Throughfall Chemistry and Soil Nutrient Effects of the Invasive Shrub Lonicera maackii in Deciduous Forests
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2012
Publication Source
American Midland Naturalist
Abstract
Invasive species usurp habitat space at the expense of natives, reducing biodiversity and altering ecosystem function. The non-native invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is known to have substantial effects on forest structure and biodiversity in Midwestern North America; however, its influence on nutrient cycling is relatively unexplored. We investigated throughfall volume and chemistry, and soil nutrients, under and away from L. maackii shrubs in random locations along transects in three patchily invaded second-growth forests. Significantly lower volumes of throughfall were found under L. maackii canopies than in sites located away from L. maackii. Cation concentrations in throughfall were significantly higher, and in some instances 3 × higher, under L. maackii than in “away” locations. Despite lower throughfall volumes under L. maackii compared to “away” locations, total deposition of cations in throughfall under L. maackii was also consistently higher than in adjacent areas of native forest canopy. In contrast, NH4 -N concentrations in throughfall were significantly lower under L. maackii than away, suggesting N transformation and assimilation as rainwater passed through the canopy. No differences were found in soil properties between “under” and “away” locations. In summary, L. maackii significantly reduced the volume of rainwater arriving at the forest floor and altered the chemistry of that rainwater causing an increase in cation concentrations and a reduction in NH4 -N. These results suggest that L. maackii invasion has the potential to cause significant alterations to nutrient cycling in forests.
Inclusive pages
43-55
ISBN/ISSN
0003-0031
Publisher
University of Notre Dame
Volume
168
Peer Reviewed
yes
Issue
1
Keywords
McEwan Laboratory, Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii
eCommons Citation
McEwan, Ryan W.; Arthur, Mary A.; and Alverson, Sarah Elizabeth, "Throughfall Chemistry and Soil Nutrient Effects of the Invasive Shrub Lonicera maackii in Deciduous Forests" (2012). Biology Faculty Publications. 274.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bio_fac_pub/274
COinS
Comments
The American Midland Naturalist was established in 1909. Today, the journal covers a diverse set of biological disciplines (animal sciences, plant sciences, ecology) as they pertain to North America.