Abstract
Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) invades riparian areas and roadsides in New England. This large clonal species drastically alters the appearance of habitats by forming highly productive near-monocultures. To understand how these invasions affect ecosystem processes in New England, we quantified the impacts of F. japonica on species diversity, primary productivity, and nitrogen cycling at five locations in central Massachusetts, USA. In stands of F. japonica and in adjacent uninvaded areas, we recorded the cover of each plant species and measured the aboveground biomass and nitrogen (N) concentrations in plants, along with N retranslocation from F. japonica leaves and several soil characteristics. In addition, we severed rhizomes of peripheral F. japonica shoots to determine if clonal integration contributes to the species’ rapid spread and dominance. Stands of F. japonica had lower species diversity, but greater aboveground biomass and standing N than uninvaded areas. Nitrogen and carbon concentrations in biomass and N mineralization rates in soil did not differ between stands and adjacent areas. Rhizome severing temporarily reduced growth of F. japonica, suggesting that retranslocation of photoassimilates and/or nutrients between shoots via rhizomatal connections may maximize stand level growth rates and facilitate dominance by F. japonica.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Aber JD, Melillo JM (2001) Terrestrial ecosystems. Harcourt Academic Press, San Diego
Acosta A, Izzi CF, Stanisci A (2006) Comparison of native and alien plant traits in Mediterranean coastal dunes. Community Ecol 7:35–41. doi:10.1556/ComEc.7.2006.1.4
Adachi N, Terashima I, Takahashi M (1996) Nitrogen translocation via rhizome systems in monoclonal stands of Reynoutria japonica in an oligotrophic desert on Mt Fuji: field experiments. Ecol Res 11:175–186. doi:10.1007/BF02347683
Allison SD, Vitousek PM (2004) Rapid nutrient cycling in leaf litter from invasive plants in Hawai’i. Oecologia 141:612–619. doi:10.1007/s00442-004-1679-z
Angeloni NL, Jankowski KJ, Tuchman NC et al (2006) Effects of an invasive cattail species (Typha × glauca) on sediment nitrogen and microbial community composition in a freshwater wetland. FEMS Microbiol Lett 263:86–92. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00409.x
Barney JN, Tharayil N, DiTommaso A et al (2006) The biology of invasive alien plants in Canada. 5. Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. Can J Plant Sci 86:887–905. = Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr
Beerling DJ, Bailey JP, Conolly AP (1994) Fallopia-japonica (Houtt) Ronse, Decraene (Reynoutria-japonica Houtt, Polygonum-cuspidatum Sieb and Zucc). J Ecol 82:959–979. doi:10.2307/2261459
Bram MR, McNair JN (2004) Seed germinability and its seasonal onset of Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). Weed Sci 52:759–767. doi:10.1614/P2002-053
Braun-Blanquet J (1972) Plant sociology: the study of plant communities. Hafnert Publishing Company
Chiba N, Hirose T (1993) Nitrogen aquisition and use in three perennials in the early stage of primary succession. Funct Ecol 7:287–292. doi:10.2307/2390207
Dassonville N, Vanderhoeven S, Gruber W et al (2007) Invasion by Fallopia japonica increases topsoil mineral nutrient concentrations. Ecoscience 14:230–240. doi:10.2980/1195-6860(2007)14[230:IBFJIT]2.0.CO;2
De Waal LC (2001) A viability study of Fallopia japonica stem tissue. Weed Res 41:447–460. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3180.2001.00249.x
Ehrenfeld JG (2003) Effects of exotic plant invasions on soil nutrient cycling processes. Ecosystems (N Y, Print) 6:503–523. doi:10.1007/s10021-002-0151-3
Evans RD, Rimer R, Sperry L et al (2001) Exotic plant invasion alters nitrogen dynamics in an arid grassland. Ecol Appl 11:1301–1310. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2001)011[1301:EPIAND]2.0.CO;2
Forman J, Kesseli RV (2003) Sexual reproduction in the invasive species Fallopia japonica (Polygonaceae). Am J Bot 90:586–592. doi:10.3732/ajb.90.4.586
Gammon MA, Grimsby JL, Tsfrelson D et al (2007) Molecular and morphological evidence reveals introgression in swarms of the invasive taxa Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica (Polygonaceae) in the United States. Am J Bot 94:948–956
Grimsby JL, Tsirelson D, Gammon MA et al (2007) Genetic diversity and clonal vs. sexual reproduction in Fallopia spp. (Polygonaceae). Am J Bot 94:957–964
Gusewell S (2005) Nutrient resorption of wetland graminoids is related to the type of nutrient limitation. Funct Ecol 19:344–354. doi:10.1111/j.0269-8463.2005.00967.x
Hooper DU, Chapin FS, Ewel JJ et al (2005) Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge. Ecol Monogr 75:3–35. doi:10.1890/04-0922
Hulme P, Bremner ET (2006) Assessing the impact of Impatiens glanduliflora on riparianhabitats: partitioning diversity components following species removal. J Appl Ecol 43:43–50. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01102.x
Liu J, Dong M, Miao SL et al (2006) Invasive alien plants in China: role of clonality and geographical origin. Biol Invasions 8:1461–1470. doi:10.1007/s10530-005-5838-x
Oikawa S, Hikosaka K, Hirose T (2008) Does leaf shedding increase the whole-plant carbon gain despite some nitrogen being lost with shedding? New Phytol 178:617–624. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02415.x
Prescott CE (2002) The influence of the forest canopy on nutrient cycling. Tree Phys 22:1193–1200
Price EAC, Gamble R, Williams GG et al (2001) Seasonal patterns of partitioning and remobilization of C-14 in the invasive rhizomatous perennial Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decraene). Evol Ecol 15:347–362. doi:10.1023/A:1016036916017
Siemens TJ, Blossey B (2007) An evaluation of mechanisms preventing growth and survival of two native species in invasive bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica, Polygonaceae). Am J Bot 94:776–783
Standish RJ, Williams PA, Robertson AW et al (2003) Invasion by a perennial herb increases decomposition rate and alters nutrient availability in warm temperate lowland forest remnants. Biol Invasions 6:71–81. doi:10.1023/B:BINV.0000010127.06695.f4
Tylova E, Teinbachova LS, Votrubova O et al (2008) Phenology and autumnal accumulation of N reserves in belowground organs of wetland helophytes Phragmites australis and Glyceria maxima affected by nutrient surplus. Environ Exp Bot 63:28–38. doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2007.10.011
Vanderhoeven S, Dassonville N, Meerts P (2005) Increased topsoil mineral concentrations under exotic invasive plants in belgium. Plant Soil 275:169–179. doi:10.1007/s11104-005-1257-0
Vanderhoeven S, Dassonville N, Chapuis-Lardy L et al (2006) Impact of the invasive alien plant Solidago gigantea on primary productivity, plant nutrient content and soil mineral nutrient concentrations. Plant Soil 286:259–268. doi:10.1007/s11104-006-9042-2
Weston LA, Barney JN, DiTommaso A (2005) A review of the biology and ecology of three invasive perennials in New York State: Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum). Plant Soil 277:53–69. doi:10.1007/s11104-005-3102-x
Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and a Northeast Alliance Fellowship to AGA. We would like to thank Jesse Schreier for field assistance. We are also grateful for the constructive and thoughtful advice of the anonymous reviewers
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aguilera, A.G., Alpert, P., Dukes, J.S. et al. Impacts of the invasive plant Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) on plant communities and ecosystem processes. Biol Invasions 12, 1243–1252 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9543-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9543-z