Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T00:17:12.309Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Simulated Acid Rain Accelerates Litter Decomposition and Enhances the Allelopathic Potential of the Invasive Plant Wedelia trilobata (Creeping Daisy)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rui Long Wang
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Tropical Agro-environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Christian Staehelin
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Franck E. Dayan
Affiliation:
USDA–ARS, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, University of Mississippi, MS 38677-8048
Yuan Yuan Song
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Tropical Agro-environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yi Juan Su
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Tropical Agro-environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Ren Sen Zeng*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Tropical Agro-environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: rszeng@scau.edu.cn

Abstract

Invasive species and acid rain cause global environmental problems. Creeping daisy, an invasive exotic allelopathic weed, has caused great damage in southern China, where acid rain is prevalent. The impact of the acidity of simulated acid rain (SAR) on soil nutrients, the decomposition of creeping daisy litter, and on the allelopathic potential of the surrounding soils was investigated. Litter was treated with SAR at different acidity (pH 2.5, 4.0, 5.6) or with water (pH 7.0) as a control. After 70 d, the remaining amount of creeping daisy litter, nutrient contents, and allelopathic potentials in the surrounding soil were determined. The litter decomposition was commensurate to the increase in the acidity of the SAR. Total C and N contents, NO3 -N and available P increased, levels of NH4 +-N, the ratio of C/N and soil pH values decreased, water contents increased and then decreased, whereas available K did not significantly change in the soil surrounding the litters in response to the increase in the acidity of the SAR. Bioassays showed that SAR promoted the allelopathic activity in the soil surrounding the litter, as measured by seedling growth of turnip and radish. In conclusion, our results indicated that SAR influenced soil nutrient status, accelerated creeping daisy litter decomposition, and enhanced the allelopathic potential of its litter in the surrounding soil, suggesting that acid rain may enhance the invasiveness of creeping daisy plants.

Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Allison, S. D. and Vitousek, P. M. 2004. Rapid nutrient cycling in leaf litter from invasive plants in Hawaii. Oecologia. 141:612619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashton, I. W., Hyatt, L. A., Howe, K. M., Gurevitch, J., and Lerdau, M. T. 2005. Invasive species accelerate decomposition and litter nitrogen loss in a mixed deciduous forest. Ecol. Appl. 15:12631272.Google Scholar
Bainard, L. D., Brown, P. D., and Upadhyaya, M. K. 2009. Inhibitory effect of tall hedge mustard (Sisymbrium loeselii) allelochemicals on rangeland plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Weed Sci. 57:386393.Google Scholar
Belz, R. G. and Hurle, K. 2004. A novel laboratory screening bioassay for crop seedling allelopathy. J. Chem. Ecol. 30:175198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bremmer, J. M. 1996. Nitrogen-total. Pages 10851121 in Sparks, D. L., ed. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3. Chemical Methods. American Society of Agronomy. Madison, WI Academic Press.Google Scholar
Brierley, E.D.R., Shaw, P.J.A., and Wood, M. 2001. Nitrogen cycling and proton fluxes in an acid forest soil. Plant Soil. 229:8396.Google Scholar
Callaway, R. M. and Ridenour, W. M. 2004. Novel weapons: invasive success and the evolution of increased competitive ability. Front. Ecol. Environ. 2:436443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, Y. Z., Wang, S. Y., Zhang, G., Luo, J. Y., and Lu, S. Y. 2009. Chemical characteristics of wet precipitation at an urban site of Guangzhou, South China. Atmos. Res. 94:462469.Google Scholar
