The impact of exotic species on native organisms is widely acknowledged, but poorly understood. Very few studies have empirically investigated how invading plants may alter delicate ecological interactions among resident species in the invaded range. We present novel evidence that antifungal phytochemistry of the invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, a European invader of North American forests, suppresses native plant growth by disrupting mutualistic associations between native canopy tree seedlings and belowground arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Our results elucidate an indirect mechanism by which invasive plants can impact native flora, and may help explain how this plant successfully invades relatively undisturbed forest habitat.
Invasive Plant Suppresses the Growth of Native Tree Seedlings by Disrupting Belowground Mutualisms
K. Stinson,Stuart A. Campbell,J. Powell,B. Wolfe,R. Callaway,G. Thelen,S. Hallett,D. Prati,J. Klironomos
Published 2006 in PLoS Biology
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2006
- Venue
PLoS Biology
- Publication date
2006-04-25
- Fields of study
Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
- No claims are published for this paper.
CONCEPTS
- No concepts are published for this paper.