Journal
ECOLOGY LETTERS
Volume 19, Issue 4, Pages 469-477Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/ele.12583
Keywords
Bipolaris; enemy release hypothesis; fungal pathogens; Microstegium vimineum; non-native invasive plant; spillover; stiltgrass
Categories
Funding
- NSF-DEB [1257741]
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [1257741] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Emerging pathogens are a growing threat to human health, agriculture and the diversity of ecological communities but may also help control problematic species. Here we investigated the diversity, distribution and consequences of emerging fungal pathogens infecting an aggressive invasive grass that is rapidly colonising habitats throughout the eastern USA. We document the recent emergence and accumulation over time of diverse pathogens that are members of a single fungal genus and represent multiple, recently described or undescribed species. We also show that experimental suppression of these pathogens increased host performance in the field, demonstrating the negative effects of emerging pathogens on invasive plants. Our results suggest that invasive species can facilitate pathogen emergence and amplification, raising concerns about movement of pathogens among agricultural, horticultural, and wild grasses. However, one possible benefit of pathogen accumulation is suppression of aggressive invaders over the long term, potentially abating their negative impacts on native communities.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available