Are Mojave Desert Annual Species Equal? Resource Acquisition and Allocation for the Invasive Grass Bromus madritensis subsp. rubens (Poaceae) and Two Native Species
Defalco LA, Bryla DR, Smith-Longozo V, Nowak RS. 2003. Are Mojave Desert Annual Species Equal? Resource Acquisition and Allocation for the Invasive Grass Bromus madritensis subsp. rubens (Poaceae) and Two Native Species. American Journal of Botany. 90(7):1045-1053
Abundance of invasive plants is often attributed to their ability to outcompete native species. In a glasshouse experiment, resource acquisition and allocation of the invasive annual grass Bromus madritensis subsp. rubens was compared with that of two native Mojave Desert annuals, Vulpia octoflora and Descurainia pinnata. Each species was grown in monoculture at two densities and two levels of N availability to compare how these annuals capture resources and to understand their relative sensitivities to environmental change. The researchers found that resource use by Bromus was less sensitive to changes in N availability or plant density than the natives. The native species produced numerous seeds that tended to remain dormant while Bromus produced fewer but larger seeds that readily germinated. These traits give Bromus the potential to rapidly establish in diverse habitats of the Mojave desert.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Defalco, Lesley; Bryla, David; Smith-Longozo, Vickie; Nowak, Robert
- Units
- JOTR , MOJA
- Keywords
- Bromus, desert ephemeral, introduced annual grasses, Invasive Plants, Mojave Desert, nitrogen uptake, Plant biomass, Plant Studies, Resource Management, root system, Seed production, Taxa Links To References, water uptake