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Niche construction by the invasive Asian knotweeds (species complex Fallopia): impact on activity, abundance and community structure of denitrifiers and nitrifiers

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Abstract

Big Asian knotweeds (Fallopia spp.) are among the most invasive plant species in north-western Europe. We suggest that their success is partially explained by biological and chemical niche construction. In this paper, we explored the microbial mechanisms by which the plant modifies the nitrogen cycle. We found that Fallopia spp. decreased potential denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) by reducing soil moisture and reducing denitrifying bacteria density in the soil. The plant also reduced potential ammonia and nitrite oxydizing bacteria enzyme activities (respectively, AOEA and NOEA) in sites with high AOEA and NOEA in uninvaded situation. Modification of AOEA and NOEA were not correlated to modifications of the density of implicated bacteria. AOB and Nitrobacter-like NOB community genetic structures were significantly different in respectively two and three of the four tested sites while the genetic structure of denitrifying bacteria was not affected by invasion in none of the tested sites. Modification of nitrification and denitrification functioning in invaded soils could lead to reduced nitrogen loss from the ecosystem through nitrate leaching or volatilization of nitrous oxides and dinitrogen and could be considered as a niche construction mechanism of Fallopia.

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Acknowledgments

This work is a part of the project “Bases scientifiques pour un contrôle des renouées asiatiques” cofunded by FEDER (Fonds Européens de Développement Régional), Agence de l’eau Loire-Bretagne, Région Rhône-Alpes and Conseil Général de la Loire). This work has also been made possible by the funding by the “Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique” of Belgium of my post-doc travel in Lyon (“Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Collective” convention no 2.4506.06). We would like to acknowledge Caroline Moirot for her help in molecular analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’écologie végétale et biogéochimie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine CP 244, Bd Triomphe, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Nicolas Dassonville & Pierre Meerts

  2. Université Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    Nadine Guillaumaud & Franck Poly

  3. CNRS, UMR5557, USC 1193 INRA, Laboratoire d’Ecologie microbienne, Villeurbanne, France

    Nadine Guillaumaud, Florence Piola & Franck Poly

  4. CNRS, UMR5023, Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes fluviaux, Villeurbanne, France

    Florence Piola

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  1. Nicolas Dassonville
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Correspondence to Nicolas Dassonville.

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Dassonville, N., Guillaumaud, N., Piola, F. et al. Niche construction by the invasive Asian knotweeds (species complex Fallopia): impact on activity, abundance and community structure of denitrifiers and nitrifiers. Biol Invasions 13, 1115–1133 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-9954-5

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