Changes in community functional structure and ecosystem properties along an invasion gradient of Ligustrum lucidum

FERNANDEZ, ROMINA D.; CASTRO DÍEZ, PILAR; ARAGÓN, ROXANA; PÉREZ HARGUINDEGUY, NATALIA

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2021 vol. 32

1100-9233

Questions: It is well documented that invasive alien plants can reduce species richnessand diversity and modify the composition of invaded communities. However,our knowledge on the impacts of invasive alien plants on the community functionalstructure and ecosystem properties and the mechanisms underlying these changes ismore limited. We evaluated how the community functional structure and ecosystemproperties change along a gradient of Ligustrum lucidum abundance.Location: Subtropical mountain forest in NW Argentina.Methods: We conducted tree vegetation sampling in 164 plots distributed along agradient of L. lucidum abundance. For L. lucidum and for the most abundant tree speciesin these plots we estimated six functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf tensilestrength, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf water potential, wood density and maximumplant height), as well as their relative growth rates. Then, we calculated indicesof community functional structure (community-weightedmeans for each trait; richness,evenness, divergence and dispersion). We explored the extent to which the invasivesuccess of L. lucidum and its impact may be attributed to niche differentiation orto fitness superiority. Finally, we explored how L. lucidum abundance alters ecosystemproperties.Results: Some indicators of community functional structure changed linearly whileothers tended to saturate along the invasion gradient. L. lucidum has a higher growthrate than resident species and it lays close to the periphery, but within the limits ofthe functional space defined by resident trees. L. lucidum tends to displace more functionallysimilar resident species. Soil moisture and N content declined, while soil C:Nincreased with L. lucidum abundance.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that both niche differentiation and fitness superioritycontribute to explain the invasion success of L. lucidum and the changes in functionalstructure of the community along the gradient of L. lucidum abundance withevident impacts on ecosystem properties.