NDLI: Tree leaf litter composition and nonnative earthworms influence plant invasion in experimental forest floor mesocosms

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Belote, R. Travis Jones, Robert H.
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	Dominant tree species influence community and ecosystem components through the quantity and quality of their litter. Effects of litter may be modified by activity of ecosystem engineers such as earthworms. We examined the interacting effects of forest litter type and earthworm presence on invasibility of plants into forest floor environments using a greenhouse mesocosm experiment. We crossed five litter treatments mimicking historic and predicted changes in dominant tree composition with a treatment of either the absence or presence of nonnative earthworms. We measured mass loss of each litter type and growth of a model nonnative plant species (Festuca arundinacea, fescue) sown into each mesocosm. Mass loss was greater for litter of tree species characterized by lower C:N ratios. Earthworms enhanced litter mass loss, but only for species with lower C:N, leading to a significant litter × earthworm interaction. Fescue biomass was significantly greater in treatments with litter of low C:N and greater mass loss, suggesting that rapid decomposition of forest litter may be more favorable to understory plant invasions. Earthworms were expected to enhance invasion by increasing mass loss and removing the physical barrier of litter. However, earthworms typically reduced invasion success but not under invasive tree litter where the presence of earthworms facilitated invasion success compared to other litter treatments where earthworms were present. We conclude that past and predicted future shifts in dominant tree species may influence forest understory invasibility. The presence of nonnative earthworms may either suppress of facilitate invasibility depending on the species of dominant overstory tree species and the litter layers they produce.
Starting Page	1045
Ending Page	1052
Page Count	8
File Format	PDF
ISSN	13873547
Journal	Biological Invasions
Volume Number	11
Issue Number	4
e-ISSN	15731464
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2008-07-02
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Ailanthus altissima Castanea dentata Decomposition Earthworms Invasional meltdown Leaf litter Lumbricus terrestris Plant invasions Developmental Biology Ecology Plant Sciences Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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Original paper tree (2008).

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Tree leaf litter composition and nonnative earthworms influence plant invasion in experimental forest floor mesocosms

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