Interspecific Interactions between Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora along a Tidal Gradient in the Dongtan Wetland, Eastern China

Yuan, Yue; Wang, Kaiyun; Li, Dezhi; Yu, Pan; Lv, Yuanyuan; Zhao, Meixia; JinJin, Gao

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053843

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…These results indicate that aquatic environmental factors can change the interaction between submerged and free-floating species, and these effects are determined by species, which is consistent with previous studies in terrestrial ecosystems [39][40][41]. Because floating and submerged plants have different positions in the water column, the competition for both light and nutrients in the substrate becomes asymmetric [13].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Invasive Eichhornia crassipes Affects the Capacity of Submerged Macrophytes to Utilize Nutrients

Zhou

Pan

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:Invasion by free-floating species, such as Eichhornia crassipes, is one of the most critical threats to the biodiversity and sustainability of wetland ecosystems, where all plants experience spatial heterogeneity in substrate nutrients. However, few studies have focused on the effects of free-floating invaders on the capacity of submerged plants to utilize substrate nutrients. A 10-week greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the effects of free-floating invasive E. crassipes (presence or absence) on the growth of Ceratophyllum demersum and Myriophyllum spicatum, and their capacity to use heterogeneous and homogeneous substrate nutrients. We found that the invasion of E. crassipes could significantly decrease the growth of both submerged C. demersum and M. spicatum and that substrate nutrient heterogeneity increased the growth of C. demersum (approximately 30% in total biomass and 40% in the number of nodes) but not of M. spicatum. The two submerged species have different strategies to address invasion by E. crassipes. These results indicate that E. crassipes can prevent the growth of submerged plants even if the submerged plants can effectively use heterogeneous nutrients. For the effective conservation of submerged macrophytes in wetlands, measures should be taken to restrict the spread of invasive free-floating species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Invasive Eichhornia crassipes Affects the Capacity of Submerged Macrophytes to Utilize Nutrients

Zhou

Pan

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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“…, Yuan et al. ). Thus, it remains unknown whether competition between species from these genera can lead to changes in physiological activity over time, and whether the importance of competition for their growth changes along a salinity gradient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many ecologists have attempted to explain the success of the reciprocal invasion, with several studies determining that soil salinity in invaded wetlands favors competitive exclusion of native species by alien species (Vasquez et al 2006, Jiang et al 2009, Medeiros et al 2013, Tang et al 2014. However, previous studies have only focused on the competitive intensity between Spartina species and Phragmites species along salinity gradients, and have explained changes in competition intensity by measuring physiological activities at one particular time, when a species is grown alone (Vasquez et al 2006, Wang et al 2006, Jiang et al 2009, Yuan et al 2013. Thus, it remains unknown whether competition between species from these genera can lead to changes in physiological activity over time, and whether the importance of competition for their growth changes along a salinity gradient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photosynthetic tolerance to non‐resource stress influences competition importance and intensity in an invaded estuary

Tang

Wolf

Gao

et al. 2018

Ecology

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In an attempt to clarify the role of environmental and biotic interactions on plant growth, there has been a long-running ecological debate over whether the intensity and importance of competition stabilizes, increases or decreases across environmental gradients. We conducted an experiment in a Chinese estuary to investigate the effects of a non-resource stress gradient, soil salinity (from 1.4‰ to 19.0‰ salinity), on the competitive interactions between native Phragmites australis and invasive Spartina alterniflora. We linked these effects to measurements of photosynthetic activities to further elucidate the underlying physiological mechanism behind the competitive interactions and the driver of invasion. The experiments revealed that while biomass of both species decreased in the presence of the other, competition did not alter photosynthetic activity of either species over time. P. australis exhibited high photosynthetic activity, including low chlorophyllase activity, high chlorophyll content, high stomatal conductance and high net photosynthetic rate, at low salinity. Under these conditions, P. australis experienced low competitive intensity, leading to high biomass production and competitive exclusion of S. alterniflora. The opposite was observed for S. alterniflora: while competitive intensity experienced by P. australis increased with increasing salinity, and photosynthetic activity, biomass, competitive dominance and the importance of competition for P. australis growth decreased, those of S. alterniflora were stable. These findings demonstrate that S. alterniflora invasion driven by competitive exclusion are likely to occur and expand in high salinity zones. The change in the nature of competition along a non-resource stress gradient differs between competitors likely due to differences in photosynthetic tolerance to salinity. The driver of growth of the less-tolerant species changes from competition to non-resource stress factors with increasing stress levels, whereas competition is constantly important for growth of the more-tolerant species. Incorporating metrics of both competition intensity and importance, as well as linking these competitive outcomes with physiological mechanisms, is crucial to understanding, predicting, and mediating the effects of invasive species in the future.

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“…Tidal inundation and salinity are key factors that affect the colonization of Spartina and their competition with native species (Yuan et al. ). Although all Spartina species are inundation tolerant, no Spartina species has been found to persist in areas subjected to consistent wave action (Mobberley ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintenance of salt barrens inhibited landward invasion ofSpartinaspecies in salt marshes

Sun

Zhang

et al. 2017

Ecosphere

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. 2017. Maintenance of salt barrens inhibited landward invasion of Spartina species in salt marshes. Ecosphere 8(10):e01982. 10. 1002/ecs2.1982 Abstract. Spartina spp. (cordgrasses) often dominates intertidal mudflats and/or low marshes. The landward invasion of these species was typically thought to be restrained by low tidal inundation frequencies and interspecific competition. We noticed that the reported soil salinity levels in some salt marshes were much higher than those at the mean higher high water level, which might inhibit the landward invasion of cordgrass. To test this possibility, we transplanted Spartina alterniflora across an elevational gradient in an invaded salt marsh in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, where a salt accumulation zone (i.e., salt barren) was previously observed. We found that S. alterniflora was significantly inhibited by the salt barren in high marsh regions, although it performed better at upland and low marsh regions. A common garden experiment further elucidated that S. alterniflora performed best at low salinity levels and that this species is less sensitive to inundation frequency. Our results indicated that the salt barren inhibited the landward invasion of S. alterniflora in salt marshes and provided a natural barrier to protect the upland from invasion. Though field observations suggest that S. alterniflora could propagate along tidal channels, which provide low-salinity corridors for the dispersal of propagules, natural salt barrens can inhibit the landward invasion of Spartina in salt marshes. However, artificial disturbances that break the salt barren band in salt marshes (e.g., artificial ditches) might accelerate the invasion of Spartina spp. This new finding should alert salt marsh managers to pay attention to artificial ditches and/or other human activities when attempting to control Spartina invasion.

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Interspecific Interactions between Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora along a Tidal Gradient in the Dongtan Wetland, Eastern China

Cited by 21 publications

References 56 publications

Invasive Eichhornia crassipes Affects the Capacity of Submerged Macrophytes to Utilize Nutrients

Invasive Eichhornia crassipes Affects the Capacity of Submerged Macrophytes to Utilize Nutrients

Photosynthetic tolerance to non‐resource stress influences competition importance and intensity in an invaded estuary

Maintenance of salt barrens inhibited landward invasion ofSpartinaspecies in salt marshes

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