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Planting Patterns Affect the Differences in Growth and Its Responses to Nitrogen Forms and Levels Between Three
Wei-Wei Feng1, Kai Huang1, Si-Miao Sun1
1Liaoning Key Laboratory for Biological Invasions and Global Changes, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Global changes in nitrogen forms, particularly shifts towards nitrate, favor invasive plants over natives, especially under competition. This suggests nitrate-rich environments may be more susceptible to alien plant invasions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
Background:
- Global change, including atmospheric nitrogen deposition, increases soil nitrogen availability, often linked to alien plant invasions.
- Few studies have investigated the impact of altered soil nitrogen forms, rather than just availability, on plant invasions, especially considering interspecific competition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine how different nitrogen forms (nitrate vs. ammonium) and addition levels affect the growth, biomass allocation, and photosynthesis of invasive and native plant species.
- To assess the role of interspecific competition in mediating the responses of invasive and native plants to nitrogen forms.
- To identify nitrogen form preferences of invasive and native species using 15N labeling.
Main Methods:
- Comparative growth experiments with three invasive species (Xanthium strumarium, Ambrosia trifida, Bidens frondosa) and their related natives, under varying nitrogen forms, addition levels, and with/without interspecific competition.
- 15N labeling technique to trace nitrogen uptake and determine species' preference for nitrate versus ammonium.
Main Results:
- Interspecific competition amplified growth responses to nitrogen addition for invaders, particularly under nitrate, while suppressing responses in natives.
- Invaders exhibited a preference for nitrate, while natives preferred ammonium, leading to greater invader growth advantages in nitrate-rich conditions.
- Monoculture conditions reduced invader growth advantages, and nitrogen form preferences were less pronounced or absent in some species.
Conclusions:
- Alterations in soil nitrogen forms, especially a shift from ammonium to nitrate due to global change, can facilitate alien plant invasions.
- Interspecific competition and nitrogen form availability significantly influence the competitive dynamics between invasive and native species.
- Mixed-culture experiments are crucial for understanding invasiveness, as they better reflect natural competitive interactions.
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