The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa
Abstract Tree invasions into native grasslands and shrublands are global phenomena, with alien tree invasions occurring on nearly every continent. We hypothesized that wood nutrient concentrations are a key trait to enable successful tree invasions in regions limited by soil nutrient availability, s...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2831 |
| _version_ | 1828782839592648704 |
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| author | Miranda D. Redmond Taryn L. Morris Michael C. Cramer |
| author_facet | Miranda D. Redmond Taryn L. Morris Michael C. Cramer |
| author_sort | Miranda D. Redmond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Tree invasions into native grasslands and shrublands are global phenomena, with alien tree invasions occurring on nearly every continent. We hypothesized that wood nutrient concentrations are a key trait to enable successful tree invasions in regions limited by soil nutrient availability, such as the fynbos vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. We sampled wood and bark of a height range of indigenous and alien woody species within the Cape Floristic Region. We used linear regression and phylogenetic analyses to assess associations between wood nutrients and tree height and analysis of variance to assess how wood nutrients vary across vegetation types. Alien trees had lower wood nutrient concentrations than many native trees, and nutrient concentrations, especially not only N and P, but also Mg and K, were negatively associated with tree height. These results suggest that recent tree invasions into the nutrient‐poor fynbos shrublands may be a result of low wood nutrient concentrations that allow the alien trees to successfully overtop the native vegetation. This indicates that wood nutrient concentrations may be a useful trait to predict whether an alien tree species has a greater potential of becoming invasive in regions with limited soil nutrients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:55:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db6c682fb249498fa34b020dcdb1f787 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:55:42Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-db6c682fb249498fa34b020dcdb1f7872022-12-22T00:56:04ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252019-09-01109n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.2831The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South AfricaMiranda D. Redmond0Taryn L. Morris1Michael C. Cramer2Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Private Bag X1 Rondebosch 7701 South AfricaDepartment of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Private Bag X1 Rondebosch 7701 South AfricaAbstract Tree invasions into native grasslands and shrublands are global phenomena, with alien tree invasions occurring on nearly every continent. We hypothesized that wood nutrient concentrations are a key trait to enable successful tree invasions in regions limited by soil nutrient availability, such as the fynbos vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. We sampled wood and bark of a height range of indigenous and alien woody species within the Cape Floristic Region. We used linear regression and phylogenetic analyses to assess associations between wood nutrients and tree height and analysis of variance to assess how wood nutrients vary across vegetation types. Alien trees had lower wood nutrient concentrations than many native trees, and nutrient concentrations, especially not only N and P, but also Mg and K, were negatively associated with tree height. These results suggest that recent tree invasions into the nutrient‐poor fynbos shrublands may be a result of low wood nutrient concentrations that allow the alien trees to successfully overtop the native vegetation. This indicates that wood nutrient concentrations may be a useful trait to predict whether an alien tree species has a greater potential of becoming invasive in regions with limited soil nutrients.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2831AcaciaAfromontaneEucalyptusFynbosnutrientPinus |
| spellingShingle | Miranda D. Redmond Taryn L. Morris Michael C. Cramer The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa Ecosphere Acacia Afromontane Eucalyptus Fynbos nutrient Pinus |
| title | The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa |
| title_full | The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa |
| title_short | The cost of standing tall: wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient‐poor fynbos soils of South Africa |
| title_sort | cost of standing tall wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient poor fynbos soils of south africa |
| topic | Acacia Afromontane Eucalyptus Fynbos nutrient Pinus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2831 |
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