Effects of Invasive Plants on Soil

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2024) | Viewed by 3030

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: invasion ecology; plant invasion; invasion mechanism; chemical ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, College of Environment and Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: biological invasion; plant invasion; biological control; invasion mechanism; allelopathy; wetland; macrophyte; aquatic plant

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biological invasions are a global consequence of an increasingly connected world, environmental change, and an increasing human population. Moreover, biological invasion is reportedly a prominent component of global environmental change. Non-native species have direct and indirect impacts on ecological processes and soil nutrient status, which can influence feedback loops affecting plant growth and facilitate biological invasions in different ecosystems, thereby contributing to their spread across the landscape. For instance, a growing number of studies indicate that after introduction, non-native plants may alter the structure and abundance of soil microbes and increase or decrease the rate of soil nitrogen, carbon cycling, and enzyme activities, which can have either positive or negative effects on soil biota, which can affect plant fitness and plant growth. As recently reported, the impact of numerous invasive species on soil properties enables them to capitalize upon a wide variety of elements. Thus, invasive plants often benefit more from soil changes than native plants, i.e., changes in soil properties promote plant invasion. Therefore, knowledge of the influence of invasive species on the soil environment and native plant performance is important for understanding the ecological consequences of invasive plants. Therefore, further research is needed to provide basic information for the comprehensive evaluation of the impact of alien plant invasion under the background of change in the soil environment, assess the damage of invasive plants to the structure and function of different ecosystem, and identify the ecological management of invasive plants, as well as early warning signs and means of prevention.

This Special Issue aims to provide an in-depth analysis and comprehensive overview of a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of alien plant invasion under the background of climate change, assess the damage of invasive plants to the soil structure and function of the soil ecosystem, and identify the ecological management of invasive plants, as well as early warning signs and means of prevention.

Dr. Jianfan Sun
Dr. Aiping Wu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • invasive species
  • biological invasion
  • invasion mechanism
  • soil legacy
  • nutrient cycling
  • soil environment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2431 KiB  
Article
Allelopathic Effects of Caffeic Acid and Its Derivatives on Seed Germination and Growth Competitiveness of Native Plants (Lantana indica) and Invasive Plants (Solidago canadensis)
by Linxuan Pan, Feng He, Qiuju Liang, Yanwen Bo, Xin Lin, Qaiser Javed, Muhammad Saif Ullah and Jianfan Sun
Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1719; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091719 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2423
Abstract
Allelopathy has garnered considerable attention, but the effects of different allelochemicals on invasive plants remain unclear. This study addressed the knowledge gap surrounding allelopathy and its impact on native and invasive plant species. We focused on the impact of caffeic acid and its [...] Read more.
Allelopathy has garnered considerable attention, but the effects of different allelochemicals on invasive plants remain unclear. This study addressed the knowledge gap surrounding allelopathy and its impact on native and invasive plant species. We focused on the impact of caffeic acid and its derivatives on the growth and competitiveness of the native Lantana indica and the invasive plant Solidago canadensis. We selected three allelochemicals, caffeic acid, methyl caffeic acid, and ethyl caffeic acid, for evaluation at two concentrations (0.1 mM and 1.0 mM). Three planting methods were employed: (1) a single species of S. canadensis, (2) a single species of L. indica, and (3) a combination of S. canadensis and L. indica. In addition, a control group was also included. Results revealed that high concentrations (1 mM) of methyl caffeate (MC) and ethyl caffeate (EC) significantly reduced seed germination rate, seed germination index, and seed germination speed index of L. indica compared to a low concentration (0.1 mM). Plant height, stem diameter, biomass, and root length in the control group (CK) of S. canadensis were significantly higher than those in the treated groups. However, with increasing allelochemical concentration, L. indica’s relative competitiveness gradually decreased. These findings provide insights into the concentration-dependent effects of allelopathic compounds on the growth of L. indica and S. canadensis. By analyzing how these allelochemicals influence the growth and competitiveness of native and invasive plants, the study sheds light on the dynamics of allelochemical interactions between these species. This knowledge can be pivotal for understanding plant competition dynamics in ecosystems and could inform strategies to control invasive species or promote native plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Invasive Plants on Soil)
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