Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:22:03.920Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) on Decomposition and Nutrient Availability in Riparian Forests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jennifer D. Mitchell ,
B. Graeme Lockaby  and
Eve F. Brantley
Jennifer D. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
B. Graeme Lockaby*
Affiliation:
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 602 Duncan Dr, Auburn, AL 36849
Eve F. Brantley
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Soils, Auburn University, 202 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL 36849
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: lockabg@auburn.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

As invasive species become increasingly abundant in forests, their presence may influence a number of key nutrient cycling processes. For example, Chinese privet has become well established in southeastern forests and continues to spread. Two studies, a multisite field investigation and a controlled approach on a single site, were conducted to examine the role of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) on decomposition within riparian forests of the Georgia Piedmont. The field study also investigated the effects of privet presence on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial carbon and N immobilization. Both studies utilized a litterbag approach to examine how increasing proportions of privet in foliar litter influenced mass loss rates and nutrient dynamics. The field investigation included litterbags with representative proportions of the five dominant species from 16 sites. Litterbags in the controlled study were composed of specific levels of privet litter within bags (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% Chinese privet) as treatments. The litter quality of four native species was compared to Chinese privet in the controlled study. Both studies showed significant positive relationships between percentage of Chinese privet in litterbags and decomposition rates (2.6-fold rate increase with 30% privet in litterfall). Chinese privet leaf litter had lower lignin and cellulose concentrations, higher N concentrations, lower lignin : N ratios, and narrower C : N ratios than the native species. The positive relationship between mass loss rates and the proportion of Chinese privet in litter indicates that Chinese privet enhances decomposition rates as it becomes more abundant. During summer, N mineralization showed approximately a fivefold increase; during winter, microbial biomass N increased by approximately 30% on sites with the highest levels of privet in the understory. Consequently, C and N dynamics in Piedmont riparian forests were significantly influenced in direct proportion to the amount of privet present in the understory.

