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Indirect positive effects ameliorate strong negative effects of Euphorbia esula on a native plant

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Abstract

Invasive plant species can have strong direct negative effects on native plants. Depending on the nature of interactions among competitors and consumers within a community, strong indirect interactions may either augment or offset direct effects. We used path analysis to estimate the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of Euphorbia esula, an unpalatable invasive plant, on Balsamorhiza sagittata, a native forb, through “shared defense” and by suppression of native competitors. Our results indicate that E. esula had strong direct negative effects on B. sagittata, but also that its net effect was reduced by 75% because of indirect positive effects. This reduction was because in equal parts of lessened competition from other native plants eliminated from E. esula stands and to lower levels of herbivory inside E. esula stands, apparently caused by indirect defense of B. sagittata by E. esula. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that invaders may indirectly reduce herbivory on native plants, a phenomenon that may commonly occur with unpalatable invaders. Furthermore, our results highlight the potential complexity of interactions between native and invasive plants.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The authors would also like to thank Bert Lindler and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Morgan Valliant and the City of Missoula Parks and Recreation Department, and Joy Sherry for use of their lands for our research. Ragan M. Callaway thanks the NSF for funding.

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  1. Carolyn M. Bauer

    Present address: Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, 104 Health Sciences, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA

    Daniel Z. Atwater & Ragan M. Callaway

  2. Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Carolyn M. Bauer

Authors
  1. Daniel Z. Atwater
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  2. Carolyn M. Bauer
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  3. Ragan M. Callaway
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Correspondence to Daniel Z. Atwater.

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Atwater, D.Z., Bauer, C.M. & Callaway, R.M. Indirect positive effects ameliorate strong negative effects of Euphorbia esula on a native plant. Plant Ecol 212, 1655–1662 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9938-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9938-7

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