Remotely sensed plant traits can provide insights into ecosystem impacts of plant invasions: a case study covering two f
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Remotely sensed plant traits can provide insights into ecosystem impacts of plant invasions: a case study covering two functionally different invaders Elisa Van Cleemput . Koenraad Van Meerbeek Olivier Honnay . Ben Somers
. Kenny Helsen
.
Received: 15 November 2019 / Accepted: 13 August 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Worldwide, invasive alien plant species (IAS) threaten the biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Most invasion research so far has focused on the properties underlying species invasiveness and community invasibility, yet IAS impact and the underlying causal pathways remain largely unknown. Here we dealt with this knowledge gap by extending the traditional functional trait framework to spectral data, by using traits estimated from reflectance measurements obtained through proximal field spectroscopy, as a surrogate for conventionally measured traits. We focused on two functionally distinct species that are invasive in Belgium: the annual forb Impatiens
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02338-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. E. Van Cleemput (&) K. Van Meerbeek B. Somers Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium E. Van Cleemput Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303, USA e-mail: [email protected] K. Helsen O. Honnay Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
glandulifera Royle, and the rhizomatous perennial forb Solidago gigantea Ait. By means of trait-based linear mixed models and structural equation models we studied their impact on six ecosystem functions involved in the cycling of carbon and nutrients, and the mechanisms mediating these changes. Analyses based on either conventionally or optically measured traits revealed similar results: the IAS altered aboveground biomass (decrease and increase under I. glandulifera and S. gigantea respectively), litter stabilization (decrease under both IAS) and soil available phosphorus (increase under both IAS) through mass ratio effects, rather than through decreasing the functional diversity of the community. Whereas S. gigantea did so by shifting the community towards more conservative traits, I. glandulifera achieved this by making the community taller and richer in leaf nutrients. The use of remote sensing through optically measured traits, is not only useful to advance our understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of plant invasion, but may also be valuable to the broader field linking plant community composition to ecosystem functioning. Its potential for studying larger spatial scales over time may contribute to even more comprehensive insights. Keywords Invasion impact Mass ratio hypothesis Niche complementarity Functio
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