4.3 Article

Impact of an exotic N-2-fixing Acacia on composition and N status of a native Mediterranean community

期刊

出版社

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2010.11.005

关键词

Acacia longifolia; Invasion; N-2-Fixation; N-15 stable isotope; Corema album; Biodiversity

类别

资金

  1. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [WE 2681/3-1]
  2. Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia [POCTI/1999/BSE/34689]
  3. Luso-Alema ICCT/DAAD [D/02/46225]

向作者/读者索取更多资源

Nitrogen fixing plant species are among the most invasive species worldwide. However, field studies directly estimating the differential effect of native versus invasive exotic N-2-fixing plants on plant communities are lacking. The exotic leguminous shrub Acacia longifolia invades coastal dunes across Portugal often co-existing with the native N-2-fixer Stauracanthus spectabilis. Moreover, this co-existence with native species is possible due to a relatively low cover of Acacia species particularly in the south of Portugal where drought is intense. In this study we compare the impact of two different legume species (native and exotic) on the nitrogen status of a protected Mediterranean dune system. We document how presence of the exotic invader A. longifolia impacted community structure, soil properties and the foliar nitrogen concentrations and growth rates of native species. A. longifolia invaded areas had decreased biodiversity, fewer seedlings and altered soil properties (e.g., increased soil organic matter, NO3- and NH4+). A. longifolia presence was also associated with significant increases in foliar nitrogen content and delta N-15 of the endemic shrub Corema album while presence of the native legume Stauracanthus spectabilis had no discernible impact on C. album. Furthermore, a strong correlation between increased foliar nitrogen and enhanced growth rates in C. album indicate a facilitative effect of A. longifolia on this native shrub. We posit that the combination of nitrogen fixation, a rapid growth rate and production of a thick litter layer result in a very substantial impact of the invader in invaded ecosystems. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

作者

我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。

评论

主要评分

4.3
评分不足

次要评分

新颖性
-
重要性
-
科学严谨性
-
评价这篇论文

推荐

暂无数据
暂无数据