Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:08:58.103Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Germination and Growth of Native and Invasive Plants on Soil Associated with Biological Control of Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2017

Rebecca A. Sherry
Affiliation:
Cherokee Services Group, contracted to the U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building. C, Fort Collins, CO 80526
Patrick B. Shafroth*
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue Building C, Fort Collins, CO 80526
Jayne Belnap
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 S West Resource Boulevard, Moab, UT 84532
Steven Ostoja
Affiliation:
USDA California Climate Hub, Agricultural Research Service, The John Muir Institute of the Environment, One Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA 95616
Sasha C. Reed
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 S West Resource Boulevard, Moab, UT 84532
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: shafrothp@usgs.gov
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Introductions of biocontrol beetles (tamarisk beetles) are causing dieback of exotic tamarisk in riparian zones across the western United States, yet factors that determine plant communities that follow tamarisk dieback are poorly understood. Tamarisk-dominated soils are generally higher in nutrients, organic matter, and salts than nearby soils, and these soil attributes might influence the trajectory of community change. To assess physical and chemical drivers of plant colonization after beetle-induced tamarisk dieback, we conducted separate germination and growth experiments using soil and litter collected beneath defoliated tamarisk trees. Focal species were two common native (red threeawn, sand dropseed) and two common invasive exotic plants (Russian knapweed, downy brome), planted alone and in combination. Nutrient, salinity, wood chip, and litter manipulations examined how tamarisk litter affects the growth of other species in a context of riparian zone management. Tamarisk litter, tamarisk litter leachate, and fertilization with inorganic nutrients increased growth in all species, but the effect was larger on the exotic plants. Salinity of 4 dS m−1 benefitted Russian knapweed, which also showed the largest positive responses to added nutrients. Litter and wood chips generally delayed and decreased germination; however, a thinner layer of wood chips increased growth slightly. Time to germination was lengthened by most treatments for natives, was not affected in exotic Russian knapweed, and was sometimes decreased in downy brome. Because natives showed only small positive responses to litter and fertilization and large negative responses to competition, Russian knapweed and downy brome are likely to perform better than these two native species following tamarisk dieback.

Type
Research
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by the Weed Science Society of America

Footnotes

Associate Editor for this paper: John Cardina, Ohio State University.

References

Literature Cited

Almansouri, M, Kinet, JM, Lutts, S (2001) Effect of salt and osmotic stresses on germination in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Plant Soil 231: 243254 Google Scholar
Alpert, P, Maron, JL (2000) Carbon addition as a countermeasure against biological invasion by plants. Biol Invasions 2: 3340 Google Scholar
Andersen, DC, Nelson, SM (2006) Flood pattern and weather determine Populus leaf litter breakdown and nitrogen dynamics on a cold desert floodplain. J Arid Environ 64: 626650 Google Scholar
Bajji, M, Kinet, JM, Lutts, S (1998) Salt stress effects on roots and leaves of Atriplex halimus L. and their corresponding callus cultures. Plant Sci 137: 131142 Google Scholar
Bajji, M, Kinet, JM, Lutts, S (2002) Osmotic and ionic effects of NaCI on germination, early seedling growth and ion content of Atriplex halimus (Chenopodiaceae). Can J Bot 80: 297304 Google Scholar
Bateman, HL, Nagler, PL, Glenn, EP (2013) Plot- and landscape-level changes in climate and vegetation following defoliation of exotic saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) from the biocontrol agent Diorhabda carinulata along a stream in the Mojave Desert (U.S.A.). J Arid Environ 89: 1620 Google Scholar
