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Native North American pine attenuates the competitive effects of a European invader on native grasses

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Clearly, there is no such thing as absolute competitive ability, nor any measure…that confers competitive ability under all conditions - Huston and Smith 1987.

Abstract

Strong direct competitive interactions between two species can be attenuated or exacerbated by the asymmetric effects of other species. In this context we explored a natural pattern in which an exotic invader, Centaurea stoebe, was much less abundant under ponderosa pines than in open grassland. In a field experiment Centaurea had strong competitive effects on the native Pseudoroegneria spicata in open grassland. Pines had no effects on either Centaurea or Pseudoroegneria when they were grown alone, but the strong competitive effects of Centaurea on Pseudoroegneria found in open grassland did not occur under pine canopies. In common garden experiments we found that shade mimicking one effect of pine canopies inhibited Centaurea but did not affect the native Festuca idahoensis. Shade did not alter competitive outcomes between the native and the invader. In the same experiment, soil from under pines increased Centaurea size and its competitive effects on Festuca, the opposite of what would be predicted from natural patterns in the field. However, pine litter strongly suppressed Centaurea in field and greenhouse experiments, inhibited growth of Festuca when grown alone, and importantly also eliminated competition between Festuca and Centaurea. Overall, our results suggest that ponderosa pine may resist Centaurea invasion both directly and by attenuation of the invader’s competitive effects. This biotic resistance appears to occur in part through asymmetric direct effects of pine litter, and in part from ways in which the litter, canopy effects, and soil under pines modify interactions between Centaurea and natives.

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Acknowledgments

This research was conducted with funding from a McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Program grant to KLM and RMC. Invaluable field assistance was provided by Sarah Metlen, Chris Rota, and Oriana Grubsic. Access to research sites was generously supplied by Plum Creek Timber Co., Marilyn Marler, Missoula Parks and Recreation, Barry Bird, and the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks. David Affleck provided crucial help with the statistics and we acknowledge extensive discussion and editorial comments by Erik Aschehoug. RMC gratefully acknowledges funding from NSF EPSCoR Track-1 EPS-1101342 (INSTEP 3), DoD SERDP, and the Fire Science Laboratory.

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  1. Kerry L. Metlen

    Present address: The Nature Conservancy, 33 North Central Ave. Suite 405, Medford, OR, 97501, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA

    Kerry L. Metlen

  2. Division of Biological Sciences, Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA

    Ragan M. Callaway

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  1. Kerry L. Metlen
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  2. Ragan M. Callaway
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Correspondence to Kerry L. Metlen.

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Metlen, K.L., Callaway, R.M. Native North American pine attenuates the competitive effects of a European invader on native grasses. Biol Invasions 17, 1227–1237 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0790-2

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