The invasive annual grass, Microstegium vimineum, is associated with reduced native species seed predation by small mammals in eastern deciduous forests
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Invasive plants can negatively impact native plant communities through indirect apparent competition driven by altered habitat structure for herbivores and seed predators. The annual invasive grass Microstegium vimineum greatly increases ground-level understory vegetative cover in US eastern deciduous forests, potentially altering foraging patterns by small mammals, which in turn could increase seed consumption of native plant species by mammals that take advantage of increased cover. To test this, we conducted a seed predation study using pans containing small and large native seeds placed in uninvaded and Microstegium-invaded habitats across four seasons. Counter to our predictions, we found that seed removal was 19% higher in uninvaded areas than Microstegium-invaded areas. While our results may be initially interpreted as positive for native species, reductions in small mammal seed foraging could also reduce scatterhoarding of large-seeded tree species, negatively impacting forest regeneration.
期刊介绍：
Plant Ecology publishes original scientific papers that report and interpret the findings of pure and applied research into the ecology of vascular plants in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. Empirical, experimental, theoretical and review papers reporting on ecophysiology, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, molecular and historical ecology are within the scope of the journal.
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