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83 results for “invasive grasses”
Data from: Effects of grass functional diversity on invasion success by exotic grasses in Cerrado grasslands
<ol> <li>Invasive species pose significant challenges to successful restoration efforts worldwide. A strategy to reduce invasions is to establish communities consisting of species with varied ecological strategies. These strategies typically align along the conservative and plant size axes, and more recently, along a belowground collaboration axis. However, we lack understanding of how the diverse ecological strategies of Cerrado grass species, their combinations, and their interactions with soil conditions can mitigate invasions.</li> <li>Here, we investigated how native grass communities composed of species with different ecological strategies affect the invasion success in two soil types of abandoned pastures in the Cerrado. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that greater above- and belowground functional diversity reduces exotic species invasion. We also evaluated whether the isolated effects of native species on invasion were positive or negative.</li> <li>We installed an experiment with species richness ranging from zero to eight native grass species. In November 2019, we sowed species combinations to create communities composed by species with different ecological strategies. We quantified the aboveground biomass of exotic species as a measure of invasion. To characterize the species' ecological strategies, we measured five functional traits.</li> <li>Functional diversity of maximum height and specific root length (SRL) had the highest predictive power, however, the most parsimonious model included only SRL diversity, which represents the collaboration axis. Native aboveground biomass was also negatively related to exotic species biomass. Furthermore, invasion was greater in less stressful soil conditions but did not interact with diversity. The effect of native species varied from facilitation to competition, with the annual fast-growing native species favouring invasion.</li> <li> <em>Synthesis and applications</em>. Our results show that greater functional diversity of combined above- and belowground traits reduces invasion success, shedding light on an underexplored role of SRL diversity. The competitive and facilitative effects of different native species highlight the need for careful selection of the species to be used in restoration programs. Furthermore, the absence of interaction between diversity and soil types highlights the need for an integrated management of the functional composition and edaphic factors to increase resistance to invasion in these Neotropical grass communities.</li> </ol>
Updated dataset from "Exploring seed density and limiting similarity to reduce invasive grass performance for grassland restoration purposes"
<p>Here we aimed to compare the effect of two seed mixes and three density sowing treatments on the performance of the invasive grass Eragrostis plana, one of the major threats to the Campos Sulinos grasslands, at South Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse experiment in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The seed mixes have the same species, but differ in terms of species abundance.</p> <p>Paper Thomas et al. (2024) "Exploring seed density and limiting similarity to reduce invasive grass performance for grassland restoration purposes", published at Applied Vegetation Science. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12804">https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12804</a></p>
Data for: Invasion by an exotic grass species homogenises native freshwater plant communities
<p>A growing body of evidence has shown that biological invasions cause shifts in species composition of communities in space and time. Although biological invasions are considered a major driver of biotic homogenisation worldwide, most previous studies are conducted at small spatial scales and over short time periods, which may have underestimated the impacts of exotic species on native communities.</p> <p>Using a unique dataset of aquatic plants sampled in 235 sites over 12 years (2007–2010 and 2015–2019) in a large reservoir (Itaipu Reservoir; 1,350 km²), we analyzed how the invasion of a non-native grass (<em>Urochloa arrecta</em>) affects the species richness, ecological uniqueness (i.e., local contribution to beta diversity – LCBD) and temporal β–diversity of native plant communities.</p> <p>From 3,934 surveyed plant communities, <em>U. arrecta</em> was recorded in 2,888 samples and it was absent from 1,046 samples. Overall, species richness and ecological uniqueness of native plant communities were markedly lower in sites invaded than non-invaded by <em>U. arrecta</em>. From 2007 to 2019, the ecological uniqueness of native plants was 60% lower in the invaded than non-invaded sites. Whereas in invaded sites the species loss was the dominant mechanism driving native communities over time, in non–invaded sites the gain of new native species was the primary mechanism underlying community trajectories. Moreover, comparing native plant communities before and after the invasion of <em>U. arrecta</em>, species richness, ecological uniqueness and species gains of native plant communities decreased, whereas species losses increased after the invasion of <em>U. arrecta</em>. Finally, the positive relationship between native biodiversity and precipitation was stronger in sites non-invaded than invaded by <em>U. arrecta</em>.</p> <p>Synthesis: Our findings provide comprehensive evidence that an invasive plant is decreasing the spatial and temporal β–diversity of native plant communities through declining species richness, rather than simply correlating with them. This suggests that<em> U. arrecta</em> is driving native plants to become less diverse and homogeneous after the invasion, both spatially and temporally. Our findings illustrate that at broad scales, aquatic plant communities may become increasingly homogeneous with the increasing number of biological invasion events taking place worldwide. </p>
Does the effect of flowering time on biomass allocation across latitude differ between invasive and native salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora?