Chen, B. M., Peng, S. L., and Ni, G. Y. 2009. Effects of the invasive plant Mikania micrantha H.B.K. on soil nitrogen availability through allelopathy in South China. Biol. Invasions. 11:12911299.Google Scholar
Dangles, O., Gessner, M. O., Guerold, F., and Chauvet, E. 2004. Impacts of stream acidification on litter breakdown: implications for assessing ecosystem functioning. J. Appl. Ecol. 41:365378.Google Scholar
Dick, W. A., Cheng, L., and Wang, P. 2000. Soil acid and alkaline phosphatase activity as pH adjustment indicators. Soil Biol. Biochem. 32:19151919.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dilipkumar, M., Adzemi, M. A., and Chuah, T. S. 2012. Effects of soil types on phytotoxic activity of pretilachlor in combination with sunflower leaf extracts on barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli). Weed Sci. 60:126132.Google Scholar
Dudai, N., Chaimovitsh, D., Larkov, O., Fischer, R., Blaicher, Y., and Mayer, A. M. 2009. Allelochemicals released by leaf residues of Micromeria fruticosa in soils, their uptake and metabolism. Plant Soil. 314:311317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutta, R. K. and Agrawal, M. 2001. Litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient release in five exotic plant species planted on coal mine spoils. Pedobiologia. 45:298312.Google Scholar
Ehrenfeld, J. G. 2003. Effects of exotic plant invasions on soil nutrient cycling processes. Ecosystems. 6:503523.Google Scholar
El-Keblawy, A. and Al-Rawai, A. 2007. Impacts of the invasive exotic Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. on the native flora and soils of the UAE. Plant Ecol. 190:2335.Google Scholar
Fan, H. B. and Wang, Y. H. 2000. Effects of simulated acid rain on germination, foliar damage, chlorophyll contents and seedling growth of five hardwood species growing in China. Forest Ecol. Manag. 126:321329.Google Scholar
Gimsing, A. L., Bælum, J., Dayan, F. E., Locke, M. A., Sejerø, L. H., and Jacobsen, C. S. 2009. Mineralization of the allelochemical sorgoleone in soil. Chemosphere. 76:10411047.Google Scholar
Grant, D. W., Peters, D.P.C., Beck, G. K., and Fraleigh, H. D. 2003. Influence of an exotic species, Acroptilon repens (L.) DC. on seedling emergence and growth of native grasses. Plant Ecol. 166:157166.Google Scholar
Hawkes, C. V., Wren, I. F., Herman, D. J., and Firestone, M. K. 2005. Plant invasion alters nitrogen cycling by modifying the soil nitrifying community. Ecol. Lett. 8:976985.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
He, X., Zhang, P., Lin, Y., Li, A., Tian, X., and Zhang, Q. 2009. Responses of litter decomposition to temperature along a chronosequence of tropical montane rainforest in a microcosm experiment. Ecol. Res. 24:781789.Google Scholar
Hoorens, B., Aerts, R., and Stroetenga, M. 2003. Does initial litter chemistry explain litter mixture effects on decomposition? Oecologia. 137:578586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inderjit. 2001. Soils: environmental effect on allelochemical activity. Agron. J. 93:7984.Google Scholar
Inderjit. 2005. Soil microorganisms: an important determinant of allelopathic activity. Plant Soil. 274:227236.Google Scholar
Kalembasa, S. J. and Jenkinson, D. S. 1973. A comparative study of titrimetric and gravimetric methods for the determination of organic carbon in soil. J. Sci. Food Agr. 24:10851090.Google Scholar
Kaspari, M., Garcia, M. N., Harms, K. E., Santana, M., Wright, S. J., and Yavitt, J. B. 2008. Multiple nutrients limit litterfall and decomposition in a tropical forest. Ecol. Lett. 11:3543.Google Scholar
Keeney, D. R. and Nelson, D. W. 1982. Nitrogen-inorganic forms. Pages 643687 in Page, A. L., Miller, R. H., and Keeney, D. R., eds. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties. American Society of Agronomy. Madison, WI Academic Press.Google Scholar
Kim, Y. O. and Lee, E. J. 2011. Comparison of phenolic compounds and the effects of invasive and native species in East Asia: support for the novel weapons hypothesis. Ecol. Res. 26:8794.Google Scholar
Kourtev, P. S., Ehrenfeld, J. G., and Häggblom, M. 2003. Experimental analysis of the effect of exotic and native plant species on the structure and function of soil microbial communities. Soil Biol. Biochem. 35:895905.Google Scholar
