An experimental study of plant community invasibility

• Published in: Ecology (Durham) Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 776 - 790
• Main Authors: Burke, M. J. W., Grime, J. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Ecological Society of America 01.04.1996
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological invasions; COMMUNAUTE VEGETALE; Community Ecology; COMUNIDADES VEGETALES; Demecology; Ecological disturbance; Ecological invasion; Ecology; ESTABLECIMIENTO DE PLANTAS; ETABLISSEMENT DE LA PLANTE; Eutrophication; fertilizers; Festuca ovina; field experimentation; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; geographical distribution; germination; GRASSLANDS; GROSSEUR DES SEMENCES; HERBAGE; Indigenous peoples; Indigenous species; inoculum; Introduced species; INVASION; Limestone; mowing; Natural history; PLANT COMMUNITIES; PLANT ESTABLISHMENT; Plants; Plants and fungi; PLANTULAS; PLANTULE; PRADERAS; REINO UNIDO; ROYAUME UNI; SEED SIZE; SEEDLINGS; Species; Synecology; TAMANO DE LA SEMILLA; UNITED KINGDOM; Vegetation; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; British Isles; Grassland; Introduced species; Bare soil; Soil fertility; Seed production; Vegetation dynamics; Perturbation; Experimental study; Field experiment; Sowing; Invasive species; Plant cover; Colonization
• ISSN: 0012-9658; 1939-9170
• DOI: 10.2307/2265501

A long-term field experiment in limestone grassland near Buxton (North Derbyshire, United Kingdom) was designed to identify plant attributes and vegetation characteristics conducive to successful invasion. Plots containing crossed, continuous gradients of fertilizer addition and disturbance intensity were subjected to a single-seed inoculum comprising a wide range of plant functional types and 54 species not originally present at the site. Several disturbance treatments were applied; these included the creation of gaps of contrasting size and the mowing of the vegetation to different heights and at different times of the year. This paper analyzes the factors controlling the initial phase of the resulting invasions within the plots subject to gap creation. The susceptibility of the indigenous community to invasion was strongly related to the availability of bare ground created, but greatest success occurred where disturbance coincided with eutrophication. Disturbance damage to the indigenous dominants (particularly Festuca ovina) was an important determinant of seedling establishment by the sown invaders. Large seed size was identified as an important characteristic allowing certain species to establish relatively evenly across the productivity-disturbance matrix; smaller-seeded species were more dependent on disturbance for establishment. Successful and unsuccessful invaders were also distinguished to some extent by differences in germination requirements and present geographical distribution.