Effects of <i>Datura stramonium</i> L. Invasion into Different Habitats on Native Plant Functional Traits and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometric Characteristics

<i>Datura stramonium</i> is an invasive herb of the family Solanaceae from Mexico and has been invading seriously in China. The effects of invasive plants on the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in different...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Juan Lv, Haitao Wang, Na Chang, Huaiyue Li, Cong Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/12/1497
Description
Summary:<i>Datura stramonium</i> is an invasive herb of the family Solanaceae from Mexico and has been invading seriously in China. The effects of invasive plants on the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in different habitats were explored by taking the invasive plant <i>D. stramonium</i> and coexisting native plants as the research object. The species, quantity and height of plants in sample plots in farmland, wasteland and roadside habitats were investigated and the specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon content (C), nitrogen content (N), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N), construction cost (CC<sub>mass</sub>) and stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were analyzed. The results showed that compared with the noninvaded area, the species and quantity of native plants decreased in the invaded area, and SLA and leaf N showed a decreasing trend. The plant height of native plants in the invaded area of the farmland and wasteland decreased by 23.19% and 15.26%, respectively, while the height of native plants along the roadside increased by 95.91%. The leaf C:N ratio of native plants in the invaded area along the roadside significantly increased by 54.07%. The plant height and leaf N of <i>D. stramonium</i> in the three habitats were higher than those of the native plants. The soil N in the invaded area of the three habitats increased, with the soil N in the farmland increasing by 21.05%, in the wasteland increasing by 9.82% and along the roadside significantly increasing by 46.85%. The soil carbon-to-phosphorus ratio (C:P) in the three habitats showed an increasing trend. The soil C:P ratio in the farmland increased by 62.45%, in the wasteland it increased by 11.91% and along the roadside it significantly increased by 71.14%. These results showed that invasion by <i>D. stramonium</i> has a great effect on the local ecosystem, and it has a high ability to capture resources. <i>D. stramonium</i> can improve its own competitiveness by enhancing invasiveness by changing the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N and P, which may be the reason for its invasive success.
ISSN:2079-7737