Kumar, V., Brainard, D. C., and Bellinder, R. R. 2009. Suppression of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) by buckwheat residues: role of allelopathy. Weed Sci. 57:6673.Google Scholar
Kuperman, R. G. and Edwards, C. A. 1997. Effects of acidic deposition on soil invertebrates and microorganisms. Rev. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 148:35137.Google Scholar
Lee, J. J. and Weber, D. E. 1983. Effects of sulfuric acid rain on decomposition rate and chemical element content of hardwood leaf litter. Can. J. Bot. 61:872879.Google Scholar
Li, X. R., Ma, F. Y., Xiao, H. L., Wang, X. P., and Kim, K. C. 2004. Long-term effects of revegetation on soil water content of sand dunes in arid region of Northern China. J. Arid Environ. 57:116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liao, C. Z., Peng, R. H., Luo, Y. Q., Zhou, X. H., Wu, X. W., Fang, C. M., Chen, J. K., and Li, B. 2008. Altered ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycles by plant invasion: a meta-analysis. New Phytol. 177:706714.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olsen, S. R., Cole, C. V., Watanabe, F. S., and Dean, L. A. 1954. Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. USDA circular 939. Washington, DC US Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Pennanen, T., Fritze, H., Vanhala, P., Kiikkilä, O., Neuvonen, S., and Bååth, E. 1998. Structure of a microbial community in soil after prolonged addition of low levels of simulated acid rain. Appl. Environ. Microb. 64:21732180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rashid, M. H., Asaeda, T., and Uddin, M. N. 2010. The allelopathic potential of kudzu (Pueraria montana). Weed Sci. 58:4755.Google Scholar
Reddy, G. B., Reinert, R. A., and Eason, G. 1991. Enzymatic changes in the rhizosphere of loblolly pine exposed to ozone and acid rain. Soil Biol. Biochem. 23:11151119.Google Scholar
Singh, H. P., Batish, D. R., and Kohli, R. K. 2003. Allelopathic interactions and allelochemicals: new possibilities for sustainable weed management. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 22:239311.Google Scholar
Skulman, B. W., Mattice, J. D., Cain, M. D., and Gbur, E. E. 2004. Evidence for allelopathic interference of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) to loblolly and shortleaf pine regeneration. Weed Sci. 52:433439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sperry, L. J., Belnap, J., and Evans, R. D. 2006. Bromus tectorum invasion alters nitrogen dynamics in an undisturbed arid grassland ecosystem. Ecology. 87:603615.Google Scholar
Strickland, M. S., Osburn, E., Lauber, C., Fierer, N., and Bradford, M. 2009. Litter quality is in the eye of the beholder: initial decomposition rates as a function of inoculum characteristics. Funct. Ecol. 23:627636.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tharayil, N., Bhowmik, P. C., and Xing, B. 2008. Bioavailability of allelochemicals as affected by companion compounds in soil matrices. J. Agric. Food Chem. 56:37063713.Google Scholar
Wang, C. Y., Guo, P., Han, G. M., Feng, X. G., Zhang, P., and Tian, X. J. 2010. Effect of simulated acid rain on the litter decomposition of Quercus acutissima and Pinus massoniana in forest soil microcosms and the relationship with soil enzyme activities. Sci. Total Environ. 408:27062713.Google Scholar
Wang, R. L., Zeng, R. S., Peng, S. L., Chen, B. M., Liang, X. T., and Xin, X. W. 2011. Elevated temperature may accelerate invasive expansion of the liana plant Ipomoea cairica . Weed Res. 51:574580.Google Scholar
Weber, E., Sun, S. G., and Li, B. 2008. Invasive alien plants in China: diversity and ecological insights. Biol. Invasions. 10:14111429.Google Scholar
Wolters, V. 1991. Effects of acid rain on leaf-litter decomposition in a beech forest on calcareous soil. Biol. Fert. Soils. 11:151156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, J. R., Peng, S. L., Zhao, H. B., and Xiao, H. L. 2008. Allelopathic effects of Wedelia trilobata residues on lettuce germination and seedling growth. Allelopathy J. 22:197204.Google Scholar
Xie, L. J., Zeng, R. S., Bi, H. H., Song, Y. Y., Wang, R. L., Su, Y. J., Chen, M., Chen, S., and Liu, Y. H. 2010. Allelochemical mediated invasion of exotic plants in China. Allelopathy J. 25:3150.Google Scholar