Invasive grasses selfish in soil conditioning

A greenhouse study on native and non-native grasses from the Great Basin looks at changes in soil nutrient levels and soil microbes among species.  The researchers found that although both native and non-native grasses condition soils, the changes caused by native plants tended to favor the growth of other species, while conditioning by the non-native grasses tended to favor only their own growth.  The non-native grasses studied included Bromus tectorum, Taeniatherum caput-medusae, Agropyron cristata, and Aegilops triuncialis.  These were compared to the native grasses Elymus elymoides, Pseudoroegmeria spicata, and Vulpia microstachys.

Perkins, L. B. and Nowak, R. S. (2012). Native and non-native grasses generate common types of plant–soil feedbacks by altering soil nutrients and microbial communities. Oikos, online 31 May 2012. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20592.x

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Fungi helping cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasions in North America

Researchers discovered that a new fungal-plant relationship developed between cheatgrass plants (Bromus tectorum) and a fire-dependent fungus (Morchella).  The fungus grows into the plant tissues and increases the biomass and seed production of the grass.  More biomass leads to more frequent fires and more seed production means more regeneration after a fire.  The fungus also increased the ability of seeds to survive heat from fires.  The fungal species (phylotypes) originated in western North America and do not occur in Europe.  This may be another explanation as to why cheatgrass invasion has been so successful in North America.

Melissa Baynes, George Newcombe, Linley Dixon, Lisa Castlebury, Kerry O’Donnell.  2012. A novel plant–fungal mutualism associated with fire. Fungal Biology 16(1): dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2011.10.008)

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