Effects of deer on the photosynthetic performance of invasive and native forest herbs

AoB Plants
J Mason HeberlingSusan Kalisz

Abstract

Overabundant generalist herbivores can facilitate non-native plant invasions, presumably through direct and indirect modifications to the environment that affect plant performance. However, ecophysiological mechanisms behind ungulate-mediated plant invasions have not been well-studied. At a long-term Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) exclusion site in a temperate deciduous forest, we quantified deer-mediated ecophysiological impacts on an invasive biennial Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) and two palatable native herbaceous perennials, Maianthemum racemosum and Trillium grandiflorum. In mid-summer, we found that leaf-level light availability was higher in unfenced areas compared with areas fenced to exclude deer. Alliaria in unfenced areas exhibited 50 % higher mean maximum photosynthetic rates compared with fenced areas. Further, specific leaf area decreased by 48 % on average in unfenced areas, suggesting leaf structural responses to higher light levels. Similarly, Maianthemum had 42 % higher mean photosynthetic rates and 33 % decreased mean specific leaf area in unfenced areas, but these functional advantages were likely countered by high rates of deer herbivory. By contrast, Trillium exhibited significantly lowe...Continue Reading

References

May 16, 2008·Biometrical Journal. Biometrische Zeitschrift·Torsten HothornPeter Westfall
Feb 3, 2009·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Anne K Eschtruth, John J Battles
Feb 25, 2009·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Victoria A NuzzoBernd Blossey
Dec 17, 2009·Ecology Letters·Mark van KleunenMarkus Fischer
Jan 25, 2012·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·William J McShea
Aug 30, 2012·Nature Methods·Caroline A SchneiderKevin W Eliceiri
Mar 13, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Susan KaliszCarol C Horvitz

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Citations

Mar 25, 2021·Ecology Letters·Lalasia Bialic-MurphySusan Kalisz
Aug 21, 2021·The New Phytologist· InderjitT Martijn Bezemer

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