Soil conditioning and plant-soil feedbacks affect competitive relationships between native and invasive grasses

摘要: Understanding how competition from invasive species and soil conditions individually interactively affect native performance will increase knowledge of invasion dynamics can be used to improve the success restoration plans. This study, conducted in Reno NV, USA, uses a two-phase plant–soil feedback experiment coupled with target-neighbor design examine individual interactive effects both neighbors on performance. Study include (Bromus tectorum Agropyron cristatum) (Elymus elymoides Pseudoroegneria spicata). Results indicate that plant competitive interactions were influenced by species-specific conditioning. Specifically, B. generated larger effect natives than A. cristatum; however, only cristatum conditioned manner increased conspecifics natives. Native P. spicata was relatively unaffected conditioning conversely, E. strongly affected Few previous studies have examined interaction neighbor are potentially important mechanisms structuring communities influencing invasion.