Journal: Acta Oecologica

Abbreviation

Acta Oecol.

Publisher

Elsevier

Journal Volumes

ISSN

1146-609X

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2005 - 200942010 - 20181
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Publications 1 - 5 of 5
  • Pollination and reproduction of an invasive plant inside and outside its ancestral range
    Item type: Journal Article
    Petanidou, Theodora; Price, Mary V.; Bronstein, Judith L.; et al. (2018)
    Acta Oecologica
  • Agri-environment incentive payments and plant species richness under different management intensities in mountain meadows of Switzerland
    Item type: Journal Article
    Dietschi, Severin; Holderegger, Rolf; Schmidt, Sonja Gehriq; et al. (2007)
    Acta Oecologica
  • Responses of native and invasive Brassicaceae species to slug herbivory
    Item type: Journal Article
    Buschmann, Holger; Edwards, Peter; Dietz, Hansjörg (2006)
    Acta Oecologica
    It has been proposed that invasive plants are often less palatable or better able to compensate for biomass losses by herbivory than related, non-invasive species growing in the same area. We hypothesised that low palatability to slugs and/or an ability to compensate for grazing damage are traits contributing to the invasiveness of perennial Brassicaceae forb species introduced to northwestern and central Europe. In common garden and glasshouse experiments we compared life-history and fitness parameters of three native and three invasive Brassicaceae species of central European provenance that were subjected to herbivory by two slug species. Using the same species we performed leaf disc preference assays and investigated the effects of slug herbivory on small plants regenerated from root fragments and seedlings in field and glasshouse experiments. We found high between-species variation in susceptibility to slug herbivory but these were not related to the native or invasive status of the species. While the proportions of seedlings damaged or killed by slug herbivory did not differ between the two groups of species, the survival of damaged root regenerates was higher than that of seedlings. Consistent with our hypothesis, the invasive species, particularly those with clonal reproduction, showed higher compensation growth after slug herbivory. Our results suggest that a high ability for compensation growth in invasive Brassicaceae species makes them more tolerant to slug damage than native congeners. The potential to regenerate from root fragments, which are less vulnerable than seedlings to herbivory, appears to be another important factor contributing to the invasiveness of some clonal species. Since many invasive plant species share these traits (though regeneration may be from plant parts other than roots), we suggest that tolerance of herbivory may be one of the characteristics of many successful invaders.
  • Plant, soil microbial and soil inorganic nitrogen responses to elevated CO2: a study in microcosms of Holcus lanatus
    Item type: Journal Article
    Barnard, Romain; Leadley, Paul W.; Lensi, Robert; et al. (2005)
    Acta Oecologica
    The impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the nitrogen cycle was evaluated in a 2-month experiment in monospecific grassland microcosms (Holcus lanatus L.) grown on reconstituted grassland soil. The responses of the N pools in the plants, soil, and soil microbes were studied. The impact of high CO2 on key stages of the N cycle, especially nitrification and denitrification processes, were also measured. Our study showed a strong plant response to high CO2: total biomass increased by 76% (P < 0.001) and root length density increased by 77% (P = 0.010). However, total plant N was not significantly modified by high CO2, because the percent N in the plant decreased by 40% (P < 0.001). We observed a large decrease in soil NO3– concentration under elevated CO2 (–50%; P = 0.002). Soil ammonium concentrations were much less affected by CO2 enrichment, and only in resin bags (–8%, P = 0.019). Soil nitrifying enzyme activity (NEA) had a tendency to increase (+17%; P = 0.061) and denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) decreased (-12%; P = 0.013). We found evidence of increased microbial N sink (microbial N increased by 17%, P = 0.004). This and other studies suggest that rising CO2 often reduces soil nitrate concentrations, which may lead to decreased nitrate leaching. Elevated CO2 led to environmental conditions that were less favourable for denitrification in our study.
  • Community assembly and biomass production in regularly and never weeded experimental grasslands
    Item type: Journal Article
    Roscher, Christiane; Temperton, Vicky M.; Buchmann, Nina; et al. (2009)
    Acta Oecologica
Publications 1 - 5 of 5