Open AccessDissecting Solidago canadensis –soil feedback in its real invasion
Author(s) -
Dong LiJia,
Yang JianXia,
Yu HongWei,
He WeiMing
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.2743
Subject(s) - solidago canadensis , forb , abiotic component , plant community , dominance (genetics) , invasive species , microcosm , biology , native plant , ecology , abundance (ecology) , introduced species , species richness , grassland , biochemistry , gene
The importance of plant–soil feedback ( PSF ) has long been recognized, but the current knowledge on PSF patterns and the related mechanisms mainly stems from laboratory experiments. We aimed at addressing PSF effects on community performance and their determinants using an invasive forb Solidago canadensis . To do so, we surveyed 81 pairs of invaded versus uninvaded plots, collected soil samples from these pairwise plots, and performed an experiment with microcosm plant communities. The magnitudes of conditioning soil abiotic properties and soil biotic properties by S. canadensis were similar, but the direction was opposite; altered abiotic and biotic properties influenced the production of subsequent S. canadensis communities and its abundance similarly. These processes shaped neutral S. canadensis –soil feedback effects at the community level. Additionally, the relative dominance of S. canadensis increased with its ability of competitive suppression in the absence and presence of S. canadensis –soil feedbacks, and S. canadensis ‐induced decreases in native plant species did not alter soil properties directly. These findings provide a basis for understanding PSF effects and the related mechanisms in the field conditions and also highlight the importance of considering PSF s holistically.