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An exotic macrophyte bed may facilitate the anchorage of exotic propagules during the first stage of invasion

  • INVASIVE SPECIES
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Abstract

The success of invasive macrophytes is due to the ability of introduced fragments to survive, regenerate and colonise freshwaters. In this study, carried out in an experimental garden, we evaluated: (i) the ability of Myriophyllum aquaticum fragments with or without an apex, to survive and colonise and (ii) the effects of a macrophyte bed on the colonisation success of two non-native species (Ludwigia grandiflora, M. aquaticum). Fragments of M. aquaticum with apical stems had the highest survival rate (85 vs. 62%) and colonisation abilities (i.e. 9% of rate of anchorage with a macrophyte bed). The anchorage rate of L. grandiflora was stimulated by the presence of the non-native Elodea canadensis and the relative growth rate of M. aquaticum fragments was higher in the presence of a L. grandiflora bed. Facilitation may enhance the colonisation of some non-native species during the first stage of invasion (colonisation and regeneration). However, the presence of a macrophyte bed limits the chances of L. grandiflora rooting in the sediment. This result suggests that spatial competition may occur at the beginning of growth in shallow waters. Competitive or facilitative interactions between neighbouring species depend both on the introduced species and on macrophyte bed composition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Lise Thouvenot and Camille Puech for their helpful assistance in the experimental garden and Nathalie Josselin-Le Bris for their assistance with water analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO, University of Rennes 1, Campus Beaulieu, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Gabrielle Thiébaut & Laurent Martinez

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  1. Gabrielle Thiébaut
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  2. Laurent Martinez
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Correspondence to Gabrielle Thiébaut.

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Guest editors: Sidinei M. Thomaz, Katya E. Kovalenko, John E. Havel & Lee B. Kats / Aquatic Invasive Species

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Thiébaut, G., Martinez, L. An exotic macrophyte bed may facilitate the anchorage of exotic propagules during the first stage of invasion. Hydrobiologia 746, 183–196 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1982-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1982-6

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