Selective alteration of soil food web components by invasive giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea in two distinct habitat types

TY - JOUR

T1 - Selective alteration of soil food web components by invasive giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea in two distinct habitat types

AU - Quist, C.W.

AU - Vervoort, M.T.W.

AU - Van Megen, H.

AU - Gort, G.

AU - Bakker, J.

AU - Van der Putten, W.H.

AU - Helder, J.

N1 - Reporting year: 2014 Metis note: 5649, TE

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Apart from relatively well-studied aboveground effects, invasive plant species will also impact the soil food web. So far, most research has been focusing on primary decomposers, while studies on effects at higher trophic levels are relatively scarce. Giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea, native to North America, is a widespread and common invasive species in most European countries. We investigated its impact on plant communities and on multiple trophic levels of the soil food web in two contrasting habitats: riparian zones and semi-natural grasslands. In 30 pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots, floristic composition, pH, fungal biomass and the densities of 11 nematode taxa were determined by using a quantitative PCR-based method. In the two habitats, the invader outcompeted both rare and dominant plant species. Belowground, S. gigantea invasion reduced pH, increased overall fungal biomass as well as the density of a single lineage of fungivorous nematodes, the family Aphelenchoididae. The densities of two other, phylogenetically distinct lineages of fungivorous nematodes, Aphelenchidae and Diphtherophoridae, were unaffected by the local increase in fungal biomass. Apparently this plant species induces a local asymmetric boost of the fungal community, and only Aphelenchoididae were able to benefit from this invader-induced change. The alternative explanation - the results are explained by a subtle, S. gigantea - induced 0.1-0.2 units decrease of pH - seems unlikely, as pH optima for nematode taxa are relatively broad. Thus, apart from readily observable aboveground effects, the invasive plant species S. gigantea affects fungal biomass as well as a specific part of the fungivorous nematode community in a soil type-independent manner. [KEYWORDS: EXOTIC PLANT INVASIONS NEMATODE COMMUNITIES ALIEN PLANTS ERGOSTEROL BIOTA DIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY EXTRACTION CANADENSIS FEEDBACKS]

AB - Apart from relatively well-studied aboveground effects, invasive plant species will also impact the soil food web. So far, most research has been focusing on primary decomposers, while studies on effects at higher trophic levels are relatively scarce. Giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea, native to North America, is a widespread and common invasive species in most European countries. We investigated its impact on plant communities and on multiple trophic levels of the soil food web in two contrasting habitats: riparian zones and semi-natural grasslands. In 30 pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots, floristic composition, pH, fungal biomass and the densities of 11 nematode taxa were determined by using a quantitative PCR-based method. In the two habitats, the invader outcompeted both rare and dominant plant species. Belowground, S. gigantea invasion reduced pH, increased overall fungal biomass as well as the density of a single lineage of fungivorous nematodes, the family Aphelenchoididae. The densities of two other, phylogenetically distinct lineages of fungivorous nematodes, Aphelenchidae and Diphtherophoridae, were unaffected by the local increase in fungal biomass. Apparently this plant species induces a local asymmetric boost of the fungal community, and only Aphelenchoididae were able to benefit from this invader-induced change. The alternative explanation - the results are explained by a subtle, S. gigantea - induced 0.1-0.2 units decrease of pH - seems unlikely, as pH optima for nematode taxa are relatively broad. Thus, apart from readily observable aboveground effects, the invasive plant species S. gigantea affects fungal biomass as well as a specific part of the fungivorous nematode community in a soil type-independent manner. [KEYWORDS: EXOTIC PLANT INVASIONS NEMATODE COMMUNITIES ALIEN PLANTS ERGOSTEROL BIOTA DIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY EXTRACTION CANADENSIS FEEDBACKS]

KW - national

U2 - 10.1111/oik.01067

DO - 10.1111/oik.01067

M3 - Article

SN - 0030-1299

VL - 123

SP - 837

EP - 845

JO - Oikos

JF - Oikos

IS - 7

ER -