The role of ammonium oxidizing communities in mediating effects of an invasive plant on soil nitrification

摘要: Abstract Invasive plants often benefit from changes that they impose on soil microbes via positive plant–soil feedback, but the mechanisms underlie these changes, and legacy of their effects, remain poorly quantified. We investigated impacts an invasive annual grass, Microstegium vimineum, structure functioning microbial communities in a multi-year, field-based common garden experiment. Given previous reports M. vimineum can both elevate nitrification rates enhanced nitrate availability, we sought to answer following questions: 1) Does alter abundance or composition nitrifying (ammonia oxidizing archaea bacteria, AOA AOB, respectively)? 2) Are such effects reversible do persist after is no longer present? After three years, invaded plots had greater abundances than uninvaded native dominated plots, as well different community structure. However, seven period replacement by declined toward levels found plots. Collectively, our results suggest while invasions nitrogen cycling likely relate association with AOA, may not if declines over time associated are able re-establish.