Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient
Abstract Invasive alien plant effects on ecosystem functions are often difficult to predict across environmental gradients due to the context‐dependent interactions between the invader and the recipient communities. Adopting a functional trait‐based framework could provide more mechanistic predictio...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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Series: | Ecosphere |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2097 |
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doaj-ac2aceb3db804888b028dedc0d199f76 |
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record_format |
Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Kenny Helsen Stuart W. Smith Jörg Brunet Sara A. O. Cousins Pieter De Frenne Adam Kimberley Annette Kolb Jonathan Lenoir Shiyu Ma Jana Michaelis Jan Plue Kris Verheyen James D. M. Speed Bente J. Graae |
spellingShingle |
Kenny Helsen Stuart W. Smith Jörg Brunet Sara A. O. Cousins Pieter De Frenne Adam Kimberley Annette Kolb Jonathan Lenoir Shiyu Ma Jana Michaelis Jan Plue Kris Verheyen James D. M. Speed Bente J. Graae Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient Ecosphere ecosystem function functional traits Impatiens glandulifera invasive alien species latitudinal gradient leaf dry matter content |
author_facet |
Kenny Helsen Stuart W. Smith Jörg Brunet Sara A. O. Cousins Pieter De Frenne Adam Kimberley Annette Kolb Jonathan Lenoir Shiyu Ma Jana Michaelis Jan Plue Kris Verheyen James D. M. Speed Bente J. Graae |
author_sort |
Kenny Helsen |
title |
Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
title_short |
Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
title_full |
Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
title_fullStr |
Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
title_sort |
impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradient |
publisher |
Wiley |
series |
Ecosphere |
issn |
2150-8925 |
publishDate |
2018-01-01 |
description |
Abstract Invasive alien plant effects on ecosystem functions are often difficult to predict across environmental gradients due to the context‐dependent interactions between the invader and the recipient communities. Adopting a functional trait‐based framework could provide more mechanistic predictions for invasive species' impacts. In this study, we contrast litter decomposition rates among communities with and without the invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera in five regions along a 1600 km long latitudinal gradient in Europe. Across this gradient, four functional traits, namely leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), stem‐specific density (SSD), and plant height, are correlated to rates of litter decomposition of standardized rooibos (labile), green tea (recalcitrant), and I. glandulifera litter. Our results show that both invaded and non‐invaded plant communities had a higher expression of acquisitive traits (low LDMC and SSD, high SLA) with increasing temperature along the latitudinal gradient, partly explaining the variation in decomposition rates along the gradient. At the same time, invasion shifted community trait composition toward more acquisitive traits across the latitudinal gradient. These trait changes partly explained the increased litter decomposition rates of the labile litter fraction of rooibos and I. glandulifera litter in invaded communities, a shift that was most evident in the warmer study regions. Plant available nitrogen was lower in invaded communities, likely due to high nutrient uptake by I. glandulifera. Meanwhile, the coldest study region was characterized by a reversed effect of invasion on decomposition rates. Here, community traits related to low litter quality and potential allelopathic effects of the invader resulted in reduced litter decomposition rates, suggesting a threshold temperature at which invader effects on litter decomposition turn positive. This study therefore illustrates how functional trait changes toward acquisitive traits can help explain invader‐induced changes in ecosystem functions such as increased litter decomposition. |
topic |
ecosystem function functional traits Impatiens glandulifera invasive alien species latitudinal gradient leaf dry matter content |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2097 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT kennyhelsen impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT stuartwsmith impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT jorgbrunet impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT saraaocousins impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT pieterdefrenne impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT adamkimberley impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT annettekolb impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT jonathanlenoir impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT shiyuma impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT janamichaelis impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT janplue impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT krisverheyen impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT jamesdmspeed impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient AT bentejgraae impactofaninvasivealienplantonlitterdecompositionalongalatitudinalgradient |
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1725119762969657344 |
spelling |
doaj-ac2aceb3db804888b028dedc0d199f762020-11-25T01:23:57ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252018-01-0191n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.2097Impact of an invasive alien plant on litter decomposition along a latitudinal gradientKenny Helsen0Stuart W. Smith1Jörg Brunet2Sara A. O. Cousins3Pieter De Frenne4Adam Kimberley5Annette Kolb6Jonathan Lenoir7Shiyu Ma8Jana Michaelis9Jan Plue10Kris Verheyen11James D. M. Speed12Bente J. Graae13Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Høgskoleringen 5 NO‐7491 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Høgskoleringen 5 NO‐7491 Trondheim NorwaySouthern Swedish Forest Research Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 49 SE‐230 53 Alnarp SwedenDepartment of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm SwedenForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267 BE‐9090 Gontrode‐Melle BelgiumDepartment of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm SwedenVegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology Faculty of Biology/Chemistry (FB 02) University of Bremen Leobener Strasse 5 DE‐28359 Bremen GermanyEdysan (FRE 3498 CNRS) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université de Picardie Jules Verne 1 rue des Louvels FR‐80037 Amiens Cedex FranceForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267 BE‐9090 Gontrode‐Melle BelgiumVegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology Faculty of Biology/Chemistry (FB 02) University of Bremen Leobener Strasse 5 DE‐28359 Bremen GermanyDepartment of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm SwedenForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267 BE‐9090 Gontrode‐Melle BelgiumDepartment of Natural History NTNU University Museum Norwegian University of Science and Technology NO‐7491 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Høgskoleringen 5 NO‐7491 Trondheim NorwayAbstract Invasive alien plant effects on ecosystem functions are often difficult to predict across environmental gradients due to the context‐dependent interactions between the invader and the recipient communities. Adopting a functional trait‐based framework could provide more mechanistic predictions for invasive species' impacts. In this study, we contrast litter decomposition rates among communities with and without the invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera in five regions along a 1600 km long latitudinal gradient in Europe. Across this gradient, four functional traits, namely leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), stem‐specific density (SSD), and plant height, are correlated to rates of litter decomposition of standardized rooibos (labile), green tea (recalcitrant), and I. glandulifera litter. Our results show that both invaded and non‐invaded plant communities had a higher expression of acquisitive traits (low LDMC and SSD, high SLA) with increasing temperature along the latitudinal gradient, partly explaining the variation in decomposition rates along the gradient. At the same time, invasion shifted community trait composition toward more acquisitive traits across the latitudinal gradient. These trait changes partly explained the increased litter decomposition rates of the labile litter fraction of rooibos and I. glandulifera litter in invaded communities, a shift that was most evident in the warmer study regions. Plant available nitrogen was lower in invaded communities, likely due to high nutrient uptake by I. glandulifera. Meanwhile, the coldest study region was characterized by a reversed effect of invasion on decomposition rates. Here, community traits related to low litter quality and potential allelopathic effects of the invader resulted in reduced litter decomposition rates, suggesting a threshold temperature at which invader effects on litter decomposition turn positive. This study therefore illustrates how functional trait changes toward acquisitive traits can help explain invader‐induced changes in ecosystem functions such as increased litter decomposition.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2097ecosystem functionfunctional traitsImpatiens glanduliferainvasive alien specieslatitudinal gradientleaf dry matter content |