<p><span>Parallel latitudinal clines in flowering time have been documented in both the invasive and native ranges of plants. Furthermore, flowering time has been found to affect biomass at maturity. Therefore, understanding how these flowering times affect biomass accumulation across latitude is essential to understanding plant adaptations and distributions. </span><span>We investigated and compared trends in first flowering day (FFD), aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB) and BGB:AGB ratio of the salt marsh grass <em>Spartina alterniflora</em> along latitudinal gradients from the invasive (China, 19-40<sup>o</sup> N) and native range (United States, 27-43<sup>o</sup> N) in a greenhouse common garden experiment, and tested whether FFD would drive these divergences between invasive and native ranges. </span><span>The invasive populations produced more (~20%, ~19%) AGB and BGB than native populations, but there were no significant differences in the FFD and BGB:AGB ratio. We found significant parallel latitudinal clines in FFD in both invasive and native ranges. In addition, the BGB:AGB ratio was negatively correlated with the FFD in both the invasive and native ranges but non-significant in invasive populations. In contrast, AGB and BGB increased with latitude in the invasive range, but declined with latitude in the native range. Most interestingly, we found AGB and BGB positively correlated with the FFD in the native range, but no significant relationships in the invasive range. </span>Our results indirectly support the evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis (EICA) that <em>S. alterniflora</em> has evolved to produce greater AGB and BGB in China, and climatic conditions in the native might select for a flowering and allocation pattern is maintained in the invasive range. Our results also suggest that invasive <em>S. alterniflora</em> in China is not constrained by the trade-off of earlier flowering with smaller size, and that flowering time has played an important role on biomass allocation across latitude.</p>
Does the effect of flowering time on biomass allocation across latitude differ between invasive and native salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora?
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Phenology-based classification of invasive annual grasses to the species level
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Data from: Grass invasion and drought interact to alter the diversity and structure of native plant communities
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Data from: Effects of grass functional diversity on invasion success by exotic grasses in Cerrado grasslands
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Annual grass invasions and wildfire deplete ecosystem carbon storage by >50% to resistant base levels
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Synergistic impacts of co-occurring invasive grasses cause persistent effects in the soil-plant system after selective removal
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Data for: Invasion by an exotic grass species homogenises native freshwater plant communities
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Data from: Effects of native bryophytes on exotic grass invasion across an environmental gradient
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Data from: Clonal integration enhances performance of an invasive grass
<p>While many clonal plants are highly successful invaders, not all clonal plants share resources, often making the contribution of clonal integration (i.e., the translocation of resources among ramets) to invasion unclear. To determine if photosynthate translocation augments performance of emerging daughter ramets for a globally invasive grass (Imperata cylindrica), we combined a 13CO2 pulse-chase experiment with a greenhouse experiment manipulating light levels and rhizome attachment. Model simulations were also used to determine if clonal integration facilitated photosynthate translocation, if the performance of daughter ramets was enhanced by clonal integration, and if shaded ramets benefited relatively more from transferred photosynthate. We found that acropetal photosynthate transfer occurred between all sampled parent-daughter ramet pairs and that this resource sharing led to higher biomass and tiller production when rhizomes between parent and daughter ramets were intact. We also found that the benefits of integration to recipient clones outweighed the costs to donors, since there was no reduction in parent plant performance due to sharing. Additionally, analysis of our data show that photosynthate transfer was likely of greater benefit in overcoming growth constraints in the shade than in the full sun (posterior probability ~ 96.5%), a result that is further supported by our numerical simulations from a basic growth model. Thus, photosynthate transfer is a probable mechanism that explains why clonal integration can be particularly beneficial in heterogeneous resource environments. More generally, resource sharing among clonal plants may be a critical but underappreciated trait of invasive species.</p>
