf spot diseases caused by Bipolaris fungal pathogens that can reduce M. vimineum biomass and seed production have been identified in U.S. M. vimineum populations (Flory et al 2011, Stricker et al 2016. Bipolaris pathogens also infect the native perennial grass E. virginicus (Flory et al 2011, Lane et al 2020) and can reduce its biomass production (Kendig et al 2021).…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive grass litter suppresses native species and promotes disease

Benitez

Kendig

Adhikari

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Plant litter can alter ecosystems and promote plant invasions by changing resource acquisition, depositing toxins, and transmitting microorganisms to living plants. Transmission of microorganisms from invasive litter to live plants may gain importance as invasive plants accumulate pathogens over time since introduction. It is unclear, however, if invasive plant litter affects native plant communities by promoting disease. Microstegium vimineum is an invasive grass that suppresses native populations, in part through litter production, and has accumulated leaf spot diseases since its introduction to the U.S. In a greenhouse experiment, we evaluated how M. vimineum litter and accumulated pathogens mediated resource competition with the native grass Elymus virginicus. Resource competition reduced biomass of both species and live M. vimineum increased disease incidence on the native species. Microstegium vimineum litter also promoted disease on the native species, suppressed establishment of both species, and reduced biomass of M. vimineum. Nonetheless, interference competition from litter had a stronger negative effect on the native species, increasing the relative abundance of M. vimineum. Altogether, invasive grass litter suppressed both species, ultimately favoring the invasive species in competition, and increased disease incidence on the native species.

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Emerging fungal pathogen of an invasive grass: Implications for competition with native plant species

Cited by 5 publications

References 62 publications

Invasive grass litter suppresses a native grass species and promotes disease

Invasive grass litter suppresses a native grass species and promotes disease

Effects of disease emergence on invasive grass impacts

Invasive grass litter suppresses native species and promotes disease

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