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Comparative ecophysiology of four wetland plant species along a continuum of invasiveness

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Abstract

We compared the ecophysiological performance of four dominant, perennial plant species of tidal marshes of northeastern North America (Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia, Spartina alterniflora, andLeersia oryzoides), asking whether species that fall along a continuum of invasiveness vary consistently in terms of primary productivity, growth, biomass allocation, phenology, maximal photosynthetic rate, leaf turnover, tissue nutrient and chlorophyll content, and water use. During 1999, we examined plants growing at two brackish marshes and two freshwater tidal marshes in southern Connecticut, USA.Phragmites andTypha consistently exceeded the other two species in both marsh types in terms of ramet biomass, standing crop, length of the growing season, standing leaf area, leaf longevity, and total chlorophyll.Typha, Phragmites, andSpartina showed similar maximal photosynthetic rates across marsh types, significantly greater than the Pmax observed inLeersia. Foliar nitrogen, was significantly greater inPhragmites than in all other species, suggesting that this species accrues nutrients more efficiently.Phragmites andTypha populations did not differ in a number of characters between freshwater and brackish marshes, indicating low sensitivity to exposure to moderate salinity levels. A principle components analysis placedPhragmites andTypha close to each other and more distant fromSpartina andLeersia along axes describing components of competitive ability and photosynthetic performance. Thus, moderately and highly invasive species are distinct from less invasive species in terms of ecophysiology in both wetland types. AsPhragmites australis andTypha angustifolia displace other plant species in marshes, they will likely influence the carbon- and nitrogen-cycling functions of wetlands, subject to the species' varying tolerances for salinity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New England Wild Flower Society, 180 Hemenway Road, 01701, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

    Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

  2. The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 735 South, District of Columbia, 20004, Washington, USA

    Laura A. Meyerson

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  1. Elizabeth J. Farnsworth
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Farnsworth, E.J., Meyerson, L.A. Comparative ecophysiology of four wetland plant species along a continuum of invasiveness. Wetlands 23, 750–762 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2003)023[0750:CEOFWP]2.0.CO;2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2003)023[0750:CEOFWP]2.0.CO;2

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