Bay, RL (2013) Revegetation after Tamarisk removal: what grows next? Pages 426440 in Sher, A, Quigley, MF, eds. Tamarix, A Case Study of Ecological Change in the American West. New York: Oxford University Press Google Scholar
Beauchamp, VB, Shafroth, PB (2011) Floristic composition, beta diversity, and nestedness of reference sites for restoration of xeroriparian areas. Ecol Appl 21: 465476 Google Scholar
Beauchamp, VB, Walz, C, Shafroth, PB (2009) Salinity tolerance and mycorrhizal responsiveness of native xeroriparian plants in semi-arid western USA. Appl Soil Ecol 43: 175184 Google Scholar
Belnap, J, Sherrod, SK, Miller, ME (2003) Effects of soil amendments on germination and emergence of downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and Hilaria jamesii . Weed Sci 51: 371378 Google Scholar
Belote, RT, Makarick, LF, Kearsley, MFC, Lauver, CL (2010) Tamarisk removal in Grand Canyon National Park: Changing the native-nonnative relationship as a restoration goal. Ecol Restor 28: 449459 Google Scholar
Blank, RR (2010) Intraspecific and interspecific pair-wise seedling competition between exotic annual grasses and native perennials: plant–soil relationships. Plant Soil 326: 331343 Google Scholar
Blossey, B, Skinner, LC, Taylor, J (2001) Impact and management of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in North America. Biodivers Conserv 10: 17871807 Google Scholar
Brockway, DG, Gatewood, RG, Paris, RB (2002) Restoring grassland savannas from degraded pinyon–juniper woodlands: effects of mechanical overstory reduction and slash treatment alternatives. J Environ Manag 64: 179197 Google Scholar
Buckley, YM, Bolker, BM, Rees, M (2007) Disturbance, invasion and reinvasion: managing the weed-shaped hole in disturbed ecosystems. Ecol Lett 10: 809817 Google Scholar
Bush, RT, Seastedt, TR, Buckner, D (2007) Plant community response to the decline of diffuse knapweed in a Colorado grassland. Ecol Restor 25: 169174 Google Scholar
Busso, CA, Briske, DD, Olalde-Portugal, V (2001) Root traits associated with nutrient exploitation following defoliation in three coexisting perennial grasses in a semi-arid savanna. Oikos 93: 332342 Google Scholar
Cahill, JF (2003) Lack of relationship between below-ground competition and allocation to roots in 10 grassland species. J Ecol 91: 532540 Google Scholar
Carson, W, Hovick, SM, Baumert, AJ, Bunker, DE, Pendergast, TH (2008) Evaluating the post-release efficacy of invasive plant biocontrol by insects: a comprehensive approach. Arthropod–Plant Interact 2: 7786 Google Scholar
Conrad, B, Acharya, K, Dudley, TL, Bean, DW (2013) Impact of episodic herbivory by the tamarisk leaf beetle on leaf litter nitrogen and stem starch content: a short communication. J Arid Environ 94: 7679 Google Scholar
D’Antonio, C, Meyerson, LA (2002) Exotic plant species as problems and solutions in ecological restoration: a synthesis. Restor Ecol 10: 703713 Google Scholar
Dela Cruz, MP, Beauchamp, VB, Shafroth, PB, Decker, C, O’Neil, A (2014) Adaptive restoration of river terrace vegetation through iterative experiments. Nat Areas J 34: 475487 Google Scholar
Denslow, JS, D’Antonio, C (2005) After biocontrol: assessing indirect effects of insect releases. Biol Control 35: 307318 Google Scholar
DiTomaso, JM (2000) Invasive weeds in rangelands: species, impacts, and management. Weed Sci 48: 255265 Google Scholar
Drenovsky, RE, Grewell, BJ, D’Antonio, CM, Funk, JL, James, JJ, Molinari, N, Parker, IM, Richards, CL (2012) A functional trait perspective on plant invasion. Ann Bot 110: 141153 Google Scholar
Eldridge, JD, Redente, EF, Paschke, M (2012) The use of seedbed modifications and wood chips to accelerate restoration of well pad sites in western Colorado, U.S.A. Restor Ecol 20: 524531 Google Scholar
Elgersma, KJ, Ehrenfeld, JG, Yu, S, Vor, T (2011) Legacy effects overwhelm the short-term effects of exotic plant invasion and restoration on soil microbial community structure, enzyme activities, and nitrogen cycling. Oecologia 167: 733745 Google Scholar
Ellis, LM, Molles, MC, Crawford, CS (1999) Influence of experimental flooding on litter dynamics in a Rio Grande riparian forest New Mexico. Restor Ecol 7: 193204 Google Scholar
