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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376493
Research Project: Development of Management Strategies for Livestock Grazing, Disturbance and Climate Variation for the Northern Plains

Location: Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

Title: Synergistic effects of canopy chemistry and autogenic soil biota on a global invader

Author
item MAJUMDAR, SUDIPTO - University Of Delhi
item KAUR, HARLEEN - University Of Alberta
item Rinella, Matthew - Matt
item ERBILGIN, NADIR - University Of Alberta
item CALLAWAY, RAGAN - University Of Montana
item CADOTTE, MARC - University Of Montana
item SINGH, INDERJIT - University Of Delhi

Submitted to: Journal of Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2023
Publication Date: 7/5/2023
Citation: Majumdar, S., Kaur, H., Rinella, M.J., Erbilgin, N., Callaway, R.M., Cadotte, M., Singh, I. 2023. Synergistic effects of canopy chemistry and autogenic soil biota on a global invader. Journal of Ecology. 111:1497-1513. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14113.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14113

Interpretive Summary: Soil biota and the biochemicals leached from plant canopies can both affect exotic invasions, yet we know little about their interactions. We found that the invader Prosopis juliflora generated a positive feedback with soil biota for itself and another invader, but a negative feedback for a native congener. The addition of L-tryptophan, a biochemical abundant in P. juliflora leaves, eliminated benefits of soil biota for invaders while leaving negative effects of biota on natives unchanged. The mechanism underpinning these results was related to chemicals which were detected only in P. juliflora soils containing live biota. Our results identify a novel species-specific linkage between the canopy chemistry and soil biota of an exotic that may reduce its invasiveness.

Technical Abstract: Soil biota and the biochemicals leached from plant canopies can both affect exotic invasions, yet we know little about their interactions. We found that the invader Prosopis juliflora generated positive feedback with soil biota for itself and another invader, but a negative feedback for a native congener. The addition of L-tryptophan, a biochemical abundant in P. juliflora leaves, eliminated benefits of soil biota for invaders while leaving negative effects of biota on natives unchanged. The mechanism underpinning these results was related to L-tryptophan or its degradation products, including indole-3-acetic acid, which were detected only in P. juliflora soils containing live biota. Our results identify a novel species-specific linkage between canopy chemistry and soil biota of an exotic invader.