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Plant and fungal community responses to different methods of Brassica removal

Plant and fungal community responses to different methods of Brassica removal. Riley T. Pratt, Stephanie N. Kivlin, Jessica D. Pratt, Margaret B. Royall, Jennifer M. Talbot Orange County Society for Conservation Biology. Speaker Seminar Series Field Trips Restoration Projects & Research.

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Plant and fungal community responses to different methods of Brassica removal

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  1. Plant and fungal community responses to different methods of Brassica removal Riley T. Pratt, Stephanie N. Kivlin, Jessica D. Pratt, Margaret B. Royall, Jennifer M. Talbot Orange County Society for Conservation Biology

  2. Speaker Seminar Series Field Trips Restoration Projects & Research www.ocscb.org

  3. Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve: 752 Acres

  4. 4.8 ACRE SLOPE COASTAL SAGE SCRUB NATIVE GRASSLAND INVASIVES: BRASSICA AND ERODIUM SPP.

  5. Effects of Brassica Invasion on Ecosystems • Alter structure and composition of coastal sage scrub (CSS) • Disrupt native fungal communities on which many CSS plant species depend

  6. Establishing experimental Brassica removal plots • 4 treatments x 4 reps. = 16 plots • Treatments: • Herbicide (2% glyphosate) • Mow • Hand-weed • Control Treatments applied in Mar & Dec 2009 and Dec 2010 • Responses Measured (Spring 2010-2012): • Percent cover of all plant species • Fungal hyphal length in soil

  7. Research Questions How do different methods of Brassica removal impact: Coverof Brassica species? Overall cover of native and exotic vegetation? Plant species composition? Fungal biomass in soil?

  8. Removal Treatments March 2010: Handweeding suppresses Brassica and promotes native plant cover more than controls Native cover: F3,15 = 3.93, P=0.036; Brassica cover : F3,15 = 8.13, P = 0.003; Non-Brassica exotic cover: F3,15 = 11.65, P < 0.001

  9. Mowing & handweeding ↓ Brassica and ↑ the native Deindandra fasiculata Removal Treatments MRPP T = -7.74, A=0.415, P < 0.0001

  10. Brassica removal increases fungal biomass Removal Treatments F3,15 = 3.343, P = 0.038

  11. March 2011: Handweeding suppresses Brassica and promotes native plant cover more than controls Removal Treatments Native cover: F3,15 = 0.8, P=0.511; Brassica cover : F3,15 = 2.22, P = 0.138; Non-Brassica exotic cover: F3,15 = 4.29, P =0.028

  12. January 2012: Handweeding suppresses Brassica and promotes native plant cover more than controls Removal Treatments Native cover: F3,15 = 0.13, P=0.9397; Brassica cover : F3,15 = 7.2, P = 0.005; Non-Brassica exotic cover: F3,15 = 7.86, P =0.004

  13. Summary Herbicide • Reduced all plant cover types initially but currently has the highest cover of Brassica • Initially increased soil fungi compared to the control Mowing • Did not affect Brassica, native, or exotic plant cover • Resulted in the greatest initial increase of soil fungi Hand-weeding • Most effectively reduced Brassica cover and increased native plant cover. • Initially increased soil fungi compared to the control

  14. Is hand-weeding worth the effort?

  15. Acknowledgements Research, design, data collection: Steve Allison, Bob Reed, Kathleen Treseder, and Numerous OCSCB volunteers Collaborators: Matt Yurko (CCC), Jeff Stoddard (DFG), County of Orange Park and Rec Funding: Sonoran Joint Venture Foundation, Newport Bay Conservancy www.ocscb.org

  16. Soil fungi increase when soil nitrate declines Mowing Hand-weeding Soil hyphal length (mm/g dry soil) Herbicide No treatment % Change in soil NO3- after 1 month

  17. % Change in soil NO3- after 1 month Herbicide No treatment Mowed Hand-weeded

  18. Pre-treatment 1 month 3 months Soil NO3- (ug N/g soil) Herbicide No treatment Mowed Hand-weeded

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