Skip to main content
Article
Invaded Grassland Communities Have Altered Stability-Maintenance Mechanisms But Equal Stability Compared to Native Communities
Ecology Letters
  • Brian J. Wilsey, Iowa State University
  • Pedram P. Daneshgar, Monmouth University
  • Kirsten S. Hofmockel, Iowa State University
  • H. Wayne Polley, United States Department of Agriculture
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
1-1-2014
DOI
10.1111/ele.12213
Abstract

Theory predicts that stability should increase with diversity via several mechanisms. We tested predictions in a 5-year experiment that compared low-diversity exotic to high-diversity native plant mixtures under two irrigation treatments. The study included both wet and dry years. Variation in biomass across years (CV) was 50% lower in mixtures than monocultures of both native and exotic species. Growth among species was more asynchronous and overyielding values were greater during and after a drought in native than exotic mixtures. Mean-variance slopes indicated strong portfolio effects in both community types, but the intercept was higher for exotics than for natives, suggesting that exotics were inherently more variable than native species. However, this failed to result in higher CV's in exotic communities because species that heavily dominated plots tended to have lower than expected variance. Results indicate that diversity-stability mechanisms are altered in invaded systems compared to native ones they replaced.

Comments

This article is from Ecology Letters 17 (2014): 92, doi:10.1111/ele.12213.

Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Brian J. Wilsey, Pedram P. Daneshgar, Kirsten S. Hofmockel and H. Wayne Polley. "Invaded Grassland Communities Have Altered Stability-Maintenance Mechanisms But Equal Stability Compared to Native Communities" Ecology Letters Vol. 17 Iss. 1 (2014) p. 92 - 100
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/brian_wilsey/37/