Evans, RD, Rimer, R, Sperry, L, Belnap, J (2001) Exotic plant invasion alters nitrogen dynamics in an arid grassland. Ecol Appl 11: 13011310 Google Scholar
Gehring, CA, Mueller, RC, Whitham, TG (2006) Environmental and genetic effects on the formation of ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in cottonwoods. Oecologia 149: 158164 Google Scholar
Glenn, E, Tanner, R, Mendez, S, Kehret, T, Moore, D, Garcia, J, Valdes, C (1998) Growth rates, salt tolerance and water use characteristics of native and invasive riparian plants from the delta of the Colorado River, Mexico. J Arid Environ 40: 281294 Google Scholar
Going, BM, Dudley, TL (2008) Invasive riparian plant litter alters aquatic insect growth. Biol Invasions 10: 10411051 Google Scholar
Grant, DW, Peters, DPC, Beck, GK, Fraleigh, HD (2003) Influence of an exotic species, Acroptilon repens (L.) DC. on seedling emergence and growth of native grasses. Plant Ecol 166: 157166 Google Scholar
Grotkopp, E, Rejmánek, M (2007) High seedling relative growth rate and specific leaf area are traits of invasive species: phylogenetically independent contrasts of woody angiosperms. Am J Bot 94: 526532 Google Scholar
Harms, RS, Hiebert, RD (2006) Vegetation response following invasive Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) removal and implications for riparian restoration. Restor Ecol 14: 461472 Google Scholar
Haubensak, KA, D’Antonio, CM, Embry, S, Blank, R (2014) A comparison of Bromus tectorum growth and mycorrhizal colonization in salt desert vs. sagebrush habitats. Rangeland Ecol Manag 67: 275284 Google Scholar
Hulme, PE, Bremner, ET (2006) Assessing the impact of Impatiens glandulifera on riparian habitats: partitioning diversity components following species removal. J Appl Ecol 43: 4350 Google Scholar
Hultine, KR, Belnap, J, van Riper, C, Ehleringer, JR, Dennison, PE, Lee, ME, Nagler, PL, Snyder, KA, Uselman, SM, West, JB (2010) Tamarisk biocontrol in the western United States: ecological and societal implications. Front Ecol Environ 8: 467474 Google Scholar
Hultine, KR, Dudley, TL, Koepke, DF, Bean, DW, Glenn, EP, Lambert, AM (2014) Patterns of herbivory-induced mortality of a dominant non-native tree/shrub (Tamarix spp.) in a southwestern US watershed. Biol Invasions 17: 17291742 Google Scholar
Jensen, K, Gutekunst, K (2003) Effects of litter on establishment of grassland plant species: the role of seed size and successional status. Basic Appl Ecol 4: 579587 Google Scholar
Johnson, CM, Ulrich, A (1959) Part II. Analytical Methods for Use in Plant Analysis. California Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 766. 54 pGoogle Scholar
Jonasson, S, Michelsen, A, Schmidt, IK, Nielsen, EV, Callaghan, TV (1996) Microbial biomass C, N and P in two Arctic soils and responses to addition of NPK fertilizer and sugar: implications for plant nutrient uptake. Oecologia 106: 507515 Google Scholar
Keiser, JR, Mullen, RE, Hinz, PN (1995) Effects of Ca2+-enriched and Mg2+-enriched germination media on germination and sugar leakage of Ca-deficient soybean seed. Can J Plant Sci 75: 343346 Google Scholar
Kennedy, TA, Hobbie, SE (2004) Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) invasion alters organic matter dynamics in a desert stream. Freshw Biol 49: 6576 Google Scholar
Kenny, DR, Nelson, DW (1982) Nitrogen—inorganic forms. Pages 643698 in Page, AL, ed. Methods of Soil Analysis Part 2, Chemical and Microbiological Properties, 2nd edn. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, Inc. and Soil Science Society of America, Inc. Google Scholar
Kettenring, KM, Adams, CR (2011) Lessons learned from invasive plant control experiments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Appl Ecol 48: 970979 Google Scholar
Khidir, HH, Eudy, DM, Porras-Alfaro, A, Herrera, J, Natvig, DO, Sinsabaugh, RL (2010) A general suite of fungal endophytes dominate the roots of two dominant grasses in a semiarid grassland. J Arid Environ 74: 3542 Google Scholar
Knapp, AK, Briggs, JM, Hartnett, DC, Collins, SL (1998) Grassland Dynamics: Long-term Ecological Research in Tallgrass Prairie. New York: Oxford University Press. 364 pGoogle Scholar
