Kourtev, P.S. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. and
Häggblom, M. (2002). Exotic species alter microbial
community structure and function in the soil. Ecology,
83: 3152-3166
Exotic plant species are increasingly becoming the focus of
research and have been identified as a component of human-induced
global change. Successful invaders may alter soil conditions, but
the effect of exotic species on soil microbial communities has
not-been studied. We studied two exotic understory plant species
(Japanese barberry [Berberis thunbergii] and Japanese stilt grass
[Microstegium vimineum]) in hardwood forests in northern New
Jersey, USA. We sampled bulk and rhizosphere soils under the two
exotic species, as wall as under a co-occurring native species
(blueberry [Vaccinium spp.]). We indexed the structure (by
measuring phospholipid fatty acid [PLFA] profiles) and function
(by measuring enzyme activities and substrate-induced respiration
[SIR] profiles) of microbial communities in the sampled
soils. Soils under the three species differed in microbial
community structure and function. These differences were observed
in both the rhizosphere and bulk soil samples. Differences in the
structural variables were correlated to differences in the
functional variables as demonstrated by canonical correlation
analysis. These results indicate that successful exotic invasive
species can have profound effects on the microbial community of
the soil.
Close