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Community control on growth and survival of an exotic shrub

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Abstract

A top priority in the field of invasion ecology is to investigate the mechanisms that lead to the successful establishment and spread of harmful exotic species. Studying plant invasions in the context of the invaded community can help us to understand those mechanisms. In this study, we follow a community approach where we describe establishment and growth patterns of an exotic shrub, Elaeagnus umbellata, with respect to the local woody plant community. Primarily focusing on a forest ecosystem, we expect light availability to be a driving factor in the recruitment of E. umbellata individuals; however, this is not supported for seedling recruitment as light becomes detrimental to survival in conditions exceeding 30 % full sun. Instead, growth of first year seedlings is primarily affected by soil moisture. Forest census data of adult individuals show that growth of E. umbellata is affected by light and small-scale neighborhood density (i.e., limited in the understory by space or resources), suggesting a shift in resource requirement. Overall, our study indicates that although E. umbellata individuals are likely to recruit and persist in the understory, successful growth to adulthood is controlled by competitive interactions.

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Acknowledgments

A number of individuals have contributed constructive criticism and guidance throughout the writing of this manuscript. Thank you to the D.O. et al., D. R. Zak, J. Lake, A. Ostling, E. Werner, and C. Davis. Funding for the forest census came from a USDA McIntire-Stennis Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Zachary T. Brym

  2. Department of Biology, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall 372, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA

    David Allen

  3. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Inés Ibáñez

Authors
  1. Zachary T. Brym
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  2. David Allen
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  3. Inés Ibáñez
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Correspondence to Zachary T. Brym.

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Brym, Z.T., Allen, D. & Ibáñez, I. Community control on growth and survival of an exotic shrub. Biol Invasions 16, 2529–2541 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0683-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0683-4

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