Simulated nitrogen deposition influences the growth and competitive ability ofCentaurea stoebe populations
Aims Soil nitrogen (N) availability is the most limiting factor for terrestrial plant growth, and global N deposi-tion can improve the soil N availability. Fast growth may be a general trait of successful invaders, so learning how N addition affected the growth and competitive ability of threeCentaurea stoebe populations is conductive to forecasting the plant invasion risk under N deposition. MethodsWe conducted an experiment simulating N deposition at Chengdu, in which three populations from the invasive forbC. stoebe and one native speciesPoa pratensis were subjected to two treatments: N addition and ambient. In our study,C. stoebe populations andP. pratensis were planted alone or together, and we determined plant height, leaf area and biomass. Important findingsIn the absence of competition, N addition promoted the growth ofC. stoebe populations, thereby improving their invasive potential to a certain extent. So under the condition of competition, we found that N addition obviously enhanced the competitive effects ofC. stoebeon P. pratensis,particularly interspecific root competition. The competitive ability of different populations performed similarly in response to N addition. These results preliminarily suggest that N deposition may increase the potential invasion risks ofC. stoebe popu-lations by improving their competitive ability.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
维普
