The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i>
Invasive C<sub>4</sub> grasses can inhibit the natural regeneration of secondary forest in tropical landscapes after the cessation of intensive use for grazing and agriculture. In Panama, invasive <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> forms dense stands that require active management t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/14/2/36 |
| _version_ | 1797594190043938816 |
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| author | Justin A. Cummings Ingrid M. Parker Gregory S. Gilbert |
| author_facet | Justin A. Cummings Ingrid M. Parker Gregory S. Gilbert |
| author_sort | Justin A. Cummings |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Invasive C<sub>4</sub> grasses can inhibit the natural regeneration of secondary forest in tropical landscapes after the cessation of intensive use for grazing and agriculture. In Panama, invasive <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> forms dense stands that require active management to re-establish forest successional processes. In this region, restoration strategies typically involve clearing grass cover manually and applying fertilizer prior to planting tree seedlings. However, if fertilizers alleviate nutrient limitation and enhance grass competition with tree seedlings, these practices may exacerbate the costs of <i>Saccharum</i> control and hamper restoration goals. Here, we evaluated how <i>S. spontaneum</i> responds to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in the field to determine whether <i>S. spontaneum</i> is nutrient limited in this system. <i>S. spontaneum</i> was limited by both nitrogen and phosphorus, as revealed through increased foliar nutrient concentrations. <i>S. spontaneum</i> biomass was significantly greater in both nitrogen and phosphorus addition plots after both the first growth period (early rainy season) and second growth period (late rainy season), with stronger effects of nutrient limitation during the second growth period for both N limitation and N and P co-limitation. Nutrient limitation in <i>S. spontaneum</i> highlights a potential risk of fertilizer applications during restoration, agriculture, and agroforestry activities in which invasion of this aggressive weed is a challenge to land management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:20:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2503c0a2455a4aff93860f00b6622a6b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2037-0164 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:20:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2503c0a2455a4aff93860f00b6622a6b2023-11-18T10:53:32ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Plant Biology2037-01642023-05-0114247448210.3390/ijpb14020036The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i>Justin A. Cummings0Ingrid M. Parker1Gregory S. Gilbert2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USADepartment Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAInvasive C<sub>4</sub> grasses can inhibit the natural regeneration of secondary forest in tropical landscapes after the cessation of intensive use for grazing and agriculture. In Panama, invasive <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> forms dense stands that require active management to re-establish forest successional processes. In this region, restoration strategies typically involve clearing grass cover manually and applying fertilizer prior to planting tree seedlings. However, if fertilizers alleviate nutrient limitation and enhance grass competition with tree seedlings, these practices may exacerbate the costs of <i>Saccharum</i> control and hamper restoration goals. Here, we evaluated how <i>S. spontaneum</i> responds to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in the field to determine whether <i>S. spontaneum</i> is nutrient limited in this system. <i>S. spontaneum</i> was limited by both nitrogen and phosphorus, as revealed through increased foliar nutrient concentrations. <i>S. spontaneum</i> biomass was significantly greater in both nitrogen and phosphorus addition plots after both the first growth period (early rainy season) and second growth period (late rainy season), with stronger effects of nutrient limitation during the second growth period for both N limitation and N and P co-limitation. Nutrient limitation in <i>S. spontaneum</i> highlights a potential risk of fertilizer applications during restoration, agriculture, and agroforestry activities in which invasion of this aggressive weed is a challenge to land management.https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/14/2/36biological invasionsrestoration ecologynutrient limitation<i>Saccharum spontaneum</i>Panama Canalinvasive grasses |
| spellingShingle | Justin A. Cummings Ingrid M. Parker Gregory S. Gilbert The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> International Journal of Plant Biology biological invasions restoration ecology nutrient limitation <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> Panama Canal invasive grasses |
| title | The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> |
| title_full | The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> |
| title_short | The Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition on Growth of the Invasive C<sub>4</sub> Grass <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> |
| title_sort | influence of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on growth of the invasive c sub 4 sub grass i saccharum spontaneum i |
| topic | biological invasions restoration ecology nutrient limitation <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> Panama Canal invasive grasses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/14/2/36 |
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