| Title |
The invasive species Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) increases soil nutrient availability in northern hardwood-conifer forests
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Oecologia, July 2008
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00442-008-1089-8 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Vikki L. Rodgers, Benjamin E. Wolfe, Leland K. Werden, Adrien C. Finzi |
| Abstract |
The invasion of non-native plants can alter the diversity and activity of soil microorganisms and nutrient cycling within forests. We used field studies to analyze the impact of a successful invasive groundcover, Alliaria petiolata, on fungal diversity, soil nutrient availability, and pH in five northeastern US forests. We also used laboratory and greenhouse experiments to test three mechanisms by which A. petiolata may alter soil processes: (1) the release of volatile, cyanogenic glucosides from plant tissue; (2) the exudation of plant secondary compounds from roots; and (3) the decomposition of litter. Fungal community composition was significantly different between invaded and uninvaded soils at one site. Compared to uninvaded plots, plots invaded by A. petiolata were consistently and significantly higher in N, P, Ca and Mg availability, and soil pH. In the laboratory, the release of volatile compounds from the leaves of A. petiolata did not significantly alter soil N availability. Similarly, in the greenhouse, the colonization of native soils by A. petiolata roots did not alter soil nutrient cycling, implying that the exudation of secondary compounds has little effect on soil processes. In a leaf litter decomposition experiment, however, green rosette leaves of A. petiolata significantly increased the rate of decomposition of native tree species. The accelerated decomposition of leaf litter from native trees in the presence of A. petiolata rosette leaves shows that the death of these high-nutrient-content leaves stimulates decomposition to a greater extent than any negative effect that secondary compounds may have on the activity of the microbes decomposing the native litter. The results presented here, integrated with recent related studies, suggest that this invasive plant may change soil nutrient availability in such a way as to create a positive feedback between site occupancy and continued proliferation. |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 153 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 3% |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 1% |
| Canada | 1 | <1% |
| Japan | 1 | <1% |
| Spain | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 143 | 93% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 37 | 24% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 29 | 19% |
| Student > Master | 20 | 13% |
| Student > Bachelor | 18 | 12% |
| Professor | 7 | 5% |
| Other | 20 | 13% |
| Unknown | 22 | 14% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 77 | 50% |
| Environmental Science | 34 | 22% |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 7 | 5% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 | 2% |
| Business, Management and Accounting | 2 | 1% |
| Other | 3 | 2% |
| Unknown | 27 | 18% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 04 September 2017.
All research outputs
#7,452,489
of 22,783,848 outputs
Outputs from Oecologia
#1,673
of 4,210 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#28,563
of 81,628 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Oecologia
#3
of 13 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,783,848 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,210 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.0. This one is in the 34th percentile – i.e., 34% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 81,628 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 18th percentile – i.e., 18% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 13 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 53% of its contemporaries.