An invasive grass species has both local and broad-scale impacts on diversity: Potential mechanisms and implications
<p>Questions</p> <p>The impact of invasive plant species on native diversity varies with spatial scale, with some invaders leading to broad-scale diversity declines and others only local declines. These discrepancies may reflect the invaders capacity to reduce niche opportunities across spatial scales which can be associated with their functional traits. We investigated impact-scale relationships and trait-based mechanisms, in areas invaded by the exotic perennial grass species, <i>Bothriochloa pertusa</i>. We examine root traits specifically, as belowground competition was considered particularly important to the success of this species.</p> <p>Location</p> <p>Grassy 'ironbark' woodlands of eastern Queensland, Australia</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined plots with varying degrees of invasion by <i>B. pertusa,</i> at multiple spatial scales (up to 1000 m<sup>2</sup>) and analysed changes to the species area relationships (SARs) with increasing invader cover. Changes to SARs were assessed in relation to the invaders effect on rare (low-patch-occupancy) and common species in the community. In a separate analysis within the same habitat we collected root cores across a gradient of invader cover and analysed changes to community root traits that were considered important correlates of competition for space and nutrients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Invasion-induced reductions in diversity were pervasive at all scales investigated, and this was associated with a proportionally greater effect on rare species in the community. In the separate root analysis, changes in community root traits with increasing invader cover were potentially indicative of more intense competition for resources rather than space.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The observed regional-scale dominance of <i>B. pertusa</i> and associated declines in diversity warrant serious concern for the conservation of native plant communities and species in a region already at risk from other anthropogenic threats. Intense competition for belowground resources is likely a contributing mechanism to the success of <i>B. pertusa</i> in this study system. Experimental examination of this and other mechanisms would help to validate these findings.</p>
Data from: With a little help from my friends – Physiological integration facilitates invasion of wetland grass Elymus athericus into flooded soils
<p>Tidal wetlands worldwide are undergoing rapid invasions by tall-growing clonal grasses. Prominent examples are invasions by species of the genera <i>Spartina, Phragmites,</i> and <i>Elymus</i>. The responsible physiological and ecological drivers of these invasions are poorly understood. Physiological integration (PI) is a key trait of clonal plants, which enables the exchange of resources among ramets. We investigated PI in <i>Elymus athericus,</i> which has been rapidly spreading from high-marsh into low-marsh environments of European salt marshes during the last decades. We applied a nitrogen-stable-isotope approach to trace nutrient translocation between ramets in a factorial mesocosm experiment. The experiment was set up to mimic an invasion pattern commonly found in tidal wetlands, i.e. from high-elevated and rarely flooded into low-elevated and frequently flooded microenvironments. We tested for intraspecific variability in PI by including two genotypes of <i>Elymus </i>that naturally occur at different elevations within the tidal frame, a high-marsh (HM) and a low-marsh (LM) genotype. PI strongly increased offspring ramet aboveground and belowground biomass by 62 and 81%, respectively. Offspring ramets under drained conditions had 95% greater belowground biomass than those under flooded conditions. LM genotype offspring ramets produced 27% more aboveground biomass than HM genotypes. Offspring ramets were clearly more enriched in <sup>15</sup>N under flooded vs. drained conditions; however, this positive effect of flooding on δ<sup>15</sup>N was only significant in the LM genotype. Our findings demonstrate the importance of PI for the growth of <i>Elymus</i> offspring ramets and thereby for the species' capacity for fast vegetative spread. We show that offspring ramets under stressful flooded conditions are more dependent on nutrient supply from parent ramets than those under drained conditions. Our data furthermore suggest a higher degree of adaptation to flooding via PI in the LM vs. HM genotype. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of assessing PI and intraspecific trait variability to understand invasion processes within ecosystems.</p>
