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Immobilizing nitrogen to control plant invasion

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Abstract

Increased soil N availability may often facilitate plant invasions. Therefore, lowering N availability might reduce these invasions and favor desired species. Here, we review the potential efficacy of several commonly proposed management approaches for lowering N availability to control invasion, including soil C addition, burning, grazing, topsoil removal, and biomass removal, as well as a less frequently proposed management approach for lowering N availability, establishment of plant species adapted to low N availability. We conclude that many of these approaches may be promising for lowering N availability by stimulating N immobilization, even though most are generally ineffective for removing N from ecosystems (excepting topsoil removal). C addition and topsoil removal are the most reliable approaches for lowering N availability, and often favor desired species over invasive species, but are too expensive or destructive, respectively, for most management applications. Less intensive approaches, such as establishing low-N plant species, burning, grazing and biomass removal, are less expensive than C addition and may lower N availability if they favor plant species that are adapted to low N availability, produce high C:N tissue, and thus stimulate N immobilization. Regardless of the method used, lowering N availability sufficiently to reduce invasion will be difficult, particularly in sites with high atmospheric N deposition or agricultural runoff. Therefore, where feasible, the disturbances that result in high N availability should be limited in order to reduce invasions by nitrophilic weeds.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by the US National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center. D. Augustine, H. BassiriRad, I. Burke, F. Dijkstra, C. Körner, and six anonymous reviewers provided useful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Laura G. Perry

  2. Rangeland Resources Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Dana M. Blumenthal

  3. Forage and Range Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Logan, UT, USA

    Thomas A. Monaco

  4. Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Mark W. Paschke & Edward F. Redente

  5. Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg C, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA

    Laura G. Perry

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  1. Laura G. Perry
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  2. Dana M. Blumenthal
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  3. Thomas A. Monaco
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  4. Mark W. Paschke
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  5. Edward F. Redente
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Correspondence to Laura G. Perry.

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Communicated by Hormoz BassiriRad.

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Perry, L.G., Blumenthal, D.M., Monaco, T.A. et al. Immobilizing nitrogen to control plant invasion. Oecologia 163, 13–24 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1580-x

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