TITLE:
Impacts of Four Invasive Asteraceae on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and AM Fungi Community
AUTHORS:
Xinwei Chen, Yuxiao Liu, Hongmei Liu, Hui Wang, Dianlin Yang, Chaohe Huangfu
KEYWORDS:
Invasive Plants, Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, Soil Nutrient Cycle, Enzyme Activity, Plant-Soil Interactions
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.6 No.17,
October
30,
2015
ABSTRACT: Invasive Asteraceae are an important group of plants and might have universal impacts on invaded
ecosystems. However, research data on the ecological impacts of specific plants are still
lacking. Chromolaena odorata, Ageratina adenophora, Flaveria bidentis, and Mikania micrantha
are four typical alien Asteraceae in China. The involvement of soil biota, in particular, the community
structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in their invasion process was tested in present
research. It was found that invasion by the four Asteraceae changed, to different extents, the nutrient
levels in soils. Invasion by C. odorata, A. adenophora, and F. bidentis followed common patterns:
1) decreasing pH value; 2) increasing the soil AM fungal diversity and species richness. Invasion
by all four Asteraceae tested increased nitrogen pools and accelerated nitrogen fluxes with
a decrease in the phosphorus pool, especially available phosphorus. It was suggested that mycorrhizal
symbiosis might partially promote successful invasion of these Asteraceae by affecting the
metabolism of phosphorus in soil. The impacts on soil ecosystems of these Asteraceae tested were
also species-specific, and different invasion strategies were exhibited.