Field-based ecological studies to assess prospective biological control agents for invasive alien plants: an example from giant rat's tail grass
<p>1. Biological control (biocontrol) of invasive alien plants is a widely utilised weed management tool. Prospective biocontrol agents are typically assessed through host-specificity testing and pre-release efficacy studies performed in quarantine. However, rearing of the potential biocontrol agents and/or test plants is often difficult or impossible under quarantine conditions. Moreover, practitioners may attain laboratory-artefacts in quarantine, which may result in the potential agent being needlessly rejected. Field-based studies in the weed's indigenous distribution could overcome these issues.</p> <p>2. Sporobolus pyramidalis and Sporobolus natalensis (giant rat's tail grass; Poaceae) are indigenous in Africa but have become problematic invasive alien plants in Australia. A previous biocontrol programme was terminated because the candidate agent could not be reared and tested in quarantine. We performed field-based host-specificity and efficacy studies for prospective biocontrol agents in South Africa (indigenous distribution). Forty-seven non-target grass species were sampled during host-specificity assessments. Candidate agent efficacy was estimated based on damage to the target weeds, for each host-specific candidate individually and in combination with other host-specific candidates.</p> <p>3. Three species of endophagous wasps were deemed host-specific. Efficacy assessments identified an undescribed stem-boring wasp (Tetramesa sp.) species as the most damaging candidate. A second Tetramesa species was much less damaging alone but had a cumulative impact on the plant in combination with the more damaging Tetramesa species. Both Tetramesa species are recommended for importation into quarantine in Australia for confirmatory host-specificity testing with a significantly reduced test plant list.</p> <p>4. Synthesis and applications: Similar field-based assessments in the indigenous distribution of weeds targeted for biocontrol could be included in future programmes. Where rearing of potential agents and/or test plants is difficult or impossible under quarantine conditions, our field-based method provides an alternative. Where quarantine-based testing is feasible, this method ensures that only candidates that have passed an ecologically realistic host-specificity and potential efficacy screening are imported into quarantine. This may reduce the number of agents that are imported and the length of time each agent is kept in quarantine. This is advantageous because quarantine space is highly valuable and is usually a limiting factor in pre-release assessments of biocontrol agents.</p>
Data from: Consequences of seed origin and biological invasion for early establishment of a North American grass species
Local, wild-collected seeds of native plants are recommended for use in ecological restoration to maintain patterns of adaptive variation. However, some environments are so drastically altered by exotic, invasive weeds that original environmental conditions may no longer exist. Under these circumstances, cultivated varieties selected for improved germination and vigor may have a competitive advantage at highly disturbed sites. This study investigated differences in early establishment and seedling performance between wild and cultivated seed sources of the native grass, Poa secunda, both with and without competition from the invasive exotic grass, Bromus tectorum. We measured seedling survival and above-ground biomass at two experimental sites in western Montana, and found that the source of seeds selected for restoration can influence establishment at the restoration site. Cultivars had an overall advantage when compared with local genotypes, supporting evidence of greater vigor among cultivated varieties of native species. This advantage, however, declined rapidly in the presence of B. tectorum and most accessions were not significantly different for growth and survival in competition plots. Only one cultivar had a consistent advantage despite a strong decline in its performance when competing with invasive plants. As a result, cultivated varieties did not meet expectations for greater establishment and persistence relative to local genotypes in the presence of invasive, exotic species. We recommend the use of representative local or regional wild seed sources in restoration to minimize commercial selection, and a mix of individual accessions (wild, or cultivated when necessary) in highly invaded settings to capture vigorous genotypes and increase the odds native plants will establish at restoration sites.
