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Invasive annual grasses indirectly increase virus incidence in California native perennial bunchgrasses

  • Global change ecology
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Abstract

In California valley grasslands, Avena fatua L. and other exotic annual grasses have largely displaced native perennial bunchgrasses such as Elymus glaucus Buckley and Nassella pulchra (A. Hitchc.) Barkworth. The invasion success and continued dominance of the exotics has been generally attributed to changes in disturbance regimes and the outcome of direct competition between species. Here, we report that exotic grasses can also indirectly increase disease incidence in nearby native grasses. We found that the presence of A. fatua more than doubled incidence of infection by barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDVs) in E. glaucus. Because B/CYDV infection can stunt E. glaucus and other native bunchgrasses, the indirect effects of A. fatua on virus incidence in natives suggests that apparent competition may be an additional mechanism influencing interactions among exotic and native grasses in California. A. fatua’s influence on virus incidence is likely mediated by its effects on populations of aphids that vector B/CYDVs. In our study, aphids consistently preferred exotic annuals as hosts and experienced higher fecundity on them, suggesting that the exotics can attract and amplify vector populations. To the best of our knowledge, these findings are the first demonstration that exotic plants can indirectly influence virus incidence in natives. We suggest that invasion success may be influenced by the capacity of exotic plant species to increase the pathogen loads of native species with which they compete.

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Notes

  1. Formerly Sitanion jubatum J.G. Smith

  2. Formerly Stipa pulchra A. Hitch

  3. Mean total leaf area of A. barbata individuals (31.2 cm2) was only somewhat greater than that of E. glaucus (24.2 cm2, P=0.0422), but leaf areas for these two species were substantially greater than those of Bromus spp. (B. diandrus=19.1 cm2, B. hordeaceus=2.7 cm2, and B. madritensis=3.8 cm2; linear regression, P≤0.0001)

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. Falk, T. Kominek, the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology, E. Seabloom, and M. Williams for the use of field facilities and technical assistance. We greatly appreciate the help of C. Hughes, H. S. Butterfield, L. Neys, T. Cox, and S. Brandenburg in the lab and field. We thank H. Alexander, Z. Cardon, D. Landis, C. Stoner, and an anonymous reviewer for invaluable comments on the manuscript. Field studies in Yolo County and experimental work were supported by NSF DEB 9983373 to CMM. Aphid studies at Sedgwick were supported by USDA NRICGP 2001–35316–10989 to W. W. Murdoch and ETB, and 2003–35316–13767 to C. J. Briggs and ETB. Experiments complied with the laws of the United States of America.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Carolyn M. Malmstrom, April J. McCullough, Hope A. Johnson & Linsey A. Newton

  2. College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    April J. McCullough

  3. Registration Division (7505C), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20460, USA

    Hope A. Johnson

  4. Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Elizabeth T. Borer

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  1. Carolyn M. Malmstrom
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Correspondence to Carolyn M. Malmstrom.

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Communicated by Jim Ehleringer

The views presented here are the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Malmstrom, C.M., McCullough, A.J., Johnson, H.A. et al. Invasive annual grasses indirectly increase virus incidence in California native perennial bunchgrasses. Oecologia 145, 153–164 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0099-z

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