Ladenburger, CG, Hild, AL, Kazmer, DJ (2006) Soil salinity patterns in Tamarix invasions in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA. J Arid Environ 65: 111128 Google Scholar
Leffler, AJ, Monaco, TA, James, JJ (2011) Nitrogen acquisition by annual and perennial grass seedlings: testing the roles of performance and plasticity to explain plant invasion. Plant Ecol 212: 16011611 Google Scholar
Lehnhoff, EA, Menalled, FD (2013) Impacts of Tamarix-mediated soil changes on restoration plant growth. Appl Veg Sci 16: 438447 Google Scholar
Lesica, P, DeLuca, TH (2004) Is tamarisk allelopahtic? Plant Soil 267: 357365 Google Scholar
Matoh, T, Watanabe, J, Takahashi, E (1986) Effects of sodium and potassium salts on the growth of a halophyte Atriplex gmelini . Soil Sci Plant Nutr 32: 451459 Google Scholar
McDaniel, KC, Taylor, JP (2003) Saltcedar recovery after herbicide-burn and mechanical clearing practices. J Range Manag 56: 439445 Google Scholar
Meinhardt, KA, Gehring, CA (2012) Disrupting mycorrhizal mutualisms: a potential mechanism by which exotic tamarisk outcompetes native cottonwoods. Ecol Appl 22: 532549 Google Scholar
Merritt, DM, Poff, NL (2010) Shifting dominance of riparian Populus and Tamarix along gradients of flow alteration in western North American rivers. Ecol Appl 1: 135152 Google Scholar
Merritt, DM, Shafroth, PB (2012) Edaphic, salinity, and stand structural trends in chronosequences of native and non-native dominated riparian forests along the Colorado River, USA. Biol Invasions 14: 26652685 Google Scholar
Mosley, JC, Bunting, SC, Manoukian, M (1999) Cheatgrass. Pages 175188 in Sheley, R, Petroff, J, eds. Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds. Corvalllis, OR: Oregon State University Press Google Scholar
Nagler, PL, Glenn, EP, Jarnevich, CS, Shafroth, PB (2011) Distribution and abundance of saltcedar and Russian olive in the western United States. Crit Rev Plant Sci 30: 508523 Google Scholar
Nagler, PL, Pearlstein, S, Glenn, EP, Brown, TB, Bateman, HL, Bean, DW, Hultine, KR (2014) Rapid dispersal of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) biocontrol beetles (Diorhabda carinulata) on a desert river detected by phenocams, MODIS imagery and ground observations. Remote Sens Environ 140: 206219 Google Scholar
Newingham, BA, Belnap, J (2006) Direct effects of soil amendments on field emergence and growth of the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum L. and the native perennial grass Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. Plant Soil 280: 2940 Google Scholar
Ohrtman, MK, Sher, AA, Lair, KD (2012) Quantifying soil salinity in areas invaded by Tamarix spp. J Arid Environ 85: 114121 Google Scholar
Olsen, SR, Cole, CV, Watanabe, FS, Dean, LA (1954) Estimation of available phosphorus in soil by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Circular No. 939. 19 pGoogle Scholar
Ostoja, SM, Brooks, ML, Dudley, T, Lee, SR (2014) Short-term vegetation response following mechanical control of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) on the Virgin River, Nevada, USA. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 7: 310319 Google Scholar
Perry, LG, Blumenthal, DM, Monaco, TA, Paschke, MW, Redente, EF (2010) Immobilizing nitrogen to control plant invasion. Oecologia 163: 1324 Google Scholar
Poorter, H, Nagel, O (2000) The role of biomass allocation in the growth response of plants to different levels of light, CO2, nutrients and water: a quantitative review. Aust J Plant Physiol 27: 595607 Google Scholar
Pyšek, P, Richardson, DM (2007) Traits associated with invasiveness in alien plants: where do we stand? Pages 97125 in Nentwig, W, ed. Biological Invasions. Ecological Studies 193. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Google Scholar
Radić, S, Prolić, M, Pavlica, M, Pevalek-Kozlina, B (2005) Cytogenetic effects of osmotic stress on the root meristem cells of Centaurea ragusina L. Environ Exp Bot 54: 213218 Google Scholar
Rasmuson, KE, Anderson, JE (2002) Salinity affects development, growth, and photosynthesis in cheatgrass. J Range Manag 55: 8087 Google Scholar
Reynolds, LV, Cooper, DJ (2011) Ecosystem response to removal of exotic riparian shrubs and a transition to upland vegetation. Plant Ecol 212: 12431261 Google Scholar