Data from: Effect of plant root symbionts on performance of native woody species in competition with an invasive grass in multispecies microcosms
The majority of terrestrial plants form mutualistic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia (i.e. nitrogen fixing bacteria). Understanding these associations has important implications for ecological theory and for restoration practice. Here we tested whether the presence of AMF and rhizobia influence the performance of native woody plants invaded by a non-native grass in experimental microcosms. We planted eight plant species (i.e. Acacia acuminata, A. microbotrya, Eucalyptus loxophleba subsp. loxophleba, E. astringens, Calothamnus quadrifidus, Callistemon phoeniceus, Hakea lissocarpha and H. prostrata) in microcosms of field-conditioned soil with and without addition of AMF and rhizobia in a fully factorial experimental design. After seedling establishment, we seeded half the microcosms with an invasive grass Bromus diandrus. We measured shoot and root biomass of native plants and Bromus, and on roots, the percentage colonization by AMF, number of rhizobia-forming nodules and number of proteaceous root clusters. We found no effect of plant root symbionts or Bromus addition on performance of myrtaceous, and as predicted, proteaceous species as they rely little or not at all on AMF and rhiozbia. Soil treatments with AMF and rhiozbia had a strong positive effect (i.e. larger biomass) on native legumes (A. microbotrya and A. acuminata). However, the beneficial effect of root symbionts on legumes became negative (i.e. lower biomass and less nodules) if Bromus was present, especially for one legume, i.e. A. acuminata, suggesting a disruptive effect of the invader on the mutualism. We also found a stimulating effect of Bromus on root nodule production in A. microbotrya and AMF colonization in A. acuminata which could be indicative of legumes' increased resource acquisition requirement, i.e. for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, in response to the Bromus addition. We have demonstrated the importance of measuring belowground effects because the aboveground effects gave limited indication of the effects occuring belowground.
Data from: Fire and non-native grass invasion interact to suppress tree regeneration in temperate deciduous forests
1. While many ecosystems depend on fire to maintain biodiversity, non-native plant invasions can enhance fire intensity, suppressing native species and generating a fire–invasion feedback. These dynamics have been observed in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, but fire–invasion interactions in temperate deciduous forests, where prescribed fires are often used as management tools to enhance native diversity, have rarely been investigated. 2. Here we evaluated the effects of a widespread invasive grass on fire behaviour in eastern deciduous forests in the USA and the potential effects of fire and invasions on tree regeneration. We planted native trees into invaded and uninvaded forests, quantified fuel loads, then applied landscape-scale prescribed fires and no-burn controls, and measured fire behaviour and tree seedling and invasive plant performance. 3. Our results show that fires in invaded habitats were significantly more intense, including higher fire temperatures, longer duration and higher flame heights, even though invasions did not alter total fuel loads. The invasion plus fire treatment suppressed native tree seedling survival by 54% compared to invasions without fire, and invasions reduced natural tree recruitment by 66%. 4. We also show that invasive plant biomass did not change from one season to the next in plots where fire was applied, but invader biomass declined significantly in unburned reference plots, suggesting a positive invasive grass–fire feedback. 5. Synthesis and applications. These findings demonstrate that fire–invasion interactions can have significant consequences for invaded temperate forest ecosystems by increasing fire intensity and reducing tree establishment while promoting invasive plant persistence. To encourage tree regeneration and slow invasive spread, we recommend that forest managers remove invasions prior to applying prescribed fires or avoid the use of fire in habitats invaded by non-native grasses.
Native ants help to spread an invasive African grass in the Cerrado
<p><span>Plant-animal interactions may facilitate biological invasions. The African grass </span><i>Urochloa decumbens</i> is an aggressive invader in the Cerrado. We demonstrate that native ants are dispersing the seeds to short distances, allowing the gradual spread of the invasive to sites without the need of great anthropogenic soil disturbances.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
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International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.