Keywords

Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense Lour.Invasive plantsChinese privetdecompositioncarbonnitrogenfloodplain forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 4 , Issue 4 , December 2011 , pp. 437 - 447
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Allison, S. D. and Vitousek, P. M. 2004. Rapid nutrient cycling in leaf litter from invasive plants in Hawai'i. Oecologia 141:612–619.Google Scholar
Ashton, I. W., Hyatt, L. A., Howe, K. M., Gurevitch, J., and Lerdau, M. T. 2005. Invasive species accelerate decomposition and litter nitrogen loss in a mixed deciduous forest. Ecol. Appl. 15:1263–1272.Google Scholar
Brantley, E. F. 2008. Influence of Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) on Riparian Forests of the Southern Piedmont: Net Primary Productivity, Carbon Sequestration, and Native Plant Regeneration. Ph.D Dissertation. Auburn, AL Auburn University. 216 p.Google Scholar
Brown, C. E. and Pezeshki, S. R. 2000. A study on waterlogging as a potential tool to control Ligustrum sinense populations in western Tennessee. Wetlands 20:429–437.Google Scholar
Dascanio, L. M., Barrera, M. D., and Frangi, J. L. 1994. Biomass structure and dry matter dynamics of subtropical alluvial and exotic Ligustrum forests at the Río de la Plata, Argentina. Vegetatio 115:61–76.Google Scholar
Dirr, M. 1990. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses. 4th ed. Champaign, IL Stipes.Google Scholar
Ehrenfeld, J. G. 2003. Effects of exotic plant invasions on soil nutrient cycling processes. Ecosystems 6:503–523.Google Scholar
Ehrenfeld, J. G. 2010. Ecosystem consequences of biological invasions. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 41:59–80.Google Scholar
Ehrenfeld, J. G., Kourtev, P., and Huang, W. 2001. Changes in soil functions following invasions of exotic understory plants in deciduous forest. Ecol. Appl. 11:1287–1300.Google Scholar
Finzi, A. C., Breemen, N. V., and Canham, C. D. 1998. Canopy tree–soil interactions within temperate forests: species effects on soil carbon and nitrogen. Ecol. Appl. 8:440–446.Google Scholar
Fisher, R. F. and Binkley, D. 2000. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils. 3rd ed. New York J. Wiley. 489 p.Google Scholar
Gartner, T. B. and Cardon, Z. G. 2004. Decomposition dynamics in mixed-species leaf litter. Oikos 104:230–246.Google Scholar
Gartner, T. B. and Cardon, Z. G. 2006. Site of leaf origin affects how mixed litter decomposes. Soil Biol. Biochem. 38:2307–2317.Google Scholar
Goering, H. K. and Van Soest, P. J. 1970. Forage Fiber Analyses (Apparatus, Reagents, Procedures, and Some Applications). Washington, DC U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 379. 20 p.Google Scholar
Gurlevik, N., King, D. L., and Allen, H. L. 2004. Nitrogen mineralization following vegetation control and fertilization in a 14-year old loblolly pine plantation. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68(1):272–281.Google Scholar
Hart, S. C., Stark, J. M., Davidson, E. A., and Firestone, M. K. 1994. Nitrogen mineralization, immobilization, and nitrification. Pages 985–1018 in Bottomley, P. S., ed. Methods of Soil Analysis. Volume 2. Madison, WI Soil Science Society of America.Google Scholar
Hättenschwiler, S., Tiunov, A. V., and Scheu, S. 2005. Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 26:191–218.Google Scholar
Hector, A., Beale, A. J., Minns, A., Otway, S. J., and Lawton, J. H. 2000. Consequences of the reduction of plant diversity for litter decomposition: effects through litter quality and microenvironment. Oikos 90:357–371.Google Scholar
Hobbie, S. E. 2000. Interactions between litter lignin and soil nitrogen availability during leaf litter decomposition in a Hawaiian montane forest. Ecosystems 3:484–494.Google Scholar
Hoorens, B., Aerts, R., and Stroetenga, M. 2003. Does initial litter chemistry explain litter mixture effects on decomposition? Oecologia 137:578–586.Google Scholar
Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil Chemical Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall. 498 p.Google Scholar
Jolley, R., Lockaby, B. G., and Governo, R. M. 2010. Biogeochemical influences associated with sedimentation in riparian forests of the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 74(1):326–336.Google Scholar
Langeland, K. A. and Burks, K. C. 1998. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. Gainesville, FL. University of Florida. 165 p.Google Scholar
Li, Q., Allen, H. L., and Wollum, A. G. 2004. Microbial biomass and bacterial functional diversity in forest soils: effects of organic matter removal, compaction, and vegetation control. Soil Biol. Biochem. 36(4):571–579.Google Scholar
Liao, C. Z., Peng, R. H., Lou, Y. Q., Zhou, Z., Wu, X., Fang, C., Chen, J., and Li, B. 2008. Altered ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycles by plant invasion: a meta-analysis. New Phytol. 177:706–714.Google Scholar
Lockaby, B. G., Murphy, A. L., and Somers, G. L. 1996. Hydroperiod influences on nutrient dynamics in decomposing litter of a floodplain forest. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 60:1267–1272.Google Scholar
Madritch, M. D. and Cardinale, B. J. 2007. Impacts of tree species diversity on litter decomposition in northern temperate forests of Wisconsin, USA: a multi-site experiment along a latitudinal gradient. Plant Soil 292:147–159.Google Scholar
Matlack, G. R. 2002. Exotic plant species in Mississippi, USA: critical issues in management and research. Nat. Areas J. 22:241–247.Google Scholar
Melillo, J. M., Aber, J. D., and Murator, J. F. 1982. Nitrogen and lignin control of hardwood leaf litter decomposition dynamics. Ecology 63:621–626.Google Scholar
Merriam, R. W. and Feil, E. 2002. The potential impact of an introduced shrub on native plant diversity and forest regeneration. Biol. Invasions 4:369–373.Google Scholar
Miller, J. H. 2003. Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Asheville, NC Revised North Carolina General Technical Report SRS-62. 93 p.Google Scholar
Morris, L. L., Walck, J. L., and Hidayati, S. N. 2002. Growth and reproduction of the invasive Ligustrum sinense and native Forestiera ligustrina (Oleaceae): implications for the invasion and persistence of a nonnative shrub. Int. J. Plant Sci. 163:1001–1010.Google Scholar
Nave, L. E., Vance, E. D., Swanston, C. W., and Curtis, P. S. 2009. Impacts of elevated N inputs on north temperate forest soil C storage, C/N, and net N-mineralization. Geoderma 153:231–240.Google Scholar
Ozalp, M., Conner, W. H., and Lockaby, B. G. 2007. Above-ground productivity and litter decomposition in a tidal freshwater forested wetland on Bull Island, SC, USA. Forest Ecol. Manag. 245:31–43.Google Scholar
Sariyildix, T. and Anderson, J. M. 2003. Interactions between litter quality, decomposition, and soil fertility: a laboratory study. Soil Biol. Biochem. 35:391–399.Google Scholar
Schilling, E. B. and Lockaby, B. G. 2006. Relationships between productivity and nutrient circulation within two contrasting southeastern US floodplain forests. Wetlands 26:181–192.Google Scholar
Standish, R. J., Williams, P. A., Robertson, A. W., Scott, N. A., and Hedderley, D. I. 2004. Invasion by a perennial herb increases decomposition rate and alters nutrient availability in warm temperate lowland forests. Biol. Invasions 6:71–81.Google Scholar
Swift, M. J., Heal, O. W., and Anderson, J. M. 1979. Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA. University of California Press.Google Scholar
[USDA-NRCS] U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2009. Plants Database. http://plants.usda.gov. Accessed: February 2, 2011.Google Scholar
[USFS] U.S. Forest Service. 2005. Ecological subregions of the United States. http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/ch20.html. Accessed: June 13, 2008.Google Scholar
Vance, E. D., Brookes, P. C., and Jenkinson, D. S. 1987. An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol. Biochem. 19:703–707.Google Scholar
Vitousek, P. M. and Matson, P. A. 1985. Disturbance, nitrogen availability, and nitrogen losses in an intensively managed loblolly pine plantation. Ecology 66:1360–1376.Google Scholar
Vitousek, P. M., Turner, D. R., Parton, W. J., and Sanford, R. L. 1994. Litter decomposition on the Mauna Loa environmental matrix, Hawai'i: patterns, mechanisms, and models. Ecology 75:418–429.Google Scholar
Vitousek, P. M. and Walker, L. R. 1989. Biological invasions by Myrica faya in Hawaii: plant demography, nitrogen fixation, ecosystem effects. Ecol. Monogr. 59:247–265.Google Scholar
Ward, R. W. 2002. Extent and dispersal rates of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) invasion on the upper Oconee River floodplain, North Georgia. Southeast. Geogr. 42:29–48.Google Scholar
Zimmer, M. 2002. Is decomposition of woodland leaf litter influenced by its species richness? Soil Biol. and Biochem. 34:277–284.Google Scholar