Rhoades, JD (1982) Soluble salts. Pages 167179 in Page, AL, ed. Methods of Soil Analysis Part 2. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America Google Scholar
Rokich, DP, Dixon, KW, Sivasithamparam, K, Meney, KA (2002) Smoke, mulch, and seed broadcasting effects on woodland restoration in western Australia. Restor Ecol 10: 185194 Google Scholar
Schoenau, JJ, Karamonos, RE (1993) Sodium bicarbonate, extractable P, K, and N. Pages 5158 in Carter, MR, ed. Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Society of Soil Science, Ottawa Google Scholar
Scott, JW, Meyer, SE, Merrill, KR, Anderson, VJ (2010) Local population differentiation in Bromus tectorum L. in relation to habitat-specific selection regimes. Evol Ecol 24: 10611080 Google Scholar
Seastedt, TR (2014) Biological control of invasive plant species: a reassessment for the Anthropocene. New Phytol 74: 99107 Google Scholar
Seastedt, TR, Hobbs, RJ, Suding, KN (2008) Management of novel ecosystems: are novel approaches required? Front Ecol Environ 6: 547553 Google Scholar
Shafroth, PB, Beauchamp, VB, Briggs, MK, Lair, K, Scott, ML, Sher, AA (2008) Planning riparian restoration in the context of Tamarix control in western North America. Restor Ecol 16: 97112 Google Scholar
Snyder, KA, Scott, RL, McGwire, K (2012) Multiple year effects of a biological control agent (Diorhabda carinulata) on Tamarix (saltcedar) ecosystem exchanges of carbon dioxide and water. Agric For Meteorol 164: 161169 Google Scholar
Stevens, KL (1986) Allelopathic polyacetylenes from Centaurea repens (Russian knapweed). J Chem Ecol 12: 12051211 Google Scholar
Stromberg, JC, Lite, SJ, Marler, R, Paradzick, C, Shafroth, PB, Shorrock, D, White, JM, White, MS (2007) Altered stream-flow regimes and invasive plant species: the Tamarix case. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 16: 381393 Google Scholar
Suding, KN, Gross, KL, Houseman, GR (2004) Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 19: 4653 Google Scholar
Uselman, SM, Snyder, KA, Blank, RR (2011) Insect biological control accelerates leaf litter decomposition and alters short-term nutrient dynamics in a Tamarix-invaded riparian ecosystem. Oikos 120: 409417 Google Scholar
Uselman, SM, Synder, KA, Blank, RR (2013) Impacts of insect biological control on soil N transformations in Tamarix-invaded ecosystems in the Great Basin, USA. J Arid Environ 88: 147155 Google Scholar
Usyal, I, Celik, S, Ozkan, K (2006) Studies on the germination of an endemic species Centaurea tomentella Hand.-Mazz. Pak J Bot 38: 983989 Google Scholar
Vincent, EM, Roberts, EH (1977) The interaction of light, nitrate and alternating temperature in promoting the germination of dormant seeds of common weed species. Seed Sci Technol 5: 659670 Google Scholar
Vincent, KR, Friedman, JM, Griffin, ER (2009) Erosional consequence of saltcedar control. Environ Manag 44: 218227 Google Scholar
Weeks, EP, Weaver, HL, Campbell, GS, Tanner, BD (1987) Water use by saltcedar and by replacement vegetation in the Pecos River floodplain between Acme and Artesia, New Mexico. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 491-G. 37 pGoogle Scholar
Whitson, TD (1999) Russian knapweed. Pages 315322 in Sheley, RL, Petroff, JK, eds. Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press Google Scholar
Williams, ED (1983) Effects of temperature, light, nitrate and prechilling on seed germination of grassland plants. Ann Appl Biol 103: 161172 Google Scholar
Yelenick, SG, D’Antonio, CM (2013) Self-reinforcing impacts of plant invasions change over time. Nature 503: 517520 Google Scholar
Yildiztugay, E, Sekmen, AH, Turkan, I, Kucukoduk, M (2011) Elucidation of physiological and biochemical mechanisms of an endemic halophyte Centaurea tuzgoluensis under salt stress. Plant Physiol Biochem 49: 816824 Google Scholar
Yin, CH, Feng, G, Zhang, F, Tian, CY, Tang, C (2010) Enrichment of soil fertility and salinity by tamarisk in saline soils on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Agric Water Manag 97: 19781986 Google Scholar
Zhaoyong, S, Zhang, L, Feng, G, Peter, C, Changyan, T, Xiaolin, L (2006) Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with desert ephemerals growing under and beyond the canopies of tamarisk shrubs. Chin Sci Bull 51: 132139 Google Scholar