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Competition from Bromus tectorum removes differences between perennial grasses in N capture and conservation strategies

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Abstract

Background and aims

Competition from the annual grass Bromus tectorum threatens aridland perennial bunchgrass communities. Unlike annuals, perennials must allocate part of their first year nitrogen (N) budget to storage rather than growth, potentially placing them at a competitive disadvantage.

Methods

We evaluated N acquisition and conservation for two perennial bunchgrasses, Agropyron desertorum and Pseudoroegneria spicata, at the seedling stage to investigate potential trade-offs between storage and growth when grown with and without B. tectorum under two levels of soil N.

Results

Agropyron desertorum had higher growth rates, N uptake, and N productivity than P. spicata when grown without B. tectorum, but trait values were similarly low for both species under competition. Without competition, N resorption was poor under high soil N, but it was equally proficient among species under competition.

Conclusions

A. desertorum had higher growth rates and N productivity than P. spicata without competition, suggesting these traits may in part promote its greater success in restoration programs. However, B. tectorum neighbors reduced its trait advantage. As plant traits become more integral to restoration ecology, understanding how N capture and conservation traits vary across candidate species and under competition may improve our ability to select species with the highest likelihood of establishing in arid, nutrient-limited systems.

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Acknowledgments

We thank L. Ziegenhagen, EOARC interns, and Drenovsky lab members for help with plant maintenance and sample processing; J. Johansen, C. Muller, and C. Sheil for manuscript review; and the United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service and the John Carroll University College of Arts and Sciences for funding.

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Author notes

  1. Jeremy J. James

    Present address: Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Rd, Browns Valley, CA, 95948, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, John Carroll University, 4 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44448, USA

    Jeffrey T. Walker & Rebecca E. Drenovsky

  2. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, 67826-A Hwy 205, Burns, OR, 97720, USA

    Jeremy J. James

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  1. Jeffrey T. Walker
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Correspondence to Rebecca E. Drenovsky.

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Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers .

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Walker, J.T., James, J.J. & Drenovsky, R.E. Competition from Bromus tectorum removes differences between perennial grasses in N capture and conservation strategies. Plant Soil 412, 177–